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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
Oklahoma school year starts in chaos (Capitol Update): The beginning of a new school year, normally a time of excitement and looking forward, finds Oklahoma education at the state level in what can only be described as a state of chaos. And the chaos is surely being felt among educators in some, if not most, of the state’s 509 school districts. [Steve Lewis / OK Policy]
Oklahoma News
Oklahoma AG to Walters: ‘I pray that your failure… does not result in deadly consequences’: Last year, lawmakers passed a bill that gave schools about $96,000 each for three years for safety upgrades like bulletproof windows and resource officers. But, as first reported by Oklahoma news station KFOR, districts said they couldn’t access rolled over funds from one year to the next after OSDE removed it from their accounts — despite the agency’s previous guidance that districts could use rollover. [KOSU]
- Timeline of Oklahoma Department of Education funding issue claims [FOX25]
- Oklahoma AG Rules School District Security Program Funds Can Roll Over Each Year [News9]
State Government News
The quiet meeting before the storm: How top Oklahoma Republicans counseled Ryan Walters: Ongoing political drama involving the state schools superintendent reached a crescendo last week when Ryan Walters — emotional and angry — held a Capitol news conference outside the House chamber to call Speaker Charles McCall and Republican state Rep. Mark McBride liars, challenging them to begin impeachment hearings. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma Supreme Court asked to intervene in Corporation Commission misconduct probe: Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett complained on Monday to the Oklahoma Supreme Court that he is entitled to a fair and impartial investigation into accusations against him. Hiett told justices that a fellow commissioner, Bob Anthony, is trying to trample his rights and impede the investigation as a result of a personal vendetta. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Oklahoma law doesn’t give voters the power to remove state and county officials. It should.: Nineteen states, including our neighbors in Kansas, Louisiana, and Colorado, have a method to recall a statewide elected official. But while some city charters give voters the power to hold municipal officials accountable through the recall process, Oklahoma law contains no provisions that allows voters to attempt to remove state and county elected officials before their term ends. [Chris Powell / Oklahoma Voice]
Editorial: Rejecting Summer EBT program keeps at least a quarter of million Oklahoma kids hungry: Gov. Kevin Stitt, along with 12 other Republican governors, turned down the program for this summer, alleging that the Biden administration was pushing “certain agenda items on kids.” The program provides qualifying low-income families $40 a month per child in the summer ($120 total for June, July and August) to buy food. It’s put on an EBT card so families can purchase food at local stores. [Editorial Staff / Tulsa World]
Federal Government News
For now, the Supreme Court won’t stop states from blocking Biden’s Title IX changes: States shunning new federal rules on discrimination in schools over sexual orientation and gender identity won’t be forced to follow them for the time being. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday to reject a Biden administration request for a partial stay that would allow some of the new regulations to take effect while lower courts deliberate disputes over protections for transgender students. [Oklahoma Voice]
9 GOP-led attorneys general sue Biden administration over voter registration efforts: Nine states, including Kansas and Oklahoma, are challenging an executive order by President Joe Biden that would enlist federal agencies to help register residents to vote, and those states say the order undermines their power to control elections, calling it a federally subsidized program aimed at boosting Democratic and left-leaning blocs. [KOSU]
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall to visit Texoma: U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) and Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall (R-Atoka) will make two stops in Texoma Wednesday as part of a state and federal partnership series. Senator Mullin’s office announced that the two will hold events in Atoka and Durant as part of their ‘Serving Oklahoma 101′ series where they will have panel-style conversations about the role of state and federal leadership and how the different levels of leadership can work together to address the state’s concerns and priorities. [KXII]
Voting and Election News
Early voting for Oklahoma Aug. 27 primary runoff begins Thursday: Early voting begins Thursday for the Aug. 27 primary runoff. Early voting at county election boards is 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, it is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. [Oklahoma Voice]
Interview with Tulsa mayoral candidate Brent VanNorman: On Aug. 27, Tulsans will vote for their next mayor. Public Radio Tulsa is interviewing the three highest-polling candidates ahead of the vote. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Tulsa City Council District 4: Challenger says incumbent should do more to stop tribal lawsuits: Tulsa District 4 Councilwoman Laura Bellis and challenger Aaron Griffith are both critical of the city’s continued prosecution of tribal citizens within reservation boundaries, but Griffith says Bellis should be more vocal in opposing Tulsa’s position in multiple lawsuits. [NonDoc]
Lincoln County sheriff runoff: Kevin Garrett, Aaron Bennett tout experiences, defend records: Two Republican Lincoln County sheriff candidates, who finished less than a percentage point apart in the June primary, tackled tough subjects and described their visions for the law enforcement agency in a debate that drew a crowd of about 65 people to American Legion Hall Post 64. [NonDoc]
Education News
Error by Education Department attorney may keep lawsuit over Bible mandate in state court: A federal judge has given the agency and its general counsel, Michael Beason, until Aug. 26 to explain why the case shouldn’t be remanded back to state court because of the error. [The Oklahoman]
New school year means new principals for dozens of TPS sites: Among the schools that are starting classes Tuesday with a new principal are Clinton West, Hawthorne, MacArthur, Kendall-Whittier, Mayo Demonstration, McClure, Robertson and Springdale elementary schools; Carver, Memorial, Monroe and Thoreau middle schools; Hale and McLain high schools; Tulsa Virtual Academy; and four campuses that house both a middle and high school — Edison, North Star Academy, Tulsa Met and Webster. [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma City Public School Board approves teacher bonus program: A plan to help schools keep their best teachers is getting a second chance. The OKCPS board voted Monday to take part in the teacher bonus program after a crucial change to where that money comes from. [KFOR]
This Major Conservative Culture Warrior May Have Finally Gone Too Far: Republican lawmakers in Oklahoma are investigating whether state superintendent Ryan Walters is equipped to do the job he was elected to do. [Huff Post]
Tulsa school board approves employee retention stipend: By a 6-0 vote, the board approved the 3% stipend for all TPS employees who were with the district as of March 31 on a regular full-time or part-time basis and are still employed by the district on Sept. 3. [Tulsa World]
World history assignment about Earth’s creation, Christianity frustrates parents of Oklahoma high school: Former Osage Principal Chief Jim Gray and his wife Olivia Gray (Osage) recently took to Facebook to condemn their daughter’s world history assignment inquiring about the world’s beginning. [KOSU]
Health News
Is there monkeypox in Oklahoma? What we know about mpox risks, outbreaks: Although there’s no indication that the disease is spreading inside the United States, there have been 10 reported cases in Oklahoma so far this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [The Oklahoman]
Partnerships between universities and hospitals aim to meet workforce needs: Oklahoma colleges and universities are working to bridge gaps in the state’s health care workforce, particularly in rural areas, by incentivizing students to pursue careers in various health care professions. [Oklahoma Voice]
Criminal Justice News
Pay or Your Son Dies: Cynthia, a 65-year-old mother of two who lives in Oklahoma City, estimated she has spent more than $50,000 on Green Dot cards and Cash App payments since 2017, at least $40,000 with the cards and $10,000 with Cash App. Oklahoma Watch interviewed six people with almost identical extortion stories. [Oklahoma Watch]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Business Strategy: Civil rights history honored in Oklahoma City: This week marks two significant civil rights anniversaries in Oklahoma City—the 66th anniversary of the Oklahoma City sit-in movement and the 55th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Sanitation Workers Strike. Strategic investment is a powerful tool for preserving our past. Among the upcoming MAPS 4 projects is the northeast OKC plaza that will be home to both the Freedom Center and the Clara Luper Civil Rights Center. This area will serve as a local civil rights hub and a museum on site will honor the city’s history, civil rights leaders and the efforts to end segregationist policies. These two new centers aim to reflect inspiration as a new community gathering place. [The Journal Record]
Which Oklahoma cities are cheapest for living comfortably? See the list here: How much does it take to have a comfortable life in cities across the Sooner State? A recent study listed the salaries necessary to live comfortably in major U.S. cities, including two Oklahoma cities. [The Journal Record]
Economy & Business News
Tulsa bids to rival Florida, become next haven for retirees: With American retirees now living longer, becoming more active and ranking tops in disposable income, Tulsa is preparing to make a serious bid to bring more of them here. [Tulsa World]
Opinion: The world is on the brink of a transformation, and Oklahoma can lead the way: The world is now on the brink of another transformation through capturing the power of artificial intelligence. And this time, Oklahoma is a prime candidate to lead the way. [Paul Breitenbach / The Oklahoman]
Community News
A Tulsa high school football player almost died on the field. It gave him a mission to help others.: Collin Cottom minutes into his first start on varsity, went into cardiac arrest on the field. But with the help of a defibrillator, doctors and an oxygen tank brought down from a parent in the stands, Collin’s life was saved. Collin survived that day, and he’s spent the past two years making sure other athletes will, too. He’s gone on to champion awareness. [Tulsa World]
‘Focus: Black Oklahoma’: Tulsa mayoral election, juvenile center, intertribal collaboration: This episode of Focus: Black Oklahoma features stories on the Tulsa mayoral race, the Tulsa County juvenile detention facility and the Indigenous Roots Symposium. [KOSU]
Opinion: The daily impact of unseen heroes: On August 17, we celebrated National Nonprofit Day, a day dedicated to acknowledging the profound impacts nonprofits have on our communities and the outstanding work they provide year-round. In Oklahoma, nonprofits form the third-largest employment sector. They provide jobs, foster volunteerism and stimulate local economies. [Marnie Taylor / The Journal Record]
Quote of the Day
“Those wasted months have resulted in school districts not receiving millions of dollars in funds they could have used to bolster security and protect students. I pray that your failure to deploy those funds does not result in deadly consequences.”
– Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in an opinion requested by State Superintendent Ryan Walters determining whether school districts could use rollover funds from a bill that passed last year giving school districts access to $96,000 over three years for safety upgrades like bulletproof windows and resource officers. [KOSU]
Number of the Day
140,600
Number of U.S.-born Oklahoma residents living with at least one immigrant parent. This about 3.7% of the state’s total population. [American Immigration Council]
Policy Note
Mixed-Status Families and Immigrant Families with Children Continued Avoiding Safety Net Programs in 2023: Our results suggest that many people in immigrant families are missing out on needed safety net benefits, including many of the 3.5 million US citizen and lawfully present children in low-income families who live with at least one undocumented parent. Encouraging safety net program participation among eligible immigrant families would likely require strategies, such as increased resources for community-based organizations working with immigrant families, simplified enrollment and renewal processes for safety net programs, and expanded safety net program eligibility. [Urban Institute]
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