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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.
State Government News
New Speaker Kyle Hilbert sets simple goal for upcoming session: Leave the state ‘better’: New Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert easily can describe the 2025 legislative session in two words: a challenge. [The Oklahoman]
AG’s office: Oklahoma County will ‘likely’ defeat OKC in jail site dispute: In a letter discussed today by the Oklahoma County Board of Commissioners, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s office encouraged commissioners and Oklahoma City leaders to find a fix in the zoning dispute that has drawn litigation over the county’s new jail proposed for 1901 E. Grand Blvd. [NonDoc]
- AG Drummond: OK County should be immune for ignoring OKC zoning to build a new jail [The Oklahoman]
Federal energy transmission planning project won’t move forward in Oklahoma: Oklahoma’s next House Speaker, Kyle Hilbert, says the state is no longer in the running for a massive federal energy transmission planning project. Landowners and lawmakers had been lashing out at the NIETC designation process. [KGOU]
- Electric transmission corridor planned for northern Oklahoma scrapped, pleasing lawmakers [The Oklahoman]
- Gov. Stitt to explore ‘unplugging’ Oklahoma from Southwest Power Pool grid [KOSU]
See behind the process, impact of filling an open seat on Oklahoma’s Supreme Court: Gov. Kevin Stitt’s push to reshape Oklahoma’s highest civil court will accelerate early next year when he fills the latest vacancy on the state Supreme Court. His appointment could shift the court further to the right and shape major rulings, legal experts say. But several steps need to happen before Stitt gets to make his pick. [The Oklahoman]
Minimum wage set to rise to $15, beyond in 23 states next year. Where does Oklahoma stand?: While 23 states are raising their minimum wage rates at the beginning of the year, Oklahoma still has another year and a half to decide whether to join the movement. [The Oklahoman]
- From OK Policy: SQ 832: Minimum Wage Increase, Information and Resources
Oklahomans invited to share examples of waste for state government efficiency review: Oklahoma House Speaker-elect Kyle Hilbert is asking Oklahomans to send in their complaints about the state government. [Tulsa World]
Political notebook: General revenue drops ahead of budget forecast: November deposits to the state’s general revenue fund fell short of expectations and almost 8% below the same month a year ago, the Office of Management and Enterprise Services reported last week. [Tulsa World]
- November 2024 Financial Data Tables [Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services]
Roundup: Hulk Hogan talks tussles, attorney surrenders license, Lawton bank VP sentenced: If you didn’t catch Hulk Hogan hocking his new beer in Tulsa, don’t worry, his comments on Oklahoma Athletics Commission issues can be found below. Meanwhile, the Pardon and Parole Board has denied clemency for a death row inmate, a former Lawton banker has been convicted of bank fraud, and a notorious attorney is surrendering her law license. [NonDoc]
The Hot Seat: Q&A With Jon Echols As Oklahoma Moves To Establish Business Courts: Oklahoma is taking steps to create specialized business courts, a top priority for Governor Stitt. Jon Echols, the chairman of the business court task force, discusses the rationale behind this initiative, the task force’s recommendations, and the path forward for the legislation. [News 9]
Opinion: Capitol Insider: State revenue figures show effect of grocery sales tax repeal: Legislators and the governor are at the start of the process to craft the next state budget. Shawn, the Office of Management and Enterprise Services has announced revenue numbers that will help inform those budgeting decisions. What do those numbers show? [KGOU]
Opinion: Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is $3.2B over budget, and it wants motorists to pick up tab: One state agency believes the antidote to tackle its inflation woes is to use Oklahoma’s motorists as a neverending ATM machine. As it turns out, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s ambitious, 15-year toll road expansion project, more popularly known as ACCESS, is $3.2 billion over budget. [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]
Federal Government News
D.C. Digest: Mullin, Lankford take different routes to same destination: Oklahoma’s U.S. senators, James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin, have their own approaches to their jobs. That includes the hullaballoo surrounding President-elect Donald Trump’s choices for jobs requiring Senate confirmation. [Tulsa World]
Tribal Nations News
Lawton’s Indigenous communities cite lack of tribal consultation for Westwin refinery: The U.S. currently relies on China and other foreign countries for critical minerals to produce electric vehicles and other technologies. However, recent developments by Westwin Elements in Lawton, Oklahoma–home to the nation’s first nickel and cobalt refinery–could shift the supply chain closer to home. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Opinion: Appointment shows Cherokee Nation’s commitment to restorative justice: The Cherokee Nation often contextualizes today’s progress with yesterday’s hardships. We know that acknowledging our past defines who we are and how we move forward. Each generation creates something that becomes the foundation for the next generation. We must know how our ancestors lived to build on our own foundation. [Stella Bowlin / The Oklahoman]
Education News
More Oklahoma college students are earning degrees. Here’s a look behind the numbers: More Oklahoma students earned degrees and certificates during the 2023-24 academic year, continuing an upward trend that has taken shape over the past decade. [The Oklahoman]
Four-day school week, tax credits and Ryan Walters among Jenks legislative forum topics: Seven Tulsa-area lawmakers showed up Friday to answer local education leaders’ questions about State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ political rhetoric, accountability for private school tax credits and who should decide whether schools should be allowed to have four-day work weeks. [Tulsa World]
Opinion: Unrepresented Oklahoma students need more help finding jobs: Oklahoma’s education system needs greater accountability from lawmakers, but we can’t afford to wait for them to take action. [Jenny Ha / The Oklahoman]
Criminal Justice News
Death row inmate Kevin Ray Underwood denied clemency: An Oklahoma death row inmate who was described as a “deeply evil monster” was denied clemency Friday. Kevin Ray Underwood, 44, is set to be executed Thursday − on his birthday − at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. [The Oklahoman]
Scramble to replace two on Oklahoma parole board pushes 511 cases to Jan. 13-15 docket: A recent abrupt resignation, which left two members of the five-member Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board missing and the board unable to meet this month, will force a review of about double the normal number of cases of inmates to be considered for parole in January. [Tulsa World]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Despite Trump’s claim, deportations likely wouldn’t ease housing crisis, most experts say:
The mass deportations of immigrants that President-elect Donald Trump has promised aren’t likely to make a dent in the nation’s housing crisis, many experts say, despite what he and his supporters claimed during his campaign. [Oklahoma Voice]
Local Habitat for Humanity builds townhomes near downtown Tulsa: Green Country Habitat for Humanity’s new townhomes in the Kendall Whitter district bring the nonprofit’s total up to 76 affordable homes built this year. The number of total homes built is important, but making sure the houses are affordable is paramount. [Public Radio Tulsa]
More homeowners soon to be qualified for Senior Freeze property tax break: Oklahoma homeowners over the age of 65 can have the value of their home locked for tax purposes, if they meet certain income and other requirements of the so-called Senior Freeze tax exemption. [Tulsa World]
Economy & Business News
Opinion: Tariffs are a double-edged sword for inflation and economic growth: When it comes to tariffs there’s a lot to unpack. During the presidential election there was a lot of uncertainty. Now that we’re through the election, a lot of the uncertainty for the capital markets has dwindled — but there are still plenty of questions and speculation around the implementation of President-elect Trump’s policy platform. [Steve Wyett / Tulsa World]
Community News
Opinion: True heroes are movement builders: How do I raise my sons in a world where the default response to frustration, powerlessness, or righteous anger is harm? How do I teach them that heroism isn’t about acting fast and alone, but about the quiet, deliberate work of building something lasting with others? [Sheyda Brown / The Black Wall Street Times]
Opinion: 13 Black towns have survived in Oklahoma. They are part of our history: More than 12% of Oklahoma’s population is Black. Of this population, less than 1% live in rural Oklahoma in towns that were settled by their Black ancestors. These 13 towns are what remain from as many as 50 original settlements in Oklahoma that were founded by Black people, some who were formerly enslaved. Two additional communities were incorporated in recent years. They are all part of the mosaic of history and culture that make Oklahoma. [Clytie Bunyan / The Oklahoman]
- Opinion: How much did you learn about Oklahoma’s Black towns from your history books? [Shirley Ann Ballard Nero / The Oklahoman]
- Opinion: Revitalizing Oklahoma Black towns offers chance for education, economic growth [Former Sen. Kevin Matthews / The Oklahoman]
- Opinion: Black towns in Oklahoma have untapped opportunities for economic, social development [Cymone Davis / The Oklahoman]
- Opinion: Community support essential to good mental health for elderly residents in Black towns [Natalie Dennis / The Oklahoman]
- Opinion: What’s your vision of freedom, unity? It could be incorporated in a flag [The Oklahoman]
- Opinion: From the reporter’s notebook: Moments from Oklahoma’s historic Black towns: [Kimberly Burk / The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- Many Tulsa city councilors oppose using local police for Trump’s mass deportation plan [Tulsa World]
- Legal challenge delays vote on Norman $1 billion entertainment district [KGOU]
- ‘Edmond on the GO’ went nowhere. With no bond issues, how will the city deal with growth? [The Oklahoman]
Quote of the Day
“I want my boys to know there’s another way. That real strength isn’t about how much you can take, but how much you can give. That true heroism doesn’t look like acting fast and alone; it looks like moving slowly and with others, building something bigger than yourself.”
-Sheyda Brown, writing in an opinion piece about raising her sons in a world where the default response to frustration, powerlessness, or righteous anger is harm. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Number of the Day
36%
Percentage of Oklahomans who hold an associate degree or higher, compared to the national average of 48.4%. [U.S. Census Bureau via Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education]
Policy Note
How Local Governments Raise Revenue — and What it Means for Tax Equity: The tens of thousands of local governments across the United States are frontline providers of the essential services that create thriving communities. Well-structured local tax policies support and strengthen this goal, facilitating important investments while advancing fairness and opportunity. This resource offers detailed information on how localities raise tax revenue across the U.S., shedding light on the equity and adequacy of these measures at a critical moment for local leaders and the people they serve. [Institute on Economic Policy and Taxation]
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