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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
Data Centers Got You Worried? Wait Until You Find Out About The Bitcoin Mines: A 2024 state law put up a giant billboard for crypto miners, who have been roaming the American countryside in search of the cheap energy, land and running water needed to power their mining operations. And as major tech companies scramble to meet the increased computing needs created by artificial intelligence — a technology whose financial returns remain unproven — these resources are coming under strain statewide. [The Pickup]
Can Oklahoma communities make data centers less of a nuisance?: Developers are eyeing several Oklahoma communities as sites for huge, hyperscale data centers. These massive facilities can bring an influx of cash to local schools and governments, but they can also inflict unpleasant sights and sounds on neighbors. [KOSU]
- Google outlines plans to address power and water use for new data centers in Muskogee [The Oklahoman]
- Google officially announces new data centers in Muskogee area [Tulsa World]
- Opinion: States Are Opening a Pandora’s Box of Data Centers [Page Gray / ITEP]
State Government News
Potential Oligopoly: A Deep Dive Into Competition in Homeowners Insurance: As the Oklahoma homeowners insurance market has come under intense pressure, Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready has said that the market is highly competitive, citing the total number of insurers in the market — about 100 licensed to write policies and 50 actively doing so. [Oklahoma Watch]
Child care providers calling on lawmakers, business leaders to help with funding crisis: Child care providers in Oklahoma say the industry is in need of more financial support to continue providing quality care and service. [KFOR]
Oklahoma’s top elected officials are getting big raises. See how the pay hikes compare: Elected officials in Oklahoma are about to earn more — a lot more in some cases. A pair of state oversight boards approved the pay bumps on Nov. 18. The taxpayer-funded raises will go to the governor, attorney general, state lawmakers and other elected leaders. The pay hikes work out to hundreds or thousands of dollars more every month. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion, This Week in Oklahoma Politics: Jewish charter school, tribal hunting and fishing, elected officials pay raise and more (podcast): The panel talks about a Florida-based Jewish organization considering a religious charter school in Oklahoma, the State Supreme Court ruling in favor of Gov. Kevin Stitt over his cabinet picks and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority putting a pause on an anti-abortion executive order from Stitt. They also discuss the governor’s battle with tribes over their citizens hunting and fishing without state-issued licenses and a pay raise for elected officials. [KOSU]
Opinion: Raise taxes to eliminate toll roads? Really bad idea: Almost half of all turnpike traffic comes from out-of-state drivers. They pay tolls that help maintain and improve the very roads Oklahomans use every day. Eliminating tolls does not punish the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. It punishes Oklahoma taxpayers while giving nonresidents a free pass. [Bobby Stem / The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
Immigration officers targeting Latinos causing unlawful arrests, group says: Federal immigration officers are making unlawful arrests in the District of Columbia because they are relying on ethnicity to identify targets, immigration advocates argued in federal court Wednesday. [Oklahoma Voice]
CDC website changed to contradict scientific conclusion that vaccines don’t cause autism: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website has been changed to contradict the longtime scientific conclusion that vaccines do not cause autism, spurring outrage among a number of public health and autism experts. [Associated Press]
Opinion: States Must Prioritize Revenue to Support People and Communities in Wake of Harmful Republican Megabill: As states move closer to their 2026 legislative sessions, lawmakers nationwide are grappling with how to respond to fallout from recent federal policies, including this July’s harmful Republican megabill, which financed enormous tax breaks for wealthy households and corporations by pushing substantial new costs and administrative hurdles onto states. [Wesley Tharpe / Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
Tribal Nations News
States Should Protect Medicaid Funding in Indian Country: Everyone should be able to see a doctor when they are sick, afford their prescriptions, and get the preventative care their family needs. For tribal citizens — people who are members of federally recognized American Indian Tribes or are Alaska Natives (AIAN) — this can be a challenge in the best of times. The harmful Republican megabill’s nearly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid threaten health care for tribal citizens and other people across the country. [Jay Tomkus / Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
Voting and Election News
Tulsa DA Kunzweiler campaigning for fourth term as district attorney: Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said Thursday he will seek election to a fourth four-year term in 2026. [Tulsa World]
Education News
State Board of Education seeks to address reliance on emergency certified educators: Members of the Oklahoma State Board of Education have asked to play a more hands-on role to address the state’s reliance on emergency certified educators. [Tulsa World]
- ‘A change is needed’: Emergency teaching certificates make up 10% of hires [KFOR]
- Oklahoma Education Board discusses emergency teacher certifications [KOCO]
Dozens left OSDE in Ryan Walters’ final months as superintendent: In the three months before former state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters resigned, the Oklahoma State Department of Education hired 16 people but lost 33, with most of those employees choosing to leave voluntarily. [The Oklahoman]
Fields says Oklahoma to look at Mississippi’s education turnaround as model to emulate: Oklahoma’s new state superintendent says he’s turning to Mississippi’s education turnaround as a model, after business leaders warned Oklahoma is losing out on jobs because of its public school reputation. Business leaders shared those concerns at the Oklahoma State Chamber’s State of Business forum this week. [KFOR]
Lawyers file for injunction in classroom censorship case to include K-12 classrooms: A coalition of lawyers, advocates, and plaintiffs in an Oklahoma-based education censorship lawsuit met to discuss the potential national implications as the case is currently on appeal in the 10th Circuit. [KGOU]
The FFA’s new National president is Oklahoma’s ninth: The second Oklahoman in about 15 years has become president of National FFA, commonly called Future Farmers of America. [KOSU]
Health News
Study finds big gaps in OKC mental health care and rising youth distress: Oklahoma City faces a lack of intensive services for people with serious mental health illnesses, inadequate support for minors and an overreliance on emergency rooms to treat mental health crises, according to a newly-released study from a nonprofit, non-partisan policy organization. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma agency agrees to buy land in SW Oklahoma City for mental health hospital: A board governing the Mental Health Department on Thursday agreed to purchase properties in southwest Oklahoma City to replace the Griffin Memorial Hospital in Norman. [Oklahoma Voice]
- With Vatican approval, Oklahoma buys SWOKC property for nearly 200 mental health beds [NonDoc]
Criminal Justice News
Marijuana users face DUI risks they may be unaware of: Oklahoma’s current DUI laws could lead to drivers being charged with driving under the influence even if marijuana hasn’t been consumed in days. [KFOR]
- Leave your vape at home. New law makes driving with marijuana in the car illegal, yours or not. [Tulsa Flyer]
Pastor Scobey and others address arrest data in Edmond: A prominent metro pastor is making strong accusations aimed at Edmond police. Pastor Derrick Scobey says there is a glaring disparity when it comes to who is more likely to be arrested by Edmond PD, and data he has obtained from the city backs him up. So, he is asking the Edmond Community Policing Board to spark change in Edmond. [KFOR]
After appeal, EPD Lt. Jennifer Haddock granted ‘stand your ground’ immunity in brother’s killing: After winning an appeal before the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, Edmond Police Department Lt. Jennifer Haddock has been granted immunity from prosecution in her brother’s 2023 shooting death under the state’s “stand your ground” statute. [NonDoc]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Opinion: Oklahoma needs more affordable homes, not longer mortgages: When families across Oklahoma sit down at the kitchen table to balance their budgets, they don’t dream of stretching debt across half a century. Yet some policymakers are floating the idea of a 50‑year mortgage — a scheme that would trap families in debt for most of their lives, while doubling the total interest they pay. This is not empowerment. It is financial servitude. [Robert Stevens / The Oklahoman]
- From OK Policy: Housing is out of reach for working Oklahomans, seniors and people with disabilities
Economy & Business News
Oklahoma soybean industry struggles as China reduces imports since tariffs: The Oklahoma soybean economy is struggling as China dramatically reduced its imports from U.S. soybean producers this year. Soybeans are one of the state’s top crops with Oklahoma farmers producing 8.1 million bushels of soybeans in 2023. [Gaylord News via Tulsa World]
PSO’s plans to install gas units, battery storage system in Rogers County hit snag: To meet electricity needs, Public Service Company of Oklahoma is seeking preapproval to add new projects to its generating capacity in the coming years. The utility company requested a zoning change with the Rogers County Board of Adjustment, which would allow it to build some of the planned projects. But the board denied the request Tuesday evening. [KOSU]
Community News
Mexican consulate of Oklahoma City brings its mobile unit to Tulsa. What does it offer?: Mexican nationals in Tulsa have to drive more than 100 miles to Oklahoma City if they need services from the consulate. To help curb distance barriers, the Mexican consulate hosts a mobile version of its office across Tulsa and other cities to help people connect more to its services. [Tulsa Flyer]
Tulsa’s diverse leaders honored: The Tulsa Asian Affairs Commission held its second annual “Luminary Awards,” highlighting residents of Asian origin or heritage who have made a positive impact in the city. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Opinion: Oklahoma finds its moment on the national stage: For what is oft-dismissed nationally as a flyover state, Oklahoma sure is having a moment. Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt serves as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Gov. Kevin Stitt as chair of the National Governor’s Association. And Archbishop Paul Coakley is newly-elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. [Arnold Hamilton / The Journal Record]
Opinion, Oklahoma City Thunder general manager: Oklahoma doesn’t just talk about power of community. It has lived it: Oklahoma is a place that embodies what it means to come together, to form a team, to look past differences, practice tolerance, and unify around a set of shared values to solve the problems of today. Oklahoma is a place that is driven by the very nature of its people. It is not perfect, and of course none of its individuals are either, but it has a beautiful heart, a beautiful intent, and an absolutely beautiful future. [Sam Presti / The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- Tulsa mayor made six key promises. He told 1K leaders the city needs more money to fulfill them. [Tulsa Flyer]
- Multiple Oklahoma events cancelled as highly contagious horse virus spreads. What is EHV? [The Oklahoman]
- Nichols continues push for investment in second State of City address [Tulsa World]
- Assault case against two Sperry High School students moved to juvenile court [Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“America doesn’t have a mortgage problem. We have a housing supply problem. Extending loan terms won’t build a single new home. It won’t lower costs. It won’t help families build equity. It will only enrich lenders while leaving homeowners vulnerable to inflation and market downturns.”
-Robert Stevens of Norman, writing in an op-ed about the need to address Oklahoma’s housing affordability crisis. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
24%
The average increase in homeowners’ insurance premiums across the U.S. over the past three years. Between 2021 and 2024, rates rose twice as fast as inflation, amounting to a $21 billion price hike for American homeowners. [Consumer Federation of America]
Policy Note
A Perfect Storm of Rising Costs Threatens America’s Housing Market: Rising climate risks are colliding with soaring insurance premiums and property taxes, pushing homeownership further out of reach for millions of Americans. Harris County, Texas — once one of the nation’s more affordable markets — illustrates how insurance costs now consume over half of mortgage payments, creating a double burden as residents also shoulder higher taxes to fund flood control and infrastructure. This shift effectively transfers climate risk from institutions to households, leaving many uninsured and vulnerable to catastrophic loss. Without systemic reforms — such as sustainable insurance models, stronger data transparency, and coordinated federal and state oversight — entire regions could face declining homeownership, collapsing property values, and widening financial instability. [Urban Institute]
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