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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
ClassWallet case highlights ongoing power struggle between Gov, AG (Capitol Update): The sour relationship between Gov. Kevin Stitt and Attorney General Gentner Drummond made news again last Friday when Drummond withdrew from Gov. Stitt’s lawsuit to recover COVID-19 era funds from Florida company ClassWallet. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
Oklahoma News
OK Supreme Court strikes 2025 social studies standards for violating Open Meeting Act: A narrow 5-4 majority of the Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down the 2025 Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies, finding the State Board of Education violated the Open Meeting Act by not providing proper notice about changes within the new standards. [NonDoc]
- Oklahoma Supreme Court permanently overturns social studies standards [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma Supreme Court strikes down controversial social studies standards [Tulsa World]
- Oklahoma’s controversial social studies standards will not go into effect, court rules [KOCO]
Opinion: Proposed federal shift on homeless services poses new challenges for Oklahomans: Many Oklahomans and individuals across the country may soon find themselves in need of a place to call home as nonprofit and community leaders scramble to shift resources and find new funding for housing programs that have been cut drastically and suddenly by the federal government, despite decades of research that support their use. [Rachel Bradley / Oklahoma Voice]
State Government News
Oklahoma child care advocacy group sues DHS over end of subsidies: An advocacy group that represents licensed child care providers is asking an Oklahoma County judge to force a state agency to restore a pandemic-era subsidy program. [Oklahoma Voice]
Law targeting Oklahoma immigrants creating fear, uncertainty: A state law aimed at forcing some immigrants to leave the state has created fear, uncertainty and tension, and left families worried about what future enforcement might mean for their safety and stability, advocates say. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma’s only way to apply for medical marijuana licenses is glitching out: MedPortal went live Oct. 28 as Oklahoma’s official online licensing portal for medical marijuana patients, caregivers and businesses. But by Dec. 12, a little more than a month after launching the site, the state agency said technical issues were getting in the way of meeting license renewal deadlines. [Tulsa Flyer]
Federal Government News
No US House vote to extend health care subsidies, Speaker Johnson says: U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday he will not allow a floor vote this week on a bipartisan amendment supported by moderate Republicans that would extend the Affordable Care Act enhanced tax credits. [Oklahoma Voice]
- What Oklahomans need to know about the federal fight over health care subsidies [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
- From OK Policy: What Oklahomans need to know about expiring ACA premium tax credits
A larger share of ICE’s arrested immigrants, including in Oklahoma, have no criminal record: Immigration arrests under the Trump administration continued to increase through mid-October, reaching rates of more than 30,000 a month. But, rather than the convicted criminals the administration has said it’s focused on, an ever-larger share of those arrests were for solely immigration violations. [Oklahoma Voice]
- ICE arrests in Oklahoma continue to rise with the help of local law enforcement [KOSU]
Trump ‘very strongly’ considering loosening federal marijuana regulations: President Donald Trump’s administration is looking “very strongly” at reclassifying cannabis from the strictest category of controlled substances, Trump said Monday. In a brief affirmative response to a reporter’s question in the Oval Office, the president confirmed he is considering a reclassification of marijuana to unlock research funding. [Oklahoma Voice]
In rare move, Rep. Bice condemns Trump’s remarks after Rob Reiner death: As police investigate the death of Rob Reiner and his wife, Republican Congresswoman Stephanie Bice has condemned President Donald Trump’s comments he made about the late director earlier this week, while Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin came to the president’s defense. [The Oklahoman]
Tribal Nations News
Fact Check: Sorting truth from spin in Stitt and Drummond’s fight over tribal hunting rights: As the governor attacks the attorney general over wildlife enforcement in Indian Country, we reviewed state, federal and tribal law — and found some of Stitt’s claims about hunting rules don’t hold up. [The Frontier]
Stroble replies to OTC as case awaits SCOTUS approval: The plaintiff of a tax case testing the limits of the McGirt decision and threatening Oklahoma income tax revenue is now one step closer to hearing whether her U.S. Supreme Court petition is granted. [The Journal Record]
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma partners with Rosetta Stone to preserve tribe’s language: An education software will now include the language of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Chahta anumpa, following a partnership with the tribal nation. The Choctaw Nation announced the partnership with Rosetta Stone on Tuesday in an effort to preserve the tribal language. [Oklahoma Voice]
New $69.8 million Muscogee Nation casino opens in Eufaula: The Muscogee Nation opened the first of two new casino/hotel resorts on Monday — part of the tribe’s nearly $170 million in new investments. [Tulsa World]
Voting and Election News
Group forms to give voice to disenfranchised Oklahoma independent voters: A new group has formed to represent Oklahoma independents and challenge voter suppression. The group is called Oklahoma Independents but is not a recognized political party. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma independent political groups make new push after ‘error’ from state’s Democrats: Independent political groups are moving quickly to capitalize on a mistake from Oklahoma’s Democrats, which has closed independent voters out of its primaries for the next two years. [News 9]
Education News
How good is Oklahoma education? A look at test scores and more: Here’s a closer look at the numbers provided by the Nation’s Report Card. Overall, Oklahoma ranks 48th in education, and Oklahoma students struggle with math and reading assessments. [The Oklahoman]
Health News
OKC Council receives design report for mental health facility: The architect for the MAPS 4 mental health and addiction restoration center presented designs Tuesday for “a building that is comfortable and as un-institutional as possible.” The City Council accepted the preliminary report for the project and authorized Allford Hall Monaghan Morris to develop the final plans and specifications. That step is expected to be completed around the end of May. [The Journal Record]
Criminal Justice News
Oklahoma’s unique position in the death penalty abolition movement: Oklahoma leads the nation in executing death row inmates. Now, multiple Oklahoma-based organizations are joining the effort to end that practice. [KGOU]
- From OK Policy: Oklahoma Death Penalty Tracker
Oklahoma County Jail officials working with DOC to whittle down transfer backlog: As plans for Oklahoma County’s new jail remain a riddle that will ultimately be answered by taxpayers’ willingness to stomach a first-of-its-kind sales tax, operators of the current detention center are attempting to make its population more manageable by reducing the backlog of post-sentence inmates awaiting transfer to state prisons. [NonDoc]
Court overturns manslaughter conviction of former lawmaker from Tulsa: A federal appellate court Tuesday overturned a former state lawmaker’s involuntary manslaughter conviction after finding fault with how the trial judge handled a jury question during the trial. [Tulsa World]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Oklahoma Lawmakers Push Eviction Reform: A recent Impact Tulsa report struck home and spurred Rep. Ellen Pogemiller to craft a law to help stop it. It’s too late for some. [Oklahoma Watch]
Trailer Park Owner Hikes Rents, Forces Tenants Into Rent-to-Own Deals: Tenants who live in Lee’s Tulsa-area trailer parks have a decidedly less luxurious existence. They’re struggling with toilets that won’t flush, lights that won’t turn on, rain that falls through ceilings, and, now, higher rents. [Oklahoma Watch]
From getting an ID to enrolling in school, new resource offers help to Oklahoma’s homeless youth: Launched in December, the Oklahoma Homeless Youth Handbook is a free tool that helps anyone navigating life without a permanent place to live. It’s the result of a partnership between Oklahoma Appleseed and other law firms. [The Oklahoma Eagle via Tulsa Flyer]
Economy & Business News
Listen Frontier: Inside Oklahoma’s data center surge and the potential hidden costs (podcast): Data centers are being drawn to Oklahoma by cheap land, tax breaks, and access to electricity. But as these projects scale up, they can put pressure on the electric grid. Utilities are warning that they’ll need major upgrades to keep up, and those costs could ultimately fall on everyday Oklahomans. [The Frontier]
- Data centers are playing a key role in regional development [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma rural water district joins legal fight over PFAS contamination: A rural Oklahoma water district has sued more than two dozen companies over concerns about long-term contamination from a compound used in firefighting foam. [The Oklahoman]
Community News
How Food Insecurity Is Fueling Mental Health Struggles in Tulsa: Hunger does more than leave families wondering where their next meal will come from. In Tulsa, it is quietly fueling anxiety, depression, and long-term trauma, especially in households facing economic stress, housing instability, and limited access to health care. Mental health experts increasingly agree that food insecurity is not just a social issue. It is a mental health crisis hiding in plain sight. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Local Headlines
- El Reno gets $725,000 to create Route 66 ‘Hub’ in heart of downtown [KOSU]
- Tulsa Public Schools board sets April election for $609M bond package [Tulsa World]
- Unpaid $33K water bill could lead to 350 Tulsa seniors losing water [The Oklahoma Eagle via Tulsa Flyer]
- Norman city leaders discuss increasing hotel tax [KFOR]
Quote of the Day
“Until we tackle the real challenges – a living wage, funding for treatment services and the skyrocketing cost of homeownership, we aren’t truly doing all we can to address homelessness in our community. These are big problems requiring big solutions; we can tackle them together, but we must first commit to recognizing their complexity and handling them – one at a time, and with care.”
– Rachel Bradley, executive director of Sisu Youth Services, warning that homelessness cannot be solved through short-term or punitive approaches alone. [Oklahoma Voice]
Number of the Day
3x
The federal government spends more than three times as much on tax benefits for homeowners and real estate investors as it does on rental assistance for low-income households. Far more public dollars go toward reducing homeownership costs and supporting development than toward helping renters with the lowest incomes maintain stable housing. [Urban Institute]
Policy Note
How Does the Federal Government Support Housing?: The federal government underwrites homeownership and rental stability for millions by providing direct subsidies, tax incentives, housing vouchers, and guarantees that reduce the cost of housing and promote access. These supports include home-purchase incentives, rental assistance for low-income households, and flexible funding for development and preservation of affordable housing. Despite this broad role, current federal funding falls short relative to escalating housing needs — placing pressure on states, localities, and private markets to fill the gap, which many cannot do sustainably. Prioritizing effective use of these tools means aligning them with housing affordability, targeting the most vulnerable households, and ensuring that policies scale with the scope of need. [Urban Institute]
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