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In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. OK Policy encourages the support of Oklahoma’s state and local media, which are vital to an informed citizenry. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Some stories included here are behind paywall or require subscription. Subscribe to In The Know and see past editions.
Oklahoma News
Oklahoma superintendent has no power to make schools show Trump prayer video, AG’s office says: Oklahoma’s top education official has no authority to force schools to show students a video of himself praying for incoming President Donald Trump, the state Attorney General’s Office found. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Lawmaker says State Supt. Ryan Walters’ “Prayer to the Nation” video is indoctrination [KFOR]
- Legal experts warn Oklahoma districts against showing prayer video sent by Ryan Walters [Fox 25]
- At least 7 Oklahoma superintendents are refusing to show Ryan Walters’ video to students [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma schools decline to share video of Ryan Walters praying for Trump [KOSU]
- Ryan Walters can’t force schools to show his prayer video for Trump, AG’s Office says [Tulsa World]
- Oklahoma Districts Push Back Against Mandated Prayer Video Following Conflicting Emails [News 9]
- The Hot Seat: Trump’s Influence On Oklahoma Education; Rumors Of Federal Role For Walters [News on 6]
Stitt takes first step to address illegal immigration in light of incoming Trump White House: Gov. Kevin Stitt is launching Operation Guardian, which aims to prepare the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and all tiers of law enforcement to deport hundreds of unauthorized immigrants arrested for crimes unrelated to their immigration status. [KOSU]
- Oklahoma governor says he wants to deport undocumented immigrants in state prisons [The Oklahoman]
State Government News
Political notebook: State absorbs first month without grocery tax revenue: Sales tax contributions to the state’s general revenue fund dropped 15% in the first month without the 4.5% state sales tax on groceries, the Office of Management and Enterprise Services reported. [Tulsa World]
Critics target new law protecting Oklahoma, Arkansas poultry players: Critics of a new law that took effect Nov. 1 pledged to do everything they can to reverse provisions that provide immunity for poultry industry players who pollute Oklahoma’s streams, rivers or lakes. [Stillwater News Press]
Roundup: Slap fighting, cockfighting, in-fighting over St. Isidore and religious education: If attorneys for St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtue School have their way, Oklahoma could become the birthplace of the U.S. Supreme Court’s latest test case, with proponents for and against the Catholic charter school all alleging infringements of the First Amendment right to exercise religion freely. [NonDoc]
Opinion, Capitol Insider: State Department of Education creates new office focusing on religion: The State Department of Education is moving quickly to crystallize policy initiatives that are expected to come from President-elect Donald Trump in his second term. [KGOU]
Opinion: Mike Gundy’s tirade shows a lack empathy from one of Oklahoma’s highest-paid public employees: I rarely pay attention to the prattlings of Oklahoma’s college football coaches who are being paid ungodly amounts of money to put teams on the field to entertain us every fall. But every once in a while they’re impossible to ignore. The latest example was the recent hateful, offensive and frankly ignorant comments made earlier this month by Oklahoma State University football coach Mike Gundy. [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]
Federal Government News
Musk says he and Trump have ‘mandate to delete’ regulations. Ethics laws could limit that: Elon Musk and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency.” If it were a true government agency, however, Musk would run afoul of federal conflict of interest laws unless he divested from his businesses or recused from government matters involving them. President Trump could grant a rare waiver exempting Musk from those laws, a move that has been politically unpopular in the past. [AP via Tulsa World]
Tribal Nations News
Tulsa, Sapulpa among area districts saying hensci — hello — to Muscogee language option: After the 2023-24 pilot year with two school districts, the Muscogee Nation Language Department is now partnering with 15 districts across its reservation this year to offer Muscogee I and II through an online platform. Twelve are offering Muscogee I to count as a world language credit toward graduation, while the other three are offering it as an elective course. [Tulsa World]
Pawnee Nation to receive 27 repatriated items from Indiana University: The Pawnee Nation will welcome home 27 sacred objects next spring. The items will be retrieved from Indiana University in compliance with guidelines outlined by the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act. [KOSU]
Breaking Bread: Indigenous artists share their stories and work in first of three events: A recent “Breaking Bread” luncheon ― the first of three gatherings that focus on the Indigenous community — was sponsored by the OK Justice Circle, a group of faith and community leaders who are working to raise awareness about criminal justice reform, challenges to the Oklahoma County jail and related issues like race and bias and the need for more community dialogue. [The Oklahoman]
Colleen Thurston’s ‘Drowned Land’ brings fight to protect Kiamichi River into focus: Colleen Thurston is an Oklahoma filmmaker, curator, educator and Choctaw citizen. Her most recent feature documentary is Drowned Land, a film about protecting the Kiamichi River from extraction. The film is personal for Thurston as she narrates her family’s relationship with the land and water in what is now southeast Oklahoma on the Choctaw reservation. [KOSU]
Opinion: November is the month to pay special tribute to Native Americans: November ushers in Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor the history, culture and contributions of Native Americans — often seen as the quintessential underdogs in American history. Their resilience and self-determination shine through, overcoming the harsh policies of the past. [Theresa Hinman / The Oklahoman]
Voting and Election News
OK County Sheriff Tommie Johnson III’s video campaign ads raise ethics questions: Fresh off his reelection as Oklahoma County Sheriff, Tommie Johnson III is facing questions about if his campaign advertisements may have violated state law by featuring county-owned equipment and people who appear to be uniformed deputies. [The Oklahoman]
Ranked choice voting faces cloudy future after election setbacks: Voters in several states on Nov. 5 delivered a stinging rebuke to ranked choice voting, clouding the future of an idea that had seen strong momentum in recent years. Oklahoma is one of five states in 2024 that enacted laws banning the use. [Oklahoma Voice]
Note: 2025 Board of Education Candidate Filing will be held December 2 – 4, 2024 (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) at the candidate’s County Election Board. The Board of Education Primary Election will be Tuesday, February 11, 2025, while the Board of Education General Election will be Tuesday, April 1, 2025. For more information, visit the Oklahoma Election Board website.
Education News
Was Joe Rogan an almost appointee to Ryan Walters’ Oklahoma library advisory committee?: Oklahoma’s Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters may have almost appointed Joe Rogan to the states library media advisory committee, according to emails obtained by HuffPost. [The Oklahoman]
‘Struggling and left behind’: Stillwater Public Schools addresses budget cut concerns: Stillwater Public Schools is trying to address concerns arising in the community as the district plans to introduce budget cuts for the 2025-2026 school year. [Fox 25]
Public schools in rural OK are more than classrooms; they’re lifelines for kids: Unfettered, taxpayer-funded greed disguised as ‘choice’ is an affront to the basic humanity of Oklahoma’s public school students, especially in rural areas. [Hannah Royce / The Oklahoman]
- From OK Policy: Vouchers are another wrong turn for Oklahoma schools
Health News
Oklahoma proposal to update swimming pool rules has industry experts worried: New rules written by the Oklahoma State Department of Health that aim to update standards for public swimming pools have industry professionals concerned the changes actually relax safety measures instead. [The Oklahoman]
Criminal Justice News
Rape kit backlogs: Tulsa, OSBI report significant progress on testing: Seven years after Oklahoma’s backlog of untested rape kits was identified as a problem in an audit ordered by then-Gov. Mary Fallin, local and state law enforcement agencies are reporting significant progress. [Tulsa World]
OK County jail trust drops agreement with state mental health agency over ‘failures’: Oklahoma County jail CEO Brandi Garner is terminating an agreement with the state Mental Health Department, citing a litany of failures in how it handles jail detainees deemed mentally incompetent. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma police chase deaths surged. One agency curbed pursuits; another erased policies: The Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Oklahoma City Police Department have reacted in opposite ways that might spur to action some lawmakers at the Capitol who have studied or regularly discussed pursuit issues. [Tulsa World]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
OKC Planning Commission recommends guesthouse ordinance changes after compromise, debate: Following months of debate and compromise, the Oklahoma City Planning Commission voted 5-3 to recommend approval of an updated ordinance for guesthouses in residents’ backyards, hoping to help address a housing affordability crisis in the city. [The Oklahoman]
- From OK Policy: Ending single-family zoning would help close Oklahoma’s housing gap. In Oklahoma City, 96 percent of land is zoned for single-family residences.
You need to make $108,000 to afford a home in America: A household needed to earn $107,700 to afford a new single-family home and pay property taxes and insurance costs in the third quarter of this year, according to a new report from Oxford Economics. That’s nearly double the household income of $56,800 needed to afford a new home in 2019. [CNN via Tulsa World]
Voters deliver mixed verdicts on increasing minimum wage, but support paid sick leave: Voters in two red states agreed to increase their minimum wage in steps to $15 an hour and to require employers to give workers paid sick time, and a third red state also approved sick leave. But a proposed $18-an-hour base wage in California failed, as did initiatives in two states to change the hourly rate for workers who earn tips. Oklahoma will have a measure on the 2026 ballot that asked voters to increase the minimum wage. [Oklahoma Voice]
- From OK Policy: SQ 832 information and resources
‘We are seeing success’: Family Treatment Court works to keep families together: An annual average of 8.7 million children age 17 or younger in the United States — 1 in 8 children nationwide — live in households with at least one parent who has a substance abuse disorder. Oklahoma ranks 8th nationally in the number of removals due to substance abuse. What can be done to turn this around? An attempt to change these statistics is being attempted in Garfield and Grant counties under the name of Family Treatment Court. [Enid News & Eagle]
Oklahoma ‘Strong Dads’ programs empower over 700 fathers: In a step to strengthen families and increase father involvement, Oklahoma Human Services’ Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program has funded 10 fatherhood programs statewide. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Economy & Business News
Experts discuss risks, opportunities at State of the Economy forum: Experts discussed the potential benefits and risks to the economy under a second Trump administration Thursday during the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber’s annual State of the Economy forum. “We don’t really know what will happen, but he’s said clearly what he’d like to do,” Mark Snead, president and economist at RegionTrack Inc., said. [The Journal Record]
How could tariffs, deglobalization impact economic growth in 2025?: Based on the markets’ reaction to the election, GDP growth could continue to accelerate into next year, according to an Oklahoma-based economy expert. [The Journal Record]
Black Founders Shine at Build in Tulsa’s Product Pitch Night: Tulsa’s entrepreneurial spirit took center stage on November 7 at Build in Tulsa’s Product Pitch Night. Local founders pitched their innovative, manufacturable products to a panel of industry experts, competing for a share of $36,000 in prize money. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Opinion: There is a place for all of us in tech: When a friend told me about Atlas School‘s coding program, I felt a glimmer of new hope. Atlas offered a rigorous curriculum but also a supportive, open-minded community where I could genuinely explore who I wanted to be. As the only female student tutor, I felt a unique responsibility to serve as a visible representation for women and others who didn’t fit the “tech-bro” stereotype, demonstrating that there is a place for all of us in tech. [Sloane Markland / Tulsa World]
Community News
Commemoration Fund to invest over $5 million to combat systemic racism: Organizations applying for a grant from the Commemoration Fund can request between $3,000 to $100,000 for one year of financial support to execute their strategic efforts in improving the lives of their participants and communities. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Karen Silkwood’s death is remembered 50 years later. Her life left a lasting legacy: Fifty years have passed since Silkwood died a few miles south of Crescent on State Highway 74. The plutonium fuels production plant where she worked has been shuttered for almost as long, and the details of her case have faded from many memories. While her name may be best remembered through pop culture — a 1983 movie “Silkwood” starring Meryl Streep and Cher remains readily available — Silkwood’s impact is still being felt. [The Oklahoman]
Audit reveals OKC has overfunded Paycom Center operator by millions of dollars: Funding provided by the city to ASM Global exceeded operational needs at Paycom Center and the former Cox Convention Center by $2.1 million for the 2023 fiscal year and by at least $11.8 million in total since the 2018 fiscal year, according to the audit. The audit states that ASM Global has not ensured that operating budgets accurately or “reasonably aligned” with operational needs. [The Oklahoman]
State auditor finds Lindsay financial mismanagement cost more than $2 million: The city of Lindsay lost out on more than $1 million in grant funding and underbilled commercial customers by roughly $1.5 million during a three-year period in which elected leaders failed to provide adequate oversight while city management made poor financial decisions, according to the Oklahoma state auditor and inspector’s office. [The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- Bartlesville’s historic Price Tower again pulled from online auction block [Tulsa World]
- Price Tower auction canceled again [Public Radio Tulsa]
- 5 takeaways from G.T. Bynum’s final State of the City address [Public Radio Tulsa]
- After city sends letter, Tulsans reassured no lead water lines have been found [Tulsa World]
- Oklahoma Aquarium renovations follow outlet mall’s opening as Jenks is booming [Tulsa World]
- Over 230 Oklahoma County properties damaged in November storms could get tax break [The Oklahoman]
Quote of the Day
“Not only is this edict unenforceable, it is contrary to parents’ rights, local control and individual free-exercise rights.”
-Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office spokesperson Phil Bacharach, speaking about the state superintendent ordering schools to show students a video of him praying for the president-elect. [Oklahoma Voice]
Number of the Day
18.8%
Percentage of older adults in Oklahoma who were forced to move due to rent increases, according to a survey from Aug. 20 to Sept. 16, 2024. Oklahoma had the nation’s sixth highest rate in the survey. [U.S. Census Bureau via Retirement Living]
Policy Note
Republican Economic Proposals Would Harm the People Trump Promised to Help: While the new President and new Congress will not take office until early next year, they have already put forward an agenda — through Project 2025, Republican budget plans, and campaign proposals — that would increase poverty and diminish opportunity. These policymakers campaigned on promises to make the economy work better for people without big bank accounts who are trying to get ahead. But their proposals to date seldom match those promises. Instead, a policy agenda designed to advance economic opportunity and racial justice and help families make ends meet. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
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