OKPOLICY.ORG
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.
New from OK Policy
Will rising health costs force legislative action? (Capitol Update): With the legislative session set to begin in February, I’m wondering how or how much the upcoming health insurance crisis will affect the next legislative session. According to the American Hospital Association, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) passed by Congress will lead to a reduction of $2.4 billion in federal Medicaid spending on rural hospitals in Oklahoma over 10 years. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
Oklahoma News
Mother Viola Fletcher, one of the oldest Tulsa Race Massacre survivors, dies at 111: Viola Fletcher, one of the oldest survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, has died at 111. During the 100th anniversary of the massacre, Fletcher spoke before the U.S. House of Representatives describing the violence of the white mob in her childhood community of Greenwood, also known as Black Wall Street. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
- Tulsa Race Massacre survivor Viola Fletcher dies at 111 [KOSU]
- Race Massacre survivor Viola Fletcher dies at 111 [Tulsa World]
- One of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre’s last survivors, Viola Ford Fletcher, dies at age 111 [AP via Public Radio Tulsa]
- 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre survivor Mother Viola Fletcher passes away at 111 years old [Fox 23]
- One of two last known survivors of Tulsa Race Massacre dies at 111 [The Oklahoman]
State Government News
Supreme Court dismisses lawsuit over Ryan Walters’ Bible mandate: The Oklahoma Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed against former state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters and the Oklahoma State Department of Education over a Bible-teaching mandate issued in June 2024 by Walters. [The Oklahoman]
- OK Supreme Court dismisses bible mandate lawsuit after policy reversal by new State Supt. [Fox 25]
TSET Investors Board Puts Asset Managers On Notice In Anti-ESG Push: Members of an investment board that manages Oklahoma’s $2 billion tobacco settlement trust have put five asset managers on notice over their voting policies on shareholder resolutions, largely because they won’t commit to so-called Oklahoma values on the votes. [Oklahoma Watch]
Federal Government News
OU professor with H-1B visa detained by ICE at OKC airport, per report: As first reported by the OU Daily, Vahid Abedini, an assistant professor of Iranian studies at OU, was reportedly detained by ICE on Saturday, Nov. 22, as he was boarding a flight to Washington, D.C., for the Middle East Studies Association, according to Joshua Landis, a professor of Middle East studies at OU. [The Oklahoman]
- OU College of International Studies professor reportedly arrested by ICE [OU Daily]
The Trump administration wants everyone to reapply for food stamps. What does that mean?: U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ call for a close reexamination of the 42 million people who receive federal food aid has befuddled advocates and lawmakers, coming mere days after recipients began to see benefits that had been stalled during the government shutdown. [Oklahoma Voice]
Tribal Nations News
Emcee One talks Indigenous representation, spinning beats for Oklahoma City Thunder: The Oklahoma City Thunder is celebrating Native American Heritage Month this November with slick, City Edition uniforms. But as Thunder DJ Emcee One discussed in a recent interview, Indigenous representation doesn’t end after this month. It grooves on all season long. [KOSU]
Cherokee Nation invests in north Tulsa with new community center: The North Tulsa Cherokee Community Organization (NTCCO) hasn’t had a home in six years, but that’s expected to change next year. The Cherokee Nation is purchasing property formerly known as Greater Sunrise Baptist Church, to build a community center for NTCCO. [Tulsa Flyer]
Opinion: Decisions About Us, Without Us: Education Dismantling Ignores Tribal Nations: As Congress weighed releasing the Epstein files last week, the Trump administration quietly announced plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education — shifting programs that serve Native students to other agencies without consulting a single tribe. Call it what you want: a strategic distraction, a bureaucratic reshuffling or business as usual for this administration. For Indian Country, it’s a violation of federal law. [Levi Rickert / Native News Online]
Voting and Election News
Officials warn proposed OK ballot measure eliminating home property taxes would ‘destroy public education,’ ‘eliminate county government’: A group of Oklahoma lawmakers is seeking a petition for a state ballot question to eliminate property taxes for Oklahoma homeowners—a plan critics warn would bankrupt school districts, counties, cities, and career techs, wiping out the primary revenue source that funds core government services. [KFOR]
- Oklahoma property tax elimination proposal sparks debate [Fox 25]
- From OK Policy: Eliminating property taxes would devastate crucial local services
Oklahoma will vote on minimum wage in 2026. How do rates compare in US?: Oklahoma will vote on the state’s minimum wage in 2026. If it’s approved, the $7.25 rate will rise to over twice its current rate in a matter of years. [The Oklahoman]
- From OK Policy: SQ 832: Minimum Wage Increase Info and Resources | What you need to know about the minimum wage in Oklahoma.
Education News
New loan limits restrict graduate students’ federal aid access with professional degree reclassification: Changes to what graduate degrees are considered to be ‘professional’ will impact how much federal financial aid college students are eligible for. Graduate degrees in areas like nursing are among many taking the hit. [KFOR]
OU student says Bible-based essay grade violated free-speech rights: For a psychology course at the University of Oklahoma, Samantha Fulnecky was asked to write a 650-word essay reacting to an article about how people are perceived based on societal expectations of gender. She received zero points out of 25 on the essay. The instructor said Fulnecky failed to use empirical evidence and called parts of her essay offensive. [The Oklahoman]
Health News
Maternal and infant health in Oklahoma trailing national outcomes, report shows: March of Dimes, a nonprofit focused on research and advocacy for maternal and infant health, ranked Oklahoma as 46th in infant mortality, with 341 babies dying before their first birthday in 2023. This rate is 1.7 times higher in Oklahoma for babies born to Black mothers. [Oklahoma Voice]
TSET awards nearly $150 million in legacy grants to expand, improve Oklahoma health care: The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) board of directors approved the entity’s first-ever legacy grants. Fourteen awards totaling nearly $150 million will go toward expanding access to and improving Oklahoma health care, especially in rural and underserved areas. [StateImpact via KGOU]
Criminal Justice News
Most metro police protocols for monitoring Oklahoma interstates remain unchanged: Some of Oklahoma’s largest police departments will change their protocols for responding to incidents on interstates amid a push by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to try to force them to assume more responsibilities. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Tulsa police change how they patrol highways [Public Radio Tulsa]
Conditions inside the juvenile center leads lawmakers to step in: Lawmakers and local law enforcement are striving for better conditions inside the Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center in Tecumseh. State representatives and local law enforcement have sounded the alarm on the conditions inside the juvenile center, hoping to make improvements. [KFOR]
Accused of sexual misconduct, Coal County Sheriff Jason Smith faces removal from office: Facing a grand jury petition to remove him from office, Coal County Sheriff Jason Smith claims allegations of sexual harassment and habitual drunkenness are “false” and politically motivated by his predecessor’s employees. [NonDoc]
Kingfisher grand jury: Video evidence, testimony corroborate self-defense claim in 2020 shooting: A final report from a Kingfisher grand jury contradicted claims that Benjamin Millis “indiscriminately” fired a gun into a crowd of partygoers, concluding he only fired at Christopher Robinson, who was shot and killed in May 2020. [NonDoc]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Despite Stitt’s hardline rhetoric, the state plans to fund housing for those swept by Operation SAFE in Oklahoma City: State officials are negotiating a deal to cover the cost of rent and other services for people experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma City, a move that contrasts sharply with the approach taken in Tulsa. [The Frontier]
- From OK Policy: Our neighbors who struggle with housing are still our neighbors — and they deserve the same dignity and rights as anyone else.
Economy & Business News
Universal to open theme park in driving distance of Oklahoma: Nestled in Frisco, Texas, just 3 hours south of Oklahoma’s capital on the north side of the Dallas metro, Universal Studios’ Universal Kids Resort will open in 2026, specifically designed for families with young children. [Reuters via The Journal Record]
Community News
Why were Oklahoma Citians subjected to multiple sonic booms daily for months in 1964?: This month’s How Curious dives into the story of what happened when Oklahoma City became the location of a bold experiment concerning sonic booms — a moment when science collided with everyday life. [KGOU]
Local Headlines
- State audit of Oklahoma small town finds multiple statute violations [The Journal Record]
- Four injured in Weatherford ammonia leak file lawsuit against Airgas, hotel [The Oklahoman]
- New shrine dedicated to Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos opens at St. Thomas More [Tulsa Flyer]
- These Tulsans are trying to solve one of the city’s top code violations [Tulsa Flyer]
Quote of the Day
- From Human Rights Watch: Failed Justice 100 Years After Tulsa Race Massacre
Number of the Day
56%
The share of local tax revenue in Oklahoma that comes from property taxes. These dollars fund critical services Oklahomans rely on every day, including fire response, law enforcement, emergency services, trash collection, libraries, and schools. [Tax Foundation]
Policy Note
Confronting the New Property Tax Revolt: Property taxes are a foundational revenue source for local governments — more efficient, more aligned with benefits, and less distortionary than many alternatives. Rather than undoing this system, reforms should focus on well-designed tools that preserve revenue stability while easing burdens, such as narrow circuit breakers that target low-income households and levy or revenue limits that curb excessive growth without distorting markets. Broad exemptions, assessment freezes, or radical tax swaps may generate unintended consequences by shifting tax burdens or undermining local service capacity. [Tax Foundation]
You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.
