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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.
New from OK Policy
Fact Check: Is Walmart’s Thanksgiving meal really cheaper this year?: There’s a viral claim — being echoed by national and state politicians — that Walmart’s 2025 Thanksgiving meal is “cheaper than last year.” But there is only a savings because Walmart changed what’s in the meal — not because the cost of the same items went down. Here’s what actually happened. [Kati Malicoate / OK Policy]
Oklahoma News
Long Story Short: Oklahoma Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Initiative Petition Bill (podcast): Keaton Ross’ latest is about an ongoing legal challenge to a bill that makes it more cumbersome to get an initiative petition on the ballot. J.C. Hallman explores how the idea of competition is defined in Oklahoma law, and what that has to do with how much you pay to insure your home. Maria Guinnip reported the latest installment in our series “Justice in No Man’s Land.” [Oklahoma Watch]
Tulsa lawmakers say SNAP and WIC funding safe despite possible January shutdown: With the longest government shutdown in history in the rearview, lawmakers are now cautiously watching January as another potential shutdown looms. But experts say Oklahomans won’t be impacted in the same way. [Tulsa Flyer]
State Government News
Lawmaker asks Oklahoma AG to weigh in on legality of board’s closed door discussions: A House lawmaker has formally requested that the Oklahoma Attorney General weigh in on the legality of a state board’s decision to meet behind closed doors to discuss legislative salaries and stipends. [Oklahoma Voice]
- State lawmaker challenges closed-door pay raise meeting [Fox 25]
- Oklahoma lawmaker rejects pay raise, asks AG for opinion on vote [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma Supreme Court tosses Bible lawsuit after education leader declines to enforce mandate: Saying the issue is now moot, Oklahoma’s highest court dismissed a lawsuit challenging a requirement that public schools keep Bibles in classrooms and teach from them. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma Supreme Court dismisses lawsuit over Ryan Walters’ Bible mandate [Tulsa World]
Federal Government News
OU professor detained by ICE now released after two days of questioning: An OU professor who was detained by ICE while boarding an airplane to a Washington, D.C., academic conference has been released after two days in custody for what the agency described as “standard questioning.” [The Oklahoman]
- OU Iranian Studies Professor detained by ICE for three days [KFOR]
- Iranian Professor in Oklahoma Released 3 Days After His Detention by ICE [The New York Times]
- ‘Didn’t use to happen’: OU professor detained by ICE for several days while boarding flight [KOCO]
Trump’s Plan to Cut Homelessness Programs Is Getting Pushback From Republicans: The Trump administration is poised to make cuts to some housing programs, and advocates — including a mix of Republican lawmakers — are warning that could cause a surge in homelessness. [NOTUS]
Trump says he’d ‘rather not’ extend Affordable Care Act subsidies: President Trump on Tuesday said he would prefer not to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year, but acknowledged it may be necessary to reach an agreement on health care legislation. [The Hill via KFOR]
Press access to Oval Office argued in case involving Trump and wire service: A three-judge federal appeals panel grilled lawyers for a former White House official and The Associated Press Monday in a case that could significantly overhaul press access to the Oval Office and Air Force One. [Oklahoma Voice]
Trump shedding support among Latino voters, survey finds: A majority of U.S. Latinos have grown pessimistic since the 2024 presidential election and increasingly disapprove of the immigration and economic policies of the second Trump administration, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center. [Oklahoma Voice]
Anti-abortion groups, lawmakers push feds for more permanent ‘defunding’ of Planned Parenthood: Anti-abortion organizations and Republican elected officials are searching for more ways to prevent Planned Parenthood from receiving federal resources after congressional Republicans successfully cut off federal Medicaid funding until at least July 2026. [Oklahoma Voice]
Tribal Nations News
Gravesite mismanagement forces 2 Cheyenne and Arapaho children to remain at former Carlisle boarding school: One Seminole young man and 16 Cheyenne and Arapaho children and young adults have been laid to rest in their respective communities in Oklahoma, after being buried at what once was the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania. However, two relatives of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes did not return as intended because of mistakes made approximately a century ago. [KOSU]
Education News
How do Oklahoma teachers feel about the future of education?: 2025 has been a tumultuous year for teachers and districts in Oklahoma. With so many changes happening quickly, Griffin Media surveyed educators who work with Oklahoma students every day. This article presents an analysis of the results. [News 9]
- Oklahoma teachers cite behavior, class sizes as top challenges in 2025 survey [News on 6]
Parents offer feedback to improve schools in new OSDE statewide survey: If you have a child in Oklahoma schools, you likely received the latest email from the Oklahoma State Department of Education. It included a link to a new survey that asked parents for input on how to improve schools. [KFOR]
OK State Chamber brings “Oklahoma Competes” Education Plan to Tulsa: The State Chamber of Oklahoma took its “Oklahoma Competes” Education Reform Plan on the road again Tuesday, presenting it to Tulsa-area businesses and community leaders. Chamber President Chad Warmington said the group is sounding the alarm on Oklahoma’s low literacy outcomes and used a football analogy to get the point across. [Fox 23]
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott gives $17M to Northeastern State: For the second time in less than a week, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has given $17 million to an Oklahoma institution of higher learning. [The Oklahoman]
- Northeastern State University gifted $17 million from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott [KFOR]
OU Food Pantry averages 400 clients weekly. How did it grow over the years?: A free resource to students and faculty, the pantry began nearly nine years ago in an attempt to combat food insecurity amid rising tuition and housing costs at the University of Oklahoma. It was once a small crew of nine students serving a couple dozen other students a week in the now-demolished Stubbeman Place on the western edge of OU’s campus. [The Oklahoman]
Health News
Opinion: Dylan’s Law creates a legacy of hope for Oklahomans with epilepsy: While everyone’s epilepsy is different, SUDEP risk may be reduced by achieving seizure control, night monitoring (through devices, co-sleeping or even an epilepsy service dog), avoiding alcohol and stimulants, and talking with a doctor about options like the ketogenic diet. However, patients can’t take steps to prevent something they’ve never been told about. That’s why better reporting — and awareness — is vital. [Hannah Whitten & Pat Hall / Oklahoma Voice]
Criminal Justice News
Coal County Sheriff Jason Smith, Undersheriff Jesse Yother indicted by grand jury: Criminal indictments against Coal County Sheriff Jason Smith and Undersheriff Jesse Yother were unsealed today by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s office, with Smith facing two misdemeanor assault charges for allegedly shoving his own wife and punching a deputy’s husband July 26. [NonDoc]
- Oklahoma sheriff accused of domestic assault, sexual harassment [The Oklahoman]
Okfuskee County jailer pleads guilty in assault on detainee: A former Okfuskee County jailer faces probation after pleading guilty in federal court to a charge linked to the 2024 assault of a detainee. [Tulsa World]
Economy & Business News
Tariffs trickle into cost of Thanksgiving dinner, jilting consumers and farmers: Collin Tuthill, president of one of the country’s largest canned and frozen food importers and distributors, said the current state of the U.S. food industry is “like we live in some kind of alternate universe.” The most efficient industry is being hit the hardest by tariff policies and rising costs, he said Tuesday during a video call with reporters. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma launches new rebate program to boost innovation, attract jobs: A new state law aims to make Oklahoma more competitive on the global scale by incentivizing innovation. The law creates what one state senator calls the long-overdue Research and Development (R&D) Rebate Program. [News 9]
Community News
With reserve funds tapped, food bank needs run high: From inmates in prisons to executives in boardrooms, many Oklahomans responded when food banks across the state were at risk of being overwhelmed recently by rising needs aggravated by the government shutdown. Many are hoping and praying the support continues. [Tulsa World]
Free Thanksgiving dinners offered across Oklahoma City. Here’s where: Several organizations and nonprofits are offering free community Thanksgiving dinners this holiday season. Many of these annual dinners were started as a way to feed needy families who couldn’t afford a traditional holiday meal, but have evolved to include anyone, regardless of means, who wishes to dine on turkey, dressing and all the fixings surrounded by their community neighbors. [The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- ‘Slipshod’ assessments led DA to request, receive resignation of Hughes County assessor [NonDoc]
- Tulsans donate for Turkey Mountain surveillance cameras [Public Radio Tulsa]
- Tulsa nonprofits win $225K through United Way Pitch United program [Tulsa Flyer]
- OKC unveils $5M Automobile Alley upgrade just in time for Christmas season [The Journal Record]
Quote of the Day
“If Oklahoma was dead last in football for more than a year, there would be panic in the streets. So reading scores in SEC states, we’d be dead last in the SEC and in Big 12 states we’d be dead last in the Big 12.”
– Chad Warmington, president of the State Chamber of Oklahoma, making the case that Oklahoma’s literacy crisis would draw far more urgency if it resembled a losing football record. He argued that Oklahoma has veered away from successful reforms and must recommit to long-term strategies if it hopes to climb out of the bottom of national education rankings. [Fox 23]
Number of the Day
-9
The gap between the national average 8th-grade reading score (258) and Oklahoma’s average (249). This persistent deficit shows that Oklahoma students are entering high school with weaker reading skills than their peers nationwide, making recovery efforts and sustained investment in literacy even more critical. [National Assessment of Educational Progress]
Policy Note
New Math and Reading Data Illustrate the State of Postpandemic High School Achievement and Attendance: Recent data from the 2024 NAEP reveal that high school seniors continue to lag behind their pre-pandemic peers in both math and reading, signaling incomplete recovery from learning disruptions. Meanwhile, chronic absenteeism has surged, undermining gains in academic engagement and threatening long-term student outcomes. Because achievement and attendance in high school are tightly linked to college readiness and labor market success, states must prioritize interventions that reengage students, rebuild foundational skills, and monitor late-stage academic recovery. [Urban Institute]
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