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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
State Senate names committee chairs (Capitol Update): Another step toward the beginning of the 60th Legislature occurred last week when Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, named committee chairs and rounded out the remaining members of the Senate leadership team that had not been announced. Committee chairs control the destiny of bills assigned to their committees because they set the agenda for committee meetings, which carries the discretion to determine which bills will get a hearing. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
State Government News
Oklahoma attorney general asks US Supreme Court to pass on religious charter school case: Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has asked the U.S. Supreme Court not to consider an Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling that bars a state board from entering into a contract with St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which is seeking to become the nation’s first religious online charter school. [The Oklahoman]
- Drummond asks U.S. Supreme Court not to review Catholic charter school case [Tulsa World]
- ‘Protect taxpayers’: AG Drummond asks SCOTUS to deny cert in St. Isidore case [Fox 25]
- Oklahoma charter school board gains new member as it awaits news from US Supreme Court [The Oklahoman]
OK Supreme Court refuses to stop Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett from voting: The Oklahoma Supreme Court has refused 8-0 to block Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett from voting on rate hikes because of misconduct accusations. Justices on Monday rejected a disqualification request by three Republican legislators. [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma Supreme Court declines to disqualify Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma Tourism pays $30M to marketing agency, ends contract after questions from FOX 25: The station’s investigation revealed that $30 million of taxpayer money flowed directly from the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department through VI Marketing over just the last four years, with a monthly retainer of $125,000 a month. Our Open Records Request found 2,959 invoices from January 2020 to October 2024. They have asked for and, so far, have not been provided documentation of exactly where the money went. [Fox 25]
Prepackaging among new medical marijuana rules: Public comment open through Dec. 17: People involved in the state’s medical marijuana industry have been asked for their opinions on new rules set to take effect in the coming year, including one addressing mandatory prepackaging of cannabis sold in dispensaries. [Tulsa World]
Legal roundup: Jeff Myers heads to trial, PPB drama causes delays, Drummond rebukes Russ: Despite a stay in the civil case against Swadley’s Foggy Bottom Kitchen that had been set to begin this week, several other high-profile legal happenings in the state deserve your attention. Attorney General Gentner Drummond and State Treasurer Todd Russ seem have their own hot beef, and you can find updates on their conflict, Kingfisher football coach Jeff Myers’ criminal case, and drama with the Pardon and Parole Board below. [NonDoc]
Opinion: Drew Edmondson’s tobacco settlement legacy earns him spot in OK Hall of Fame: I join many others across Oklahoma in celebrating Drew Edmondson’s induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame as part of the 2024 class. This honor recognizes his profound and enduring contributions to our state, particularly his pivotal role in the landmark Master Settlement Agreement and the establishment of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET). [Marshall Snipes / The Oklahoman]
Voting and Election News
First District Congressman Kevin Hern to bypass ’26 gubernatorial election: First District Congressman Kevin Hern apparently will not be a Republican candidate for Oklahoma governor in 2026. [Tulsa World]
Amid ‘freeholder’ uncertainty, Murdock Nichols named to Edmond’s Ward 1, withdrawal hands Ward 3 to Watterson: The Edmond City Council appointed small business owner and media professional Maggie Murdock Nichols to its vacant Ward 1 seat Monday evening, solidifying her as the first of four newcomers to a soon-to-be revamped council next year. [NonDoc]
Education News
Four-day school week discussion: BA school officials release feasibility study findings: Broken Arrow Public Schools officials discussed the findings of new feasibility studies Monday evening as they mull a possible shift to four-day school weeks. [Tulsa World]
Opinion: Encourage more qualified school nurses to serve in public schools: Does your school have a school nurse? Do you know what it takes to be considered a qualified school nurse? An individual can only be called a “school nurse” when they have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, an unencumbered registered nursing license and an Oklahoma teaching certificate. [Brandi Glasscock / Tulsa World]
Health News
Professor: Tightening Oklahoma abortion laws will lead to more deaths, fewer doctors: A political science professor at the University of Oklahoma pushed back on a bill that would tighten abortion laws in the state. [KOCO]
Puerto Rico women have better access to maternity care than do Oklahoma women: Fifty-one percent of the state of Oklahoma is classified as a maternity care desert, or an area without a single birthing facility or obstetric clinician. This statistic makes Oklahoma’s rate of maternity care deserts the third-highest in the nation. [The Lawton Constitution]
Criminal Justice News
Tulsa police awarded $2.5 million to continue testing rape kit backlog: The Tulsa Police Department has been awarded a $2.5 million grant through the Department of Justice to continue its work testing sexual assault kits and prosecuting unsolved rape cases. [Tulsa World]
Clemency hearing delayed again for death row prisoner: Kevin Ray Underwood, 44, would be Oklahoma’s fourth execution of the year. His lawyers argue that recent resignations at the Pardon and Parole Board have put his constitutional right to a fair clemency hearing in jeopardy. [The Frontier]
Current and former Garvin County jailers, nurse indicted more than year after inmate’s death: A federal grand jury in the Western District of Oklahoma has charged current and former Garvin County jail officers and a former jail nurse in connection with the death of a woman last year. [The Oklahoman]
Family says they were lied to about inmate’s death in prison: A family is seeking answers after allegedly being notified a week after an inmate died at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. The family of MarQuiel Ross says they were notified on September 19 and were told by the Department of Corrections that he died on September 17. However, the medical examiner’s report says Ross died on September 12. [KFOR]
Business owners fear proposed Oklahoma County jail move will destroy their livelihoods: Del City business owners worry that a new county jail, which is earmarked to open within a few miles of them, will negatively impact their livelihoods if a court ultimately allows it to move forward. [Oklahoma Voice]
Economy & Business News
Wind energy jobs soar: Oklahoma tech center leads training for booming industry: Wind turbine technicians are expected to be the fastest growing occupation in the country according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Oklahoma is one of the top states for wind energy production. [Fox 25]
Devon Energy CEO Rick Muncrief plans to retire: Devon Energy announced Monday Rick Muncrief, president and CEO for the company the past four years, plans to step down as he enters retirement. [The Oklahoman]
Community News
Opinion: Polarized Americans hit the dictionary to make sense of things: With a world plunging into war and the U.S. tinkering on the edge of a breakdown (whether among families, friends or political systems), a lot of Americans brushed up on what “polarization” meant during this past year. The increased lookup volume put the word at the top of Merriam-Webster’s list for Word of the Year. Polarization is a good description of our current culture. [Ginnie Graham / Tulsa World]
Local Headlines
- Tulsa opens warming stations as city prepares for winter weather [The Black Wall Street Times]
- More riders than expected have used Oklahoma City’s RAPID NW bus line [The Oklahoman]
Quote of the Day
“As you then start to look at access to care and patients having to drive long distances, you can start to see how that kind of can contribute to some of the challenges we deal with in the state of Oklahoma around maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity (health conditions during pregnancy or postpartum that affect the mother).”
-Dr. Chad Smith, chair of Oklahoma’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee, speaking about the underlying causes of Oklahoma’s high maternal mortality are potentially preventable. [The Lawton Constitution]
Number of the Day
1 in 6
More than 1 in 6 (18.7 percent) of Oklahomans of two or more races lived in poverty, according to 2023 Census data. The state’s overall poverty rate was 15.9 percent, which was the nation’s sixth highest. [OK Policy analysis of U.S Census data]
Policy Note
House Republican Bills Deeply Cut Programs That Help Low-Income People and Underserved Communities: Fiscal year 2025 started on October 1, but its funding under a stopgap continuing resolution runs out on December 20, 2024. Policymakers are debating whether to finalize 2025 appropriations during lame duck or when the new Congress convenes early next year. When policymakers finalize these bills, they should reject those approved by the Republican majority on the House Appropriations Committee as a guidepost. Those bills would lead to deep cuts in a range of important programs, including those that provide key services to people with low incomes and underserved communities. Rather, policymakers should work from the bipartisan bills passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee, which would better meet the nation’s needs. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
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