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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
SNAP Cuts Contributed to Evictions Across Oklahoma: In Oklahoma, nearly 17% of the population relies on SNAP, and a quarter of renters are considered extremely low-income. That meant that when SNAP benefits were cut, many renters were left choosing between food and shelter. “Oklahoma renters are already struggling,” said OK Policy’s Sabine Brown. “If you zero in on extremely low-income renters, they’re really going to be struggling due to these SNAP cuts.” [Oklahoma Watch]
State Government News
Gov. Stitt sends Oklahoma National Guard to DC in change of plans: In a shift from his previous plans, Gov. Kevin Stitt is sending 160 Oklahoma National Guard members to Washington, DC. The decision comes days after two National Guard members were shot near the White House. Stitt, a Republican who is in his second term, had said in August that he had no plans to deploy Oklahoma guard members to DC after Republican President Donald Trump launched a campaign to tackle crime and homelessness. [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma to send National Guard troops to D.C. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma lawmakers challenge electricity rate hikes and bonds, request more than $300M refund: If three state legislators get their way in the Oklahoma Supreme Court, Oklahomans could see their monthly electricity costs drop as charges and rate increases are potentially rescinded and refunded. The lawmakers filed a 58-page brief just before Thanksgiving, requesting the court overturn OG&E’s $126.6 million rate increase, approved a year ago by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. [The Journal Record]
OG&E requests commissioner to recuse himself after comments about utility company: Oklahoma Gas and Electric (OG&E) has filed a request to have Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett recused from all proceedings dealing with its proposed construction projects. [KFOR]
New laws expected to tighten oversight of state agency rulemaking: New laws that have taken effect in Oklahoma should prevent officials like former Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters from issuing mandates that would have major implications for the state without first getting appropriate guidance from lawmakers. [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma senator pushes to ban ‘West Bank’ term in new ‘Judea and Samaria Act’ bill: A state senator has filed a bill to ban the use of the term “West Bank.” SB 1208 would create the “Judea and Samaria Act,” which would prohibit state agencies from referring to the landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediterranean Sea as the “West Bank” unless the executive head of the state agency determines that it is “in the best interest of the state to do so.” [Fox 25]
Long Story Short: TSET Investors Board Puts Asset Managers On Notice In Anti-ESG Push (podcast): Oklahoma Watch reporters talk about Oklahoma Treasurer Todd Russ’s continuing efforts to change the investment focus of the state’s tobacco settlement trust fund, a domestic violence advocate who resigned in protest from the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board, and a piece about the effort of CompSource Mutual to “demutualize.” [Oklahoma Watch]
Did a Confederate flag fly on Oklahoma Capitol grounds until 1988?: Yes. From 1966 to 1988, the Confederate flag was included in the 14 Flags Plaza at the south entrance of the Oklahoma Capitol, which exhibited the flags that had flown over the state from 1541 to 1925. [Oklahoma Watch]
Opinion: Disruptive cyberattacks on U.S. water systems increasing: We trust in our water systems to make our daily lives possible. But the pipes and microchips behind that convenience are now on the frontlines of a quiet cyber war. Foreign groups are probing, breaching and planting footholds inside U.S. water systems. The attacks are getting more frequent and more menacing. [Ron Vaughn / The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
Trump Admin’s new SNAP requirements begin: Following the chaos of the government shutdown, Oklahoma’s SNAP recipients are now faced with new work requirements that were tucked into the massive spending measure often referred to as the “Big Beautiful Bill.” However, advocates here say new work requirements will only end up hurting already vulnerable Oklahomans. [KFOR]
- From OK Policy: “Work requirements” won’t work for Oklahoma
Trump administration threatens to yank food stamps funding from Democratic-led states:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin next week to block nutrition assistance funding for states led by Democrats that have not provided data on fraud in the program, Secretary Brooke Rollins told President Donald Trump at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. [Oklahoma Voice]
Tribal Nations News
‘Revisit McGirt itself’: Oklahoma Tax Commission responds to Stroble’s SCOTUS petition: In a 22-page filing calling the McGirt v. Oklahoma decision “incorrectly decided,” attorneys for the Oklahoma Tax Commission asked the U.S. Supreme Court to decline to review an Oklahoma Supreme Court decision which held that Muscogee Nation citizen and employee Alicia Stroble is subject to state income tax. Stroble filed a petition for certiorari in September asking the nation’s highest court to review her case. [NonDoc]
- Oklahoma asks SCOTUS to ignore Muscogee citizen tax dispute or ‘revisit McGirt’ ruling [KOSU]
Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis is a century-old problem. Akey Ulteeskee’s story proves it: Mainstream media outlets have often overlooked stories of missing and murdered Indigenous people for more than a century. The story of Akey Ulteeskee, a Cherokee woman who suffered sexual and financial abuse at the hands of her alcoholic guardian in the early 1900s, highlights a glimpse into the history of this issue and how the fight for justice — despite its lengthy history — continues for Indigenous relatives. [KOSU]
Education News
Oklahoma teachers call for more input in education policy: While state leaders, the business community and political candidates intensify their focus on improving Oklahoma public education, complaints have grown among teachers that they should have a more prominent role in those policy discussions. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma school report card for 2025 is out. How did the state perform?: Oklahoma students’ performance scores fell noticeably over the past year according to the 2025 Oklahoma School Report Card due to more strict scoring on reading and math tests. [The Oklahoman]
- Which OKCPS schools scored the best, worst on the 2025 Oklahoma School Report Card? [The Oklahoman]
- ‘We’re all responsible’: Oklahoma Public School Report Card highlights areas of concern [Fox 25]
Opinion: Essay controversy at OU puts the state in a negative light: I cannot comprehend how we are pretending this is a matter of religious discrimination when it so clearly is a matter of a student failing to meet even the most basic of requirements: Cite your sources. [Frankie Pike / The Oklahoman]
Health News
Oklahoma maternal mortality rate dips slightly, remains above national average: Mortality varies by race, according to newly released data, and about 70% of pregnancy-related deaths were deemed preventable.
Oklahoma’s maternal mortality rate has improved, following national trends, according to the state’s annual report. But it remains elevated compared to national data, as women face factors like limited health care access, higher poverty and uninsured rates, and maternity care deserts. [KOSU]
OKC program funded via Choosing Childbirth Act offers mentors, support: Operated by Putnam City Baptist Church, Parenting Services is coming alongside children and families in need of guidance and support. The program relies on funding allocated through the Choosing Childbirth Act passed by the Oklahoma Legislature in 2021. The legislation initially was touted as part of the state’s strategy to offer support to young children and pregnant women in light of the state’s near-total abortion ban in 2022. [The Oklahoman]
As Oklahoma cuts mental health funds, Black counselors seek to expand services in Tulsa: Rising mental health concerns in Oklahoma and a loss of state funding are resulting in a lack of services in urban centers like Tulsa, where a diverse group of mental health providers are fighting to fill the gap. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
Criminal Justice News
OKC, OK county stuck again over housing of city detainees in county jail: Oklahoma City is months behind again on payments to Oklahoma County for taking its arrestees at the county jail, always the bulk of the jail population, without payment or a contract for reimbursement. [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma County leaders say ballooning jail costs may require new sales tax vote [KFOR]
‘I’ll get it filed’: Prosecutor says more charges coming against sex offender whose case has lingered: More criminal charges are coming for registered sex offender Melvin Platt, an Oklahoma County prosecutor said in court Monday, but a long-delayed motion to revoke his bond was postponed again. [NonDoc]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Oklahoma nonprofits receive $5 million from Bezos family to address homelessness: Two local nonprofits that serve people experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma received multimillion-dollar grants from the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos. City Care and City Rescue Mission are both set to receive $2.5 million to support efforts to end homelessness in the state. [KOSU]
Economy & Business News
Lawsuits allege State Farm schemed to deny hail damage claims and pocket billions from homeowners: More than 100 Oklahoma families have taken the insurance giant, State Farm, to court, alleging the company schemed to deny hail damage claims and pocket billions of dollars. [KFOR]
Community News
Obama tells Arkansas audience young people give him hope for US democracy: Although the country is more divided and democracy is more unstable than he’s seen in his lifetime, former President Barack Obama said young people give him hope for the future. Obama shared his thoughts Monday on democracy, civic engagement and understanding others during the inaugural conversation of Building Bridges, a new lecture series hosted by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. [Oklahoma Voice]
Local Headlines
- The City of Oklahoma City to charge credit card transaction fees [The Journal Record]
- Tulsa ordinance would prohibit drivers from using cell phones in school, construction zones [Tulsa World]
- Tulsa educator, political activist Bruce Niemi dies at 76 [Tulsa Flyer]
Quote of the Day
“I had to decide whether I wanted to pay rent or buy food. Food was more important because I need food now.”
-Kori Petty, an Oklahoma mother who fell behind on her rent during the government shutdown and found herself in eviction court Thanksgiving week. Petty was on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and during the shutdown, when SNAP benefits were cut off, she had to choose between feeding her newborn baby and herself or paying her rent. [Oklahoma Watch]
Number of the Day
2 in 3
More than 66% of SNAP participants in Oklahoma, or more than 2 in 3, are in families with children. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Fact Sheet]
Policy Note
Keep Families Housed Who Receive Food Assistance (SNAP): Poor and working families may face additional housing insecurity due to the lapse in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that lasted from November 1, 2025 to November 12, 2025. Our new memo includes strategies for eviction defense and policy advocacy to curb evictions in response to families’ food expenses caused by the SNAP lapse. [National Housing Law Project]
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