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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
Policy Matters: Give where you live this holiday season: As the calendar has turned to December, the holidays are quickly approaching, and many of our state’s nonprofits are focusing on end-of-year campaigns. During this important season, I encourage you to give where you live — either in your community or to the causes that live close to your heart. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record]
State Government News
Lawmakers wrap up interim studies, look ahead to 2026 session: Interim studies at the Oklahoma Capitol have wrapped up, and lawmakers say the research done this fall points to key issues that could take center stage when the Legislature reconvenes in February. [News 9]
Oklahoma utility asks for corporation commissioner’s recusal: Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company, or OG&E, requested on Nov. 26 that Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett recuse himself from a case that would allow the company to expand its power generation sites. This includes building natural gas turbines at the Horseshoe Lake Power Plant in Oklahoma County, which OG&E estimated would total more than $506 million in capital costs. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma lawmaker criticizes governor’s National Guard deployment to Washington: This week, the governor authorized more than 160 guardsmen to go to Washington D.C. for the 90-day “Keep D.C. Safe and Beautiful” mission. The decision came despite the governor saying in August that he had “no plans” to do so. Oklahoma House Representative Michelle McCane, D-Tulsa, criticized the change and authorization. [KSWO]
Federal Government News
No ‘clear path forward’ in US Senate on spiraling health care costs, with deadline near: Republicans and Democrats in the Senate agree that health care costs are rising too quickly and expect to vote next week on legislation that could help Americans. The only catch is that party leaders hadn’t decided as of Tuesday what to include in the bills. [Oklahoma Voice]
Sen. Lankford: Putin doesn’t want peace, seeks to dominate neighbors: Now almost four years into a war Russia started and with little to show for President Trump’s peace efforts, Oklahoma’s senior U.S. senator says, “Putin doesn’t really want peace, he wants to dominate his neighbors.” [News 9]
Trump administration puts a hold on immigration applications from 19 nations: The Trump administration late Tuesday paused all immigration applications from 19 countries the president earlier had listed for restricted travel into the United States, a move that freezes processing for green card holders and citizenship applications. [Oklahoma Voice]
Don’t have your REAL ID? TSA will charge you a $45 fee to fly in 2026: If you plan to fly without a REAL ID-compliant identification card, you’ll need another $45 to get through security in 2026. Airline travelers who don’t have REAL ID will have to pay the extra fee before getting through security. [The Oklahoman]
Tribal Nations News
Oklahoma Tax Commission asks SCOTUS to drop Stroble case, warns of ‘severely destabilizing effect’: This week, the Oklahoma Tax Commission tried to dissuade the U.S. Supreme Court from hearing a case that could upend state income tax revenue if decided in the plaintiff’s favor. [The Journal Record]
Cherokee Nation celebrates cemetery acquisition where historic leaders were laid to rest: The Cherokee Nation has acquired the Park Hill Mission, or Worcester, cemetery from the Oklahoma Historical Society, which has held it since 1952. The Northeast Oklahoma site is where important Cherokee historical figures are buried. [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
OKC Mayor David Holt draws lone challenger in reelection bid; others file in OK County: With candidate filing for 2026 municipal and school board races concluding Wednesday, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt drew Matthew Pallares, 34, as the only challenger in his reelection bid for a third term. A trio of candidates filed to run for mayor of Midwest City in 2026. [NonDoc]
Broken Arrow officials propose $415 million bond package: City officials have released their recommendations for a $415 million package of public projects that is expected will be sent to voters in April. [Tulsa World]
Ashley, Lamkin challenged for TPS seats; 18 Tulsa County races decided by default: After the candidate filing period for 25 public offices in the Tulsa area closed Wednesday, six offices will go to an election, 18 elections were decided by default with only one candidate filing, and one office saw no candidate file. [NonDoc]
- Only 2 challengers file for Tulsa area school board races. One seeks to unseat a ‘controversial’ TPS board member. [Tulsa Flyer]
Education News
Oklahoma schools battle teacher shortage with emergency certified teachers: Oklahoma schools are making progress, but administrators say the shortage of teachers is their biggest challenge these days. [News on 6]
State Chamber CEO says literacy overhaul could transform Oklahoma education: State Chamber CEO Chad Warmington says improving early literacy could unlock long-term economic benefits as leaders look to models like Mississippi’s education turnaround. That concept is central to the Oklahoma Competes plan. [News 9]
Fourth Oklahoma college receives major gift from MacKenzie Scott: A fourth Oklahoma institution of higher education has received a multimillion-dollar gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Seminole State College said Tuesday, Dec. 3, it has received a $17 million unrestricted gift from Scott, the largest gift in the college’s 94-year history. [The Oklahoman]
Criminal Justice News
Tecumseh PD investigation begins after two injured, Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center facility secured: The Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center in Tecumseh (COJC) is in the early stages of conducting an investigation alongside authorities after four detainees managed to secure keys to its facility. [KFOR]
- Teenage detainees create chaos overnight at Tecumseh juvenile center [KFOR]
Former Miss Oklahoma on OK County jail trust; Scobey out as vice chair: The Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority got its youngest member − a former Miss Oklahoma − just as it lost its vice chairman, the Rev. Derrick Scobey, in the latest shake-up on the nine-member public that runs the county jail. [The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
What’s being done to bring down Oklahoma’s costly home insurance rates?: Rates have spiked nationally, but the Sooner State consistently ranks high in analyses by organizations like the U.S. Census Bureau, National Association of Realtors and Nerdwallet. Critics and investigative reports from Oklahoma Watch have highlighted a lack of oversight of the insurance industry as the likely reason for the state’s expensive premiums. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KOSU]
Realtor.com forecasts modest housing gains for 2026, mixed OKC results: The 2026 Housing Forecast released Wednesday by Realtor.com predicts modest gains in sales, prices and inventory, pointing to a more balanced market next year. [The Journal Record]
Economy & Business News
Oklahomans voice mixed reactions to State Farm hail lawsuits. ‘We were furious’: State Farm faces more than 200 lawsuits alleging it operated a nationwide scheme to underpay homeowners for hail damage. A recent report from Oklahoma Watch details one Oklahoma family that received a $1,400 offer for a roof that ultimately cost over $20,000 to replace. [The Oklahoman]
Community News
46th Oklahoma Governor’s Arts Award nominees named: See who’s listed: When Jabee Williams got word he had been chosen as a recipient of the 2026 Oklahoma Governor’s Arts Awards, he initially wondered if the Oklahoma Arts Council had the right person. Also an OKC activist, event organizer and entrepreneur, Jabee is among the 21 individuals and organizations to be honored for their contributions to the arts in January during the 46th Oklahoma Governor’s Arts Awards. [The Oklahoman]
Greenwood Legacy Corp. has been surrounded by controversy. Now it has a new leader.: The Greenwood Legacy Corp. has a new leader: John E. Hall. Introduced Monday as the first executive director to implement the Kirkpatrick Heights-Greenwood master plan, Hall says he was put through the paces during the interview process. Now, he says he’s ready to get to work. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
Local Headlines
- Get a first look at new multipurpose stadium planned for OKC [The Oklahoman]
- Lawsuit claims Penn Square Mall owner using illegal tactics to block new retailers from opening at neighboring OAK [KFOR]
- Tornado siren — or lack thereof — prompt questions from Tulsa city councilors [Tulsa World]
- MetroLink Tulsa wants AI to answer most customer calls for paratransit and microtransit [Public Radio Tulsa]
- Not every home business or yard sale is permitted in Tulsa. We break down the rules. [Tulsa Flyer]
Quote of the Day
“It’s been financially painful. And it just gives me a feeling like the hands are completely off the wheel and no one’s in charge. I would actually like to see a little more oversight instead of just a completely hands-off approach that we have right now.”
— Oklahoma City homeowner and retired Marine Corps veteran Braden Hisey, suggesting that the path to taming the state’s ballooning home insurance prices involves more oversight. His annual rate increased by 204% from 2018 to 2024, translating to thousands of dollars. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KOSU]
Number of the Day
$6,210
The average annual amount paid by Oklahoma homeowners on insurance premiums, or about $518 a month — almost three times the national average of $2,110 a year, or about $176 a month. [Nerdwallet]
Policy Note
It’s harder to get home insurance. That’s changing communities across the U.S.: Home insurance is getting more expensive in the United States, and insurers are pulling back from some regions as the cost of disasters grows. That trend is stretching the limits of what ordinary Americans can afford to protect their homes. Community leaders across the country are sounding the alarm about a nascent, but growing, crisis — one that’s likely to get worse as climate change drives more severe hurricanes, floods and wildfires. [NPR]
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