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

Moving the needle on Oklahoma’s youth justice reform: Media reports this weekend revealed troubling conditions in the state’s Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center in Tecumseh (COJC) and the subsequent resignation of the Director of the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs. In response to these events, the following are comments from OK Policy’s Youth Policy Analyst Jill Mencke, who co-authored a 2024 report – Reimagining Youth Justice in Oklahoma – that recommended reforms that could create impactful and transformative change for youth. [OK Policy]

State Government News

State Rep. Ajay Pittman suspected of embezzling campaign funds, forgery, court records show: A state agent investigating Rep. Ajay Pittman for alleged misuse of campaign funds reported she made “several suspicious” purchases last year that included two large-screen TVs and a laptop computer. [The Oklahoman]

Oklahoma lawmakers weigh options to reduce early voting waits: Lawmakers are studying ways to reduce the long waits early voters experienced during the last presidential election. Sen. Mary Boren, D-Norman, oversaw a Tuesday interim study on the issue. Interim studies often help lawmakers craft legislation for the upcoming session. [Oklahoma Voice]

Toxic wastewater from oil fields keeps pouring out of the ground. Oklahoma regulators failed to stop it: Salt water laced with cancer-causing chemicals, a byproduct of oil and gas drilling, is spewing from old wells. Experts warn of a pollution crisis spreading underground and threatening Oklahoma’s drinking water. [The Frontier]

Federal Government News

US Senate again rejects bill ending shutdown, as air traffic controllers miss paychecks: The U.S. Senate Tuesday failed for the 13th time to advance a stopgap spending bill that would fund the government until Nov. 21 and end the nearly one-month government shutdown. [Oklahoma Voice]

Will government shutdown affect November SSI payments? See full schedule for 2025: Oklahomans who receive Supplemental Security Income checks won’t get a check during November – instead, you’ll receive one a few days early, in October. [The Oklahoman]

Upcoming federal food assistance pause intensifies shutdown fight: The stakes of the ongoing government shutdown rose Monday as the U.S. Department of Agriculture doubled down on its position that food benefits for November could not be paid and a union for federal workers implored lawmakers to pass a stopgap measure. [Oklahoma Voice]

• Democratic AGs, governors sue Trump over SNAP benefits as shutdown hits day 28 [Oklahoma Voice]
• Grocery stores, Oklahomans brace for SNAP benefit halt [KFOR]
• Oklahoma food pantries ask for donations, volunteers as SNAP faces freeze [KOCO]
• ‘We need our neighbors’: Tulsa Facebook groups step up amid SNAP insecurity [Tulsa Flyer]
• Gov. Kevin Stitt to address SNAP benefit concerns as federal government shutdown continues [KOCO]

Thousands of preschoolers could lose access to Head Start due to shutdown: Funding for scores of Head Start programs hung in the balance as the government shutdown continued Monday without an end in sight. [Oklahoma Voice]

Federal judge indefinitely blocks Trump shutdown layoffs: A federal judge has indefinitely blocked President Trump’s efforts to lay off thousands of federal employees amid the government shutdown. [The Hill via KFOR]

Confederate statue reinstalled in D.C., ordered by Trump: The bronze likeness of Confederate Brigadier General Albert Pike’s statue is once again standing in Washington, D.C.’s Judiciary Square. It’s been five years after it was toppled and set ablaze by protestors during a period of national reckoning over racial injustice and historical monuments. [The Black Wall Street Times]

Opinion, Former Oklahoma State Representative: Congress, we’re getting rained on. Time for government repairs: Out here in Oklahoma, we fix barns before the roof caves in, but in Washington they’ll debate the color of the tin while the rain’s pouring through. That rain is falling hardest on people who didn’t ask for any of this. [Mark McBride / The Oklahoman]

Tribal Nations News

As Freedmen file for contempt over delays, Muscogee citizenship board touts ‘necessary steps’: After telling the Muscogee Nation Supreme Court that implementing its ruling on Freedmen citizenship would require amendments from the Muscogee National Council and a public rulemaking hearing, the Citizenship Board of the Muscogee Nation on Monday requested that the court reject a second motion for contempt filed by Jeff Kennedy and Rhonda Grayson, or to at least hold an evidentiary hearing before deciding the motion. [NonDoc]

Cherokee Nation issues emergency declaration in advance of SNAP cutoff: With SNAP benefits set to lapse Saturday, the Cherokee Nation declared a state of emergency Tuesday due to food insecurity and announced plans to provide additional resources for impacted tribal citizens. [Tulsa World]

Education News

Oklahoma didn’t pay PragerU for Walters-backed ‘woke’ test for teachers, Fields says: No contract exists between the Oklahoma State Department of Education and California-based PragerU, which worked with past state schools superintendent Ryan Walters to develop a test for teachers moving to Oklahoma from so-called “woke” states. [The Oklahoman]

Health News

Hospital price transparency law to take effect Nov. 1: Oklahoma’s hospitals will be required to post prices for procedures and services online beginning Saturday as part of a new law that could also prohibit them from collecting some outstanding medical debt. [Oklahoma Voice]

• Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt celebrates new hospital price transparency law [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
• Oklahoma launches website to compare hospital prices [KOCO]

Criminal Justice News

Oklahoma lawmaker champions DUI Expansion Law starting Nov. 1: Oklahoma lawmaker Senator Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, is championing a new law expanding the definition of aggravated DUI under Oklahoma law. According to Sen. Weaver, who chairs the Senate Public Safety Committee, the measure Senate Bill 54 was needed for impaired drivers whose actions undermine public safety. [KFOR]

Housing & Economic Opportunity News

Homeless camp removal effort expands to Oklahoma City: Gov. Kevin Stitt said he’s expanding an effort to remove homeless camps located on state property to Oklahoma City. [Oklahoma Voice]

• Gov. Stitt authorizes Operation SAFE to clear homeless encampments in Oklahoma City [The Oklahoman]
• Operation SAFE expands into OKC. How does it differ from Tulsa? How many housed? What we know [The Oklahoman]
• Gov. Kevin Stitt says he’s ‘not solving homelessness’ but will ‘enforce the law’ with Operation SAFE (video) [The Oklahoman]
• Operation SAFE expands to Oklahoma City; partnership generates different results [KOSU]

Economy & Business News

Opinion: Workforce underinvestment has real consequences in Oklahoma and US: We can either continue to shortchange our workforce system, or we can make robust investments in the workforce programs that prepare Americans for the jobs employers are hiring for today and tomorrow. [Sharon Harrison / The Oklahoman]

Community News

American Indian Exposition celebrates its rich history, 90th year in Anadarko: The American Indian Exposition in Anadarko has long boasted it’s the first and only all-Indigenous operated cultural event of its kind. The event has evolved over nine decades and continues its run this week. [KOSU]

Opinion: Meet (again) an Oklahoman whose words ring true today nearly 100 years after his death: Historian Bob Blackburn was asked recently to name the most consequential Oklahoman in state history — the person who made the greatest difference in our lives today. He named several, including a couple of former governors. But he also named someone you might not expect — he named a man of Cherokee descent, a comedian, movie star, newspaper columnist, trick roper and aviation enthusiast. [William C. Wertz / The Oklahoman]

Local Headlines

• OKC reveals new intersection plans. How are roundabouts, diverging diamonds supposed to work? [The Oklahoman]
• Focus turns to east Edmond as new northwest fire station opens [The Journal Record]
• 40K reasons to care about Tulsa Public Schools’ new five-year plan [Tulsa Flyer]
• Tulsa Public Schools superintendent lays out progress since taking office, but the district is still falling short of its goals [Tulsa Flyer]
• Tulsa Public Schools bond election slated for spring ’26 [Tulsa World]

Quote of the Day

“We don’t debate tin roof colors during a thunderstorm. We grab a ladder and fix the barn. Washington should do the same.”

– Former Oklahoma State Representative Mark McBride, discussing the ongoing federal government shutdown. He urged leaders in Washington to take responsibility and “fix the barn.” [The Oklahoman]

Number of the Day

$5,500

The average additional annual cost to families of adding a child to a household, according to federal poverty guidelines. Yet even as multigenerational households grow and more grandparents take on caregiving roles, programs like Social Security and TANF largely exclude them from support. [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation]

Policy Note

Improving Social Security for children and young adults in need: The Social Security system, a major component of the U.S. safety net, could do more to support children and young adults in evolving family contexts. Introducing a caregiver benefit for low-income grandparents raising grandchildren and restoring student benefits for dependents of deceased or disabled workers would fill key gaps — especially where child welfare systems fall short. Funding these reforms by eliminating less targeted child benefits for retirees would recapture resources for more urgent needs. Through these adjustments, Social Security could become a more equitable, accessible support mechanism for today’s diverse families. [Brookings Institution]

You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.

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

Justice demands proportionality in child abuse laws (Capitol Update): Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee — chaired by Sen. Brent Howard, R-Altus — held a three-hour interim study exploring Oklahoma’s “Failure to Protect” statutes. The study was led by Sen. Todd Gollihare, R-Bristow. The Oklahoma statute, 22 O.S. 843.5, provides a parent or caretaker may be charged with child abuse or neglect, “enabling” child abuse or neglect, or both, even though they were not the person who abused the child. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]

Oklahoma News

Governor announces homeless encampment sweep operation in Oklahoma City: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced a homeless encampment sweep program started in Tulsa is moving to Oklahoma City. In the announcement Monday afternoon, the governor said the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation were beginning cleanup efforts similar to those undertaken in Tulsa last month. [KOSU]

• Gov. Stitt authorizes Operation SAFE to clear homeless encampments in Oklahoma City [The Oklahoman]
• Gov. Stitt announces Operation SAFE in Oklahoma City [KFOR]
• Homeless encampments targeted in OKC sweep [Tulsa World]

State Government News

Change in leadership at Oklahoma juvenile justice agency: Gov. Kevin Stitt on Friday appointed a new interim director to the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs. Sharon “Shel” Millington will serve as interim director, effective immediately, and replace former director Tim Tardibono, according to a news release. [Oklahoma Voice]

2023 crash cited in study about work zone safety: A violent highway accident in 2023 in Owasso was cited Monday as just one example of why lawmakers may consider legislation this year designed to slow people down and make work zones safer. [Tulsa World]

Federal Government News

Pay for Trump and Congress continues in shutdown, unless they ask it be held: Some members of Congress are asking for their salaries to be withheld during the government shutdown, while federal workers on Friday missed their first full paycheck since many operations closed on Oct. 1. [Oklahoma Voice]

• Federal credit unions in Oklahoma offer relief for federal workers without jobs, pay [KOSU]
• ‘Absolutely zero preparedness’: Tulsans on food stamps are searching for other options [Tulsa Flyer]
• ‘There’s gonna be a great need’: Red Cross accepting donations for military members [Fox 25]

America’s suspended refugee program leaves families separated, resettlement agencies unfunded: As part of a larger withdrawal from international humanitarian aid, Trump signed an executive order halting the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. The State Department also ended funding to local resettlement nonprofits, though a lawsuit later restored some of that money. [Oklahoma Voice]

Tribal Nations News

Opinion, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief: New Cherokee Language Efforts Aimed for All Generations: The Cherokee language is the heart of who we are as a people. It carries our history, our way of life, and the values that connect us across generations. When we speak our language, we honor our ancestors and ensure that future generations can know themselves as Cherokee. [Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. / Native News Online]

Education News

State testing will continue in Oklahoma despite Walters’ earlier proclamation: Despite question marks raised in August, Oklahoma students will take standardized tests at the end of the school year. There had been doubt following a proclamation by former State Superintendent Ryan Walters that his replacement, Lindel Fields, has now debunked. [KOSU]

• Oklahoma state testing to ‘proceed as normal’ in public schools [Oklahoma Voice]
• Oklahoma won’t end standardized tests, despite Ryan Walters’ plans [The Oklahoman]
• New superintendent, new priorities: Lindel Fields on his plan to improve student literacy [Tulsa World]
• News 4 sits down with new state superintendent for in-depth discussion on issues affecting Oklahoma education [KFOR]

What’s next for lawsuit against Walters, who claimed teachers lied to get $50k bonuses: A defamation lawsuit filed against former state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters and the Oklahoma State Department of Education by two teachers who each received a $50,000 bonus in error is being dismissed. [The Oklahoman]

Free speech advocacy group condemns UCO for ‘controlling’ student newspaper: A national free speech advocacy group sent a letter on Monday to the president of University of Central Oklahoma accusing the state’s third-largest university of censoring student journalists. [Oklahoma Voice]

This is ground zero in the conservative quest for more patriotic and Christian public schools: The future that the Trump administration envisions for public schools is more patriotic, more Christian and less “woke.” Want to know how that might play out? Look to Oklahoma. Academics, educators and critics alike refer to Oklahoma as ground zero for pushing education to the right. Or, as one teacher put it, “the canary on the prairie.” [ProPublica]

Opinion: It’s no longer ‘college vs. trade.’ Both are critical to Oklahoma’s future: For too long, society has pushed a single narrative: that a college degree leading to a career in high-tech, investment banking, law or medicine is the gold standard of success. That story is flawed because it ignores the skills and ambitions of many young men. [K. John Lee / The Oklahoman]

Criminal Justice News

Oklahoma County killer to seek clemency: An Oklahoma County killer is seeking clemency ahead of his scheduled execution. Tremane Wood, 46, is set to die Nov. 13 by lethal injection at Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. He is set to die for the 2002 stabbing death of Ronnie Wipf, 19, during a robbery at an Oklahoma City motel. [Oklahoma Voice]

• Death row inmate Tremane Wood blamed for prison beating, allegedly texted, ‘Smash him bro’ [The Oklahoman]

Convicted of murder as a teenager, Wayne Thompson is free after more than four decades in prison: Oklahoma officials repeatedly rejected Thompson’s release, weighing the violent nature of the crime over his efforts to change. Now he has a second chance. [The Frontier]

Tulsa’s camera network grows as Flock and Ring team up, sparking privacy concerns: Flock Safety cameras have yielded mixed reviews in Tulsa and throughout Oklahoma. Earlier this month, State Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, led an interim study at the capitol about the use of automated license plate readers, like Flock Safety cameras. Gann says the cameras are “mass surveillance” tools that can be used against people. He also says they skirt state law, which prohibits the use of automated license plate readers for anything other than identifying uninsured motorists. [Tulsa Flyer]

Tulsa Race Massacre graves search: Newly exhumed body contains bullet in rib cage: The city’s latest effort to identify unmarked burials from Tulsa’s 1921 Race Massacre has yielded another possible victim, with officials expecting to find others as excavations resume this week after the recent rains. [Tulsa World]

Housing & Economic Opportunity News

Three Lawyers File More Than Half of Central Oklahoma’s 18,000 Annual Eviction Cases: In 2024, three firms filed approximately 9,900 eviction claims of the more than 18,000 such actions, according to records on the Oklahoma State Court Network. Oklahoma’s Landlord Tenant Act has been under scrutiny for some time, recently culminating in a bipartisan law that passed through Oklahoma’s legislature, but was vetoed by Gov. Kevin Stitt. [Oklahoma Watch]

• From OK Policy: The governor’s veto on SB 128 is more than a missed opportunity — it is a step backwards for housing instability.

Tulsa’s homelessness crisis focus of Community Conversation gathering: Monday night’s Community Conversation with the Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols provided a glimpse of the complexity and controversy inherent in any discussion of homelessness. Early in the meeting at the Herman and Kate Kaiser YMCA, a woman stood up and asked Nichols why the homeless couldn’t just be sent to California. Later, a homeless woman named Bobbi-Jo stood up before the crowd of roughly 200 people and explained her plight and how she got there. On average, homeless individuals on the city’s waiting list for housing have to wait 220 days to secure a place to live. [Tulsa World]

Economy & Business News

Opinion: Workforce underinvestment has real consequences in Oklahoma and US: We can either continue to shortchange our workforce system, or we can make robust investments in the workforce programs that prepare Americans for the jobs employers are hiring for today and tomorrow. [Sharon Harrison / The Oklahoman]

Local Headlines

• Tulsa Farmers’ Market will offer helping hand to SNAP recipients amid cuts [Tulsa Flyer]
• Tulsa Public Schools adding nine properties to surplus list [Tulsa World]
• Contractor supply distributor celebrates 70 years, move into $1.5M OKC facility [The Journal Record]
• Here’s what’s planned for Oklahoma City’s first MAPS 4 Youth Center [The Oklahoman]
• ‘This is so wrong’: Misuse of funds case shakes up Edmond Memorial PACE group [NonDoc]
• DOCS: Oklahoma State University staff member arrested for allegedly soliciting minors online [KFOR]

Quote of the Day

“It feels like the system is entirely stacked against renters who are just trying to keep their heads above water. There are just so many evictions filed in Oklahoma County, and the process moves incredibly fast. What’s been tough for me to wrap my head around is how many roadblocks face those of us doing everything we can to help those in need. It seems there is little room for compassion for those on the verge of losing their homes. It’s simply business as usual.”

-Jessica Earley, director of Stay Housed, a program of Neighborhood Services Organization, speaking about the volume of eviction filings in Oklahoma courts. A proposed law last legislative session would have would added five days to the eviction timeline and given tenants more time between receiving their court summons and their eviction trial date. Despite bipartisan support in the legislature, Gov. Stitt vetoed the measure. [Oklahoma Watch]

• From OK Policy: Gov.’s veto of SB 128 rejects bipartisan solution that would have helped landlords and kept Oklahomans in their homes

Number of the Day

307,989

The number of Oklahomans who signed up for health coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace during the 2025 open enrollment period. The ACA created these marketplaces so people without job-based insurance could buy affordable health plans, often with subsidies to lower their monthly costs. [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services]

Policy Note

Changes in Health Care Spending and Uncompensated Care under Enhanced Tax Credit Expiration for Marketplace Coverage: ACA premium tax credits are subsidies that lower monthly insurance costs for people buying coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. If the enhanced credits expire, millions could lose access to affordable coverage, leading to a sharp drop in health care spending as more people go uninsured and use fewer covered services. At the same time, hospitals, physicians, and other providers would face a surge in uncompensated care costs when uninsured patients still seek treatment but cannot pay. These shifts would strain already fragile health systems and threaten access to care, particularly in communities with limited resources. [Urban Institute]

You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.

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

New Report: Oklahoma enacted one of the five biggest tax cuts for millionaires in 2025: Oklahoma lawmakers this year passed an income tax cut that, when fully implemented, will be one of the nation’s most significant income tax cuts for millionaires, according to a new analysis from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. [ITEP & OK Policy]

Oklahoma News

More than 280 new laws will take effect on Nov. 1 in Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Legislature tackled a range of topics during its 2025 session. and soon, over 280 of the bills introduced will become law on Nov. 1. Of those, here are five notable laws to know. [The Oklahoman]

• DUI changes among five new laws taking effect Nov. 1 in Oklahoma [Tulsa World]

Texas think tank influences Oklahoma laws on homeless encampments, addiction treatment: An Austin, Texas-based think tank is acting as a powerful force behind Oklahoma legislation that aims to criminalize homeless encampments and mandate addiction treatment. The Cicero Institute is a conservative public policy organization that drafts model legislation related to homelessness, health care, education, public safety and regulatory reform. [The Oklahoman]

State Government News

With workers injured at youth facility, COJC in Tecumseh faces ‘crisis’ scenario: Repeated unrest at the Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center in Tecumseh edged toward pandemonium last weekend, with local police responses rejected by Office of Juvenile Affairs leaders and Department of Corrections employees ultimately called in to quell the chaos and fill key positions vacated by injured staff members. According to state lawmakers, the town’s police chief and the Oklahoma Public Employees Association, the situation has spanned at least six weeks, with a significant percentage of COJC employees now on medical leave or workers’ compensation claims. [NonDoc]

• OJA director Tim Tardibono resigns amid COJC issues [NonDoc]
• Gov. Kevin Stitt names a new leader for the state’s Office of Juvenile Affairs [The Oklahoman]
• From OK Policy: Reimagining Youth Justice in Oklahoma: A Landscape Report of the Youth Justice System and Recommendations for Reform

Oklahoma’s 2024 annual financial report delayed until next year: The state’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for fiscal year 2024 has yet to be released and the Oklahoma State Auditor, Cindy Byrd, says it won’t be ready until next year. The Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) is the agency responsible for putting all of that information together and handing it off to the state auditor. [KFOR]

Lawmakers Get Earful As Oklahoma Home Insurance Rates Skyrocket: Oklahoma’s reputation as a low-cost-of-living state is taking a hit after recent hikes to home insurance premiums, with lawmakers grappling for solutions after getting an earful from constituents. [Oklahoma Watch]

• Lawmakers consider causes of rising home insurance costs in Oklahoma [Tulsa World]

Stitt sues Oklahoma legislative leaders over expansion of Commission for Rehabilitation Services: Gov. Kevin Stitt is suing state legislative leaders over a new law expanding the state Commission for Rehabilitation Services from three seats to seven. According to legal findings, Stitt believes the law is unconstitutional. [KOSU]

Oklahoma attorney general attacks managed Medicaid in letter to OHCA director: Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond sent a letter to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority’s new chief executive, demanding answers from the agency on “failures within the managed Medicaid care system.” [KGOU]

Oklahoma City Democrat stripped of committee assignments amid probe: The House speaker stripped an Oklahoma City Democrat of her committee assignments Friday following a lawsuit against her from the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. [Oklahoma Voice]

• Rep. Ajay Pittman stripped of committee assignments, suspended from Democratic caucus [The Oklahoman]

Opinion: Stitt appointments have led to scandals, but I see hope for Oklahoma: Over the decades, bipartisan reformers rolled back “pork barrel politics” driven by corrupt appointments in a range of state agencies. But changes since then have given Gov. Kevin Stitt control over appointing leaders for several state agencies. The resulting mismanagement and scandals have not been helpful in attracting new investments in Oklahoma. [John Thompson / The Oklahoman]

Opinion: To the Oklahoma lawmakers who didn’t get a pay raise: Welcome to your constituents’ world: I’m counting my blessings that we have a state board who is refusing to kowtow to pressure from the Oklahoma legislative elite to boost lawmaker pay. Because judging from the pushback the Legislative Compensation Board received after refusing to give our lawmakers a pay raise, it’s obvious that some of our elected leaders have such an inflated ego that they believe they should earn far more than the average Oklahoman does while working far fewer hours. [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]

Federal Government News

USDA won’t shuffle funds to extend SNAP during shutdown, in about-face from earlier plan: The U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a memo Friday the agency’s contingency fund cannot legally be used to provide food assistance benefits for more than 42 million people in November, as the government shutdown drags on. [Oklahoma Voice]

• Fact Sheet: 1 in 6 Oklahomans use SNAP to put food on their tables [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
• Oklahoma WIC still running, but federal funding could end Nov. 1 as shutdown continues [The Oklahoman]
• Veterans, rural residents, older adults may lose food stamps due to Trump work requirements [Oklahoma Voice]
• Infant Crisis Services offers extra aid for families with babies, toddlers during shutdown [The Oklahoman]
• Church in need of donations to help hungry families [KFOR]
• From OK Policy: Leaders shouldn’t ask nonprofits to do government’s job (Policy Matters)

US Rep. Tom Cole says FAA training center will move out of OKC ‘over our dead bodies’:  U.S. Rep. Tom Cole says efforts by some Texas politicians to move aviation training out of Oklahoma and to Texas would happen “over our dead bodies, politically.” [The Oklahoman]

Social Security payments to rise 2.8%, a tick below inflation rate: The 75 million Americans who receive Social Security benefits will see a 2.8% increase in payments next year, the Social Security Administration said Friday. [Oklahoma Voice]

North Dakota ranchers say Trump’s market meddling is bad for beef: Ranchers are pushing against a Trump administration proposal to import beef from Argentina, a move they say is causing chaos in the market. [Oklahoma Voice]

Oklahoma oil magnate among list of donors paying for White House ballroom: An Oklahoma oil magnate has been named by the Trump administration as one of the donors helping to fund a new ballroom in the White House’s East Wing, USA Today reports. [The Oklahoman]

• Trump press secretary defends White House ballroom project amid East Wing teardown [Oklahoma Voice]

Opinion: History shows us it’s everyday Americans who pay the price for tariffs: History taught us that when Washington starts tinkering with tariffs, everyday Americans are the ones who pay the price. We can’t afford to ignore to ignore the lessons. [Former Oklahoma Rep. Mark McBride / The Oklahoman]

Tribal Nations News

Oklahoma tribal nations prepare to fill food gaps as SNAP benefits could be suspended: As food benefits for hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans could be canceled Saturday, tribal nations are pulling together resources for people if their benefits run dry. [KOSU]

Mullin and Cortez Mastro File Bill to Allow Marshals to Help with MMIP: New legislation, introduced on Thursday by Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, would allow the U.S. Marshals Service to help tribal law enforcement find missing children. In tribal law enforcement’s stead, the service would also be able to search for and arrest suspects with warrants. Under current law, the U.S. Marshals Service can assist local law enforcement but not tribal. [Oklahoma Watch]

Choctaw Nation hosts interim study on drone technology: Oklahoma state leaders visited the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) to learn about the Tribe’s growing aviation technology program. CNO hosted a legislative interim study focused on how drones can help reduce fatal accidents on rural roads. [The Journal Record]

MCN Tvlse District runoff a rematch between Lucian Tiger III, Leonard Gouge: The Muscogee Nation’s Tvlse District is certain to have an experienced legislator holding its “B” seat after the Nov. 8 runoff election, with either incumbent Rep. Leonard Gouge or former Rep. Lucian Tiger III set to take office. The runoff marks a rematch of the 2021 election, where Gouge narrowly ousted Tiger with 52.8 percent of the vote. [NonDoc]

Voting and Election News

Opinion: State Question 836 is important reminder on what our Constitution was built on: When I started posting videos explaining State Question 836, I expected debate. What I didn’t expect were tons of people saying they’ve never had the chance to vote for local officials — sheriffs, district attorneys, county commissioners, etc. Reading those remarks made me think about the many unheard voices in our state. This is the story of hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans who are willing to show up yet have no choice in choosing the local leaders who impact their daily lives most. [Andrea Miller / Tulsa World]

Education News

In wake of Ryan Walters, no paper trail for PragerU ‘partnership’ exists: Officials at the Oklahoma State Department of Education say they have not found any written documentation detailing the terms of the agency’s 2-year-old partnership with a California nonprofit organization. [The Oklahoman]

Ryan Walters threatened schools over accreditation. Now board members want a ‘reset’: Some members of the Oklahoma State Board of Education are questioning the credibility of the school accreditation process during the tenure of former state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters. [The Oklahoman]

• New superintendent, new priorities: Lindel Fields on his plan to improve student literacy [Tulsa World]

State officials took over an OKC-area school in 2021. Here’s what has happened since then: As it transitions from a dysfunctional school district once taken over by the Oklahoma State Department of Education to one now moving in the right direction on accreditation, Western Heights Public Schools has a reason to celebrate. [The Oklahoman]

Report: Enrollment up at Oklahoma colleges and universities: Oklahoma’s public colleges and universities saw enrollment increase by 3.6% this fall semester, which officials attributed in part to a rise in first-time students. [Oklahoma Watch]

A mom’s calls unreturned, an Oklahoma college freshman found dead. What happened to Logan Musil?: On Sept. 30, Erin Musil reported her son missing to SWOSU police. Officers conducted welfare checks on Logan’s dorm room but could not find him. By the morning of Oct. 8, Logan had been found. His decomposing remains were discovered in a wooded area near Veterans Lake in Sulphur, more than 150 miles away. Investigators believe he was slain. [The Oklahoman]

Health News

With federal funds set to expire, the future of Oklahoma’s 988 Lifeline remains uncertain: Efforts to establish long-term funding for Oklahoma’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline have been unsuccessful. With federal funding expected to run dry next year, mental health advocates are urging lawmakers to create a plan to cover costs. State lawmakers held an interim study at the Capitol Oct. 15 to discuss possibilities. [KOSU]

Mental health experts started taking calls at Tulsa’s 911 center. It’s saving taxpayers money: Tulsa police have historically been the first — and sometimes ill-equipped — responders to every mental health crisis called in to 911. That all changed in March, when mental health experts were placed at the 911 center around the clock, freeing up police to prioritize public safety calls and saving taxpayers money in the process. [Tulsa Flyer]

OU Southwest Prevention Center receives $50 million grant to lead national suicide prevention: The Southwest Prevention Center at OU Outreach received a five-year, $50 million grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to continue leading the national Suicide Prevention Resource Center. [KOSU]

Opinion: A thank you to Sen. Mullin for supporting diabetes patients: The 340B Drug Pricing Program was created to help safety-net providers purchase outpatient medicines at steep discounts, with the intention that those savings would be used to serve vulnerable patients. Over the years, however, the program has grown far beyond its original scope. [Kim Koleber / Tulsa World] 

Criminal Justice News

New report urges more individualized justice system responses for women: A new report from the nonpartisan think tank Council on Criminal Justice warns that policies and practices across the nation’s criminal justice systems are failing to address the distinct factors that drive women into the system — and in doing so, are harming families and undermining public safety. [Oklahoma Watch]

‘No trust in the trust’? Budget team grills new OK County jail administrator, scolds trust: Tim Kimrey, the new interim administrator for the Oklahoma County jail, has two related problems to tackle: deciphering the muddled finances of the jail budget and what one member of the county’s Budget Evaluation Team characterized as “no trust in the (jail) trust.” [The Oklahoman]

EPD ‘failed’ to offer sexual assault response training to 2024 police academy: While responding to allegations from sex crime victims that some Edmond Police Department officers handled their cases indelicately, an EPD lieutenant revealed last month that the department unintentionally “failed” to include state-mandated sexual assault training for cadets in its 2024 police academy. [NonDoc]

Tulsans try their hand at transitioning back to society after time behind bars: Life after jail comes with a set of struggles only those who experience it can imagine. On Friday, dozens of educators and nonprofit workers got a glimpse through a simulation hosted by Tulsa Community College. [Tulsa Flyer]

Housing & Economic Opportunity News

ALICE report shows 45% of Oklahoma households can’t afford basic needs: The number of Oklahoma families who work hard but still can’t get ahead is growing as the cost of basics needs has increased faster than overall inflation for more than a decade, a new report released by Tulsa Area United Way reveals. [The Journal Record]

• Read the full report: The State of ALICE in Oklahoma

Homelessness in Tulsa: Officials consider funding mechanisms with tens of millions needed: The latest proposal to address Tulsa’s homelessness problem would cost a lot of money. Approximately $60 million in the first three years and approximately $30 million a year for the foreseeable future. That’s on top of what the community — primarily through the private sector — is already spending on the issue. [Tulsa World]

Economy & Business News

Payne County commissioner raises water concerns over planned Google data center complex in Stillwater: A Payne County commissioner is raising new concerns over the massive amount of water a planned Google data center complex in Stillwater could use. At a recent legislative interim study on the impact of data centers, Payne County Commissioner Rhonda Markum warned state lawmakers that the region’s water supply might not be able to meet the project’s long-term demand. [KFOR]

Who are Oklahoma’s biggest landowners? The biggest private landowner owns 433,000 acres: Who truly holds the most land in Oklahoma? In a state known for numerous farms and sprawling cattle ranches, the biggest private landowner at the top of the list might surprise you. According to the latest 2025 data from World Population Review, the Drummond family controls a staggering 650 square miles of land across the state. [The Oklahoman]

Opinion: Eric Olson and Jason Walter: If we want to take advantage of AI, let’s start with electricity: Artificial intelligence is supposed to make the economy more productive, not more inflationary. Yet, the next wave of AI expansion could do the opposite. As data centers multiply and their appetite for electricity surges, the U.S. energy sector may struggle to keep up. If regulatory bottlenecks prevent new generation and transmission from coming online quickly, rising demand for power could trigger an old-fashioned inflation shock. [Eric Olson and Jason Walter / Tulsa World]

Local Headlines

• Dozens of Tulsans show up to speak out against plan to burn medical waste [Tulsa Flyer]
• Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols names Greenwood Trust executive director [Tulsa World]
• Enrollment starts for new OKC high school; Burns Hargis bio released. Oklahoma education news [The Oklahoman]
• Delaware Co. jailer and interim jail administrator fired after inmate sex investigation [KFOR]

Quote of the Day

“If you are pushing people into homelessness at the rate of a fire hydrant every month by evicting people who are one month behind rent and some fees, and then they can’t find a place to live where they’re not going to be cost-burdened, you’re not going to have a decrease in homelessness.”

-Rachel Freeman, City Care chief executive officer, speaking about the 1,300 evictions that occur in Oklahoma County every month. She said this is a sign that there is not enough affordable housing for low-income earners. [The Oklahoman]

Number of the Day

51.8%

The share of eligible people in Oklahoma who participated in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in 2022, down from 53.1% in 2016. Nationally, eligible pregnant people and children ages 1–4 are most likely to miss out on WIC’s proven benefits, which include improved pregnancy outcomes and stronger health and developmental outcomes for children. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]

Policy Note

WIC Works: A Cost-Effective Investment in Improving Low-Income Families’ Nutrition and Health: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program delivers strong returns on investment by improving maternal and child health — such as reducing preterm births, increasing birth weights, and promoting better nutrition — while concurrently lowering long-term medical, educational, and productivity costs. Its benefits extend beyond health, contributing to better early development and school readiness. Maintaining and expanding WIC is one of the most fiscally sound ways to support low-income families and strengthen public health outcomes. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]

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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

How the not-so-beautiful bill will push eligible Oklahomans off SoonerCare: Medicaid – known in Oklahoma as SoonerCare – is the health backbone for nearly a million Oklahomans: children, working parents, people with disabilities, and seniors. But under the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” also known as H.R. 1, that foundation is beginning to crack. The new law forces states to constantly re-verify Medicaid eligibility, burying families in red tape that few can realistically keep up with. Thousands of Oklahomans are now at risk of losing their coverage – not because they no longer qualify, but because they miss a form, a phone call, or a letter in the mail. [Kati Malicoate / OK Policy]

State Government News

Gov. Stitt says Oklahoma won’t ‘stand by’ amid shutdown, orders review of federal funding: Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt has ordered leaders of state agencies to review their federal funding streams and plan how they can continue to serve Oklahomans amid the federal government shutdown. [The Oklahoman]

• From OK Policy: The myth of Oklahoma’s fiscal self-reliance (Policy Matters)

Legislative sports betting gridlock costing Oklahoma millions in revenue: Oklahoma is losing out on millions in sports betting revenue to other states and illegal operators, a Senate panel was told Thursday. Sports betting is legal in 39 states, creates about 2 million jobs and has about a $325 billion dollar impact, said Frank Sizemore, who is with the Sports Betting Alliance, which is made up of five companies. [Oklahoma Voice]

• Lawmakers kick off new round of talks on sports betting with eye on tribal compacts [Tulsa World]

Up against a deadline, dozens of marijuana growers sue the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics: Dozens of marijuana growers have filed lawsuits alleging unfair treatment by the state’s drug enforcement agency. The conflict stems from a state law that requires growers to obtain a certificate of occupancy, a document submitted to the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics that proves any structures comply with building safety and fire codes. While many growers tried to comply with the law, the requirement created a backlog that delayed certificates from being issued. [The Oklahoman]

Opinion, This Week in Oklahoma Politics: New state superintendent, ‘No Kings’ rally, 2028 Summer Olympics and more: The panel talk about moves by new State Superintendent Lindel Fields to undo initiatives championed by his predecessor, the Oklahoma Ethics Commission files a lawsuit against Oklahoma City Democratic Representative Ajay Pittman and state lawmakers investigating the use of automated license plate readers. The trio also discusses the “No Kings” rallies held in Oklahoma and OKC joining the city of Los Angeles in recognizing 1,000 days until the 2028 Summer Olympics. [KOSU]

Opinion, Seiling Public Schools Superintendent: A long-term vision — and wind energy development — have helped our schools: Across western Oklahoma, advanced energy projects have brought stability and opportunity to rural communities. In places like Garfield and Dewey counties, these additional revenues have allowed schools to move “off the formula,” directing those state funds to other districts, while also providing the ability for our school to fulfill immediate needs. [Dr. Kyle Reynolds / The Oklahoman]

Federal Government News

Shutdown on day 22 sets record as second-longest in US history, with no sign of a deal: The government shutdown became the second longest in U.S. history Wednesday, though the mounting repercussions for dozens of federal programs, including food aid for some of the country’s most vulnerable residents, failed to spur any momentum in Congress. [Oklahoma Voice]

Oklahoma farm groups raise alarm over Trump’s plan for more beef imports: The Trump Administration mentioned it’s cooking up a plan to import more Argentinian beef to bring prices down. But local and national farm groups say the plan would harm American producers. [KOSU]

• ‘A slap in the face’: Ranchers feel betrayed by Trump’s plan to buy Argentine beef [NPR via KOSU]

Education Department layoffs illegally burden students with disabilities, advocates say: Proposed mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education have raised alarm among disability advocates and Democratic lawmakers over the potential impact on millions of students with disabilities. [Oklahoma Voice]

• Trump’s attempt to gut special education office has some conservative parents on edge [The Black Wall Street Times]

Tribal Nations News

MCN Okmulke District runoff: Lowe, Harjo offer different Freedmen perspectives: Ahead of their runoff election for the Okmulke District “B” seat on the Muscogee National Council, incumbent Nelson Harjo Sr. and challenger William Lowe both say they are running to strengthen sovereignty and improve communication among branches of the government, but they take slightly different stances on what has become a controversial topic: a recent court decision determining the descendants of Muscogee Freedmen should be entitled to tribal citizenship. [NonDoc]

Choctaw Film Festival launches this weekend in southeast Oklahoma. Here’s what you need to know: Choctaw Nation District 9 Elders put their heads together to create an event that shows their stories on the big screen — and this weekend they’ll get to see the idea they’ve worked on for a year finally come to fruition. What they came up with is the Choctaw Film Festival, which takes place all day Saturday in Calera at no cost to all attendees. [KOSU]

Voting and Election News

Oklahoma woman faces felony charge for voter fraud: The Oklahoma Multi-County Grand Jury indicted a woman Thursday, accusing her of casting multiple ballots in the November 2024 general election. According to the Oklahoma State Election Board, 31-year-old Victoria Vincenza Dill allegedly voted in person in Oklahoma County while also submitting an absentee ballot in Payne County on the same day. [KFOR]

Education News

Oklahoma State Board of Education approves $4 billion budget request: A $4 billion budget request for Oklahoma public education flew through the state’s top school on Thursday and continues to the state Legislature for consideration. If lawmakers approve the request for the 2027 fiscal year, it would represent a mostly flat budget compared to current funding levels, with only a $23.7 million spending increase caused by the rising cost of public educators’ insurance premiums. The only cut is an expiring $50,000 expense to purchase a curriculum on the Civil Rights Movement. [Oklahoma Voice]

• After rejecting Walters’ proposal, Oklahoma state education board approves new $4B budget [The Oklahoman]
• Stitt’s newly appointed state superintendent tackles $4B annual education budget request [Tulsa World]

State Board of Education to ‘reset’ accreditation process, review social studies standards: The Oklahoma State Board of Education opted not to act on the accreditation status of 14 school districts during a meeting today owing to concerns that other districts’ details “may have been altered” and “tainted” under former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters’ administration. [NonDoc]

• New Oklahoma state superintendent expects ‘changes’ to controversial social studies standards [Oklahoma Voice]
• Walters-backed social studies standards will likely be changed, says Oklahoma schools chief [The Oklahoman]
• Ryan Walters’ controversial social studies standards could be overhauled under successor [Tulsa World]
• Changes could be headed to Walters’ controversial social studies standards [KFOR]
• OSDE board reviews budget, teacher retention, and literacy initiatives [News 9]
• Legislature looks to reinstitute mandatory retention for third grade reading scores [Tulsa World]

Higher education leaders ask Oklahoma Legislature to increase budget by millions: The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education on Thursday unanimously approved a request for an additional $426 million from the state Legislature for next budget year. Regents said they will need hundreds of millions more on top of their over $1 billion current legislative allocation for deferred maintenance, workforce development programs and research projects. [Oklahoma Voice]

Protest planned at TU as unproven rumor of new president spreads: Students at the University of Tulsa have taken to a large group chat to organize a campus demonstration set for Thursday afternoon. The goal of the demonstration is to convince the university’s leadership not to tap U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern for the school’s top job. [Public Radio Tulsa]

Opinion: Oklahoma schools finally catch a breath of fresh air: This week’s crisp fall temperatures weren’t just a meteorological event. They also registered Oklahoma’s collective exhale, nearly a month after state Superintendent Ryan Walters‘ resignation. [Arnold Hamilton / The Journal Record]

Health News

AG Drummond presses for answers in failed managed Medicaid care in Oklahoma: Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is pressing for answers regarding the failed managed Medicaid care in Oklahoma, also known as SoonerCare. Drummond is insisting that the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) provide answers in a letter sent detailing that the program’s community-based providers, who care for Oklahoma kids, are being squeezed financially while out-of-state corporations profit. [KFOR]

Opinion: Mental health funding cuts will reshape Oklahoma’s social, economic landscape: Imagine a single mother in Durant, fighting opioid addiction, losing her weekly counseling sessions — her lifeline to sobriety and supporting her children — overnight. As of Oct. 1, this is the grim reality for thousands of Oklahomans, as the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) has slashed over 300 contracts, cutting $40 million in funding for community-based providers. These cuts stem from a $43 million budget deficit, a crisis born from the agency’s fiscal mismanagement, leaving providers and patients to bear the consequences. [Dorothy McKinnon / The Oklahoman]

Opinion: Oklahoma faces mental health crisis. We need a professional, not political, leader: It’s time to take politics out of how we appoint our state’s top mental health leader. For most of the year, public debates about the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse have focused on investigations into mismanagement and irresponsible spending practices by its previous leaders. Meanwhile, our state loses more than 800 lives to suicide annually, one of the highest rates in the nation. And drug overdose rates across the state more than doubled from 2019 to 2023. [Zack Stoycoff / The Oklahoman]

Criminal Justice News

OKC Police Are Withholding Reports, Alarming Transparency Advocates: A 2023 policy change is allowing Oklahoma City police to shield some police reports from public view. In February, Oklahoma Watch filed a public records request with the Oklahoma City Police Department to gather information about a Yukon teacher confronted by vigilante predator-catchers at his home. The public information officer refused to provide police reports involving people who were not arrested or charged with a crime, even though incident reports have long been considered public records, regardless of arrest. [Oklahoma Watch]

New DUI law set to go into effect November 1: A major change in Oklahoma’s drunk driving law goes into effect on November 1 and it could mean felony charges even for first time DUI offenders. Under Senate Bill 54, signed into law earlier this year after a legislative veto override, first-offense DUIs in Oklahoma will carry much steeper penalties if specific aggravating factors are involved. [Fox 23]

Convicted teen rapist skips prison time; deal sparks outcry in Stillwater: Outrage has erupted in this college community an hour north of Oklahoma City after a high school student who faced years of incarceration for sexual offenses against two victims was instead sentenced to rehabilitation and community service. [The Oklahoman]

Opinion: Oklahoma ranks among the worst states for domestic violence; we must do better: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and it gives us an opportunity to confront one of the hardest truths about our state: Oklahoma continues to rank among the highest in the nation for domestic violence. That reality is more than numbers on a page; it represents spouses, parents, children, friends, colleagues and neighbors whose lives have been devastated or cut short by abuse. [State Rep. Erick Harris / The Oklahoman]

Housing & Economic Opportunity News

Tulsa food pantries brace for a surge in need with looming SNAP cuts. This is how you can help: Tulsa’s charitable organizations are preparing for a vast increase in need as food stamps face a Nov. 1 cutoff due to the government shutdown. [Tulsa Flyer]

• State officials bracing for higher cost burden related to SNAP [Tulsa World]
• Opinion: Worried about getting food stamps next month? State agency goes silent [William C. Wertz / The Oklahoman]
• From OK Policy: Leaders shouldn’t ask nonprofits to do government’s job (Policy Matters)

Tulsa County sheriff calls for treatment-first approach to dealing with homelessness: Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado, who testified Monday at an interim study on homelessness held at the Capitol, told lawmakers that he believes the state needs to become more aggressive in making treatment mandatory for people who find themselves living on the streets because of their addictions or mental health issues. [Tulsa World]

From camp to village: Tulsa organization is moving city’s unhoused into affordable homes: A Tulsa nonprofit is wrapping up construction on more than two dozen homes for some of the city’s unhoused residents at the 23-acre City Lights Village near 46th Street North and North Peoria Avenue. [Tulsa Flyer]

Have Oklahoma electric bills increased at a proportionally higher rate since 2020 than neighboring states?: Yes. Oklahoma residential electricity costs have increased by 33.6% since 2020, the highest percentage increase among neighboring states and above both the 30.9% and 31.7% average increases for the West South Central states and the U.S., respectively. [Oklahoma Watch]

Economy & Business News

Bank of Oklahoma and Mastercard to host Hispanic Business Growth Summit: The inaugural Empower OKC: Hispanic Business Growth Summit on Wednesday, November 12, will focus on Hispanic and Latino entrepreneurs but open to all business owners across Oklahoma, will offer practical resources, expert insights and networking opportunities to help them build, grow and scale their businesses. [The Journal Record]

Community News

ICE sign in man’s front yard sparks controversy amongst neighbors: A man in Spencer is exercising his right to free speech, and his neighbors are exercising theirs in return. Tempers flared Thursday afternoon in a metro neighborhood next to a school. It is all over a sign referencing ICE, and an arrow pointing to a Hispanic family’s home. [KFOR]

‘Focus: Black Oklahoma’: book bans, budget cuts, Indigenous community wellness (audio): This episode of Focus: Black Oklahoma features stories on the impact of book bans on student learning opportunities, how budget cuts affect students with special needs and people with multiple sclerosis, and a nonprofit promoting wellness in Indigenous communities through growing and cooking food. [KOSU]

Opinion: Free Speech Is Fading. Diversity May Be Its Only Lifeline: Free speech in America is in crisis. Nearly nine in ten Americans say the principle means listening to people we disagree with. Yet almost seven in ten believe the nation is heading in the wrong direction when it comes to protecting that freedom. This gap is more than a polling anomaly; it’s a warning sign that the cornerstone of our democracy is crumbling. [James S. Bridgeforth, Ph.D. and Emma Roshioru / The Black Wall Street Times]

Local Headlines

• State education department moves 3 Sperry High School staff members from suspension to probation [Fox 23]
• OSU Police share update on shooting near residential hall [Fox 23]

Quote of the Day

“What other department in the city can detain you on the sidewalk? And take away your children? Can make you pay money? Can throw you in a cell? And can even have you killed, either on the street or later after a trial? Parks department? No, they can’t. The sewer department doesn’t have any of that power.”

-Dave Cuillier, who has studied access to public records for 20 years and is the director of the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida, speaking about the need for law enforcement to be among the most transparent government actions. [Oklahoma Watch]

Number of the Day

1 in 10

Roughly 1 in 10 people in Oklahoma prisons are over the age of 60. With an incarcerated population between 22,000 and 23,000, the state’s prison system is aging rapidly — raising costs and highlighting the need for more compassionate and cost-effective sentencing and release policies. [Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Public Inmate Data] 

Policy Note

Trapped in Time: The Silent Crisis of Elderly Incarceration: The United States is facing a growing humanitarian and fiscal crisis as its prison population ages faster than the general public. Decades of “tough-on-crime” laws, mandatory minimums, and the expanded use of life and “three-strikes” sentences have trapped tens of thousands of people behind bars into old age, even though most pose little or no threat to public safety. Elderly incarcerated people experience disproportionately high rates of chronic illness, disability, and cognitive decline, while prisons remain dangerously ill-equipped to provide adequate medical care, accessible facilities, or humane end-of-life services. [The American Civil Liberties Union and the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab at the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs]

You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.

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: Oklahoma can’t prosper while our neighbors struggle: As the end-of-year celebrations grow closer, this is a good time to remember that poverty isn’t a fringe issue in Oklahoma — it’s daily life for too many of our neighbors. The latest Census data show our state ranks as the eighth poorest in the nation. For our children, nearly 1 in 5 grows up in households at or below the poverty line. These numbers are stark, but they fail to show what this reality feels like. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record]

Oklahoma News

How Oklahoma’s state law tied up in the courts could impact immigration enforcement: As deadlines in the federal court case against the Oklahoma law criminalizing unlawful presence loom, attorneys fighting the state say stopping the law is vital to prevent a bad situation from getting worse, faster. [KOSU]

Amid Trump’s immigration crackdown, Tulsa’s refugees are living in fear: As reports rise of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detaining immigrants across Tulsa, the two remaining employees for YWCA Tulsa’s refugee health team say their clients are living in fear. [Tulsa Flyer]

State Government News

Stitt sues to block law that gives the legislative branch more appointment power: Gov. Kevin Stitt is asking an Oklahoma County District Court to halt enforcement of a law that expands the number of people who are appointed to the Commission for Rehabilitation Services. [The Oklahoman]

Oklahoma education board to consider future of three Ryan Walters-era lawsuits: The Oklahoma Board of Education will consider taking action in three high-profile lawsuits that stemmed from Ryan Walters’ time as state superintendent. [The Oklahoman]

Lawmakers continue to grapple with how to regulate Oklahoma’s wind industry: After legislation stalled last session, lawmakers expect a wide variety of legislation attempting to regulate the wind energy industry to be filed again. Oklahoma lawmakers said conversations and negotiations will continue during the interim as they grapple with how to regulate the continued growth of the wind industry and an increased demand for power production. [Oklahoma Voice]

‘You can’t drink data’: Oklahoma lawmakers analyze costs of growing data center industry: Lawmakers on Tuesday held an interim study at Oklahoma’s State Capitol to examine the growing impact of large-scale data centers on the state’s power grid and water resources. [Public Radio Tulsa]

Federal Government News

One stopgap after another: Shutdown puts Congress on the verge of failed spending process: On day 21 of the federal government shutdown, the political tensions and policy differences that contributed to it appeared likely to destroy any chance for the GOP-controlled Congress to find the bipartisanship needed to pass the dozen bills needed to fund the government. [Oklahoma Voice]

Republicans Will Need to Extend Their Funding Patch Deadline Soon, Cole Says: The temporary seven-week funding patch Republicans passed in October to help finish appropriations bills has quickly become a four-week patch. The House-passed continuing resolution, or CR, would fund the government until Nov. 21. At least five more Senate Democrats would need to vote for the bill, and soon, or lawmakers must restart the process. [Oklahoma Watch]

Shutdown likely to halt food benefits for 42 million in just days: More than 42 million low-income Americans are at risk of losing food assistance Nov. 1 if the government shutdown continues. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which operates the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, has about $6 billion in a multi-year contingency fund. That’s short of the roughly $9 billion needed to cover a full month of the program. [Oklahoma Voice]

• SNAP funding delays to increase food insecurity. What are some backup resources? [The Oklahoman]

Oklahoma Head Start centers face ‘dire’ funding loss from government shutdown: A “catastrophic” loss of funding is little over a week away for Head Start centers serving 2,500 children across Oklahoma. If the nationwide government shutdown continues, four Head Start programs in Oklahoma will run out of federal funding on Nov. 1, threatening the closure of dozens of child care centers primarily serving low-income families in rural areas. [Oklahoma Voice]

Trump seeks to approve his own $230M payback from DOJ over past probes: President Donald Trump said late Tuesday he is personally owed a massive payment from the Department of Justice and would have the authority to approve it, saying he was “damaged very greatly” during the government’s investigations into his alleged hoarding of classified documents and Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election. [Oklahoma Voice]

Report: Trump administration mulling transfer of special ed from Education Department: The U.S. Education Department is looking to move the $15 billion Individuals with Disabilities Education Act program outside of the agency, the Washington Post reported Tuesday. [Oklahoma Voice]

‘A boundless power’: Dem states ask Supreme Court to halt Trump troop deployment to Chicago: Every state with either a Democratic governor, attorney general or both signed a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the justices to side with Illinois and Chicago to continue blocking President Donald Trump’s proposed deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago. [Oklahoma Voice]

ICE keeps detaining pregnant immigrants — against federal policy: A Biden-era policy restricts ICE from arresting or detaining immigrants who are pregnant, postpartum or nursing, except in extreme circumstances. While President Donald Trump has not formally rescinded the policy, it’s clear from lawsuits, news reports and advocates for immigrants who are detained that it’s not being followed. [The Black Wall Street Times]

Voting and Election News

Opinion: Gavel to Gavel: Open primaries for Oklahoma: State Question 836 seeks to replace Oklahoma’s closed, exclusionary primary system with an “open primary” system. Under SQ 836, all candidates for political office would appear on the same primary ballot, regardless of party affiliation, and ballots would include each candidate’s party of registration or independent status. All registered voters would be able to vote in the primary, regardless of party affiliation, and the top two candidates would advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation. [Robert McCampbell / The Journal Record]

Education News

This is ground zero in the conservative quest for more patriotic and Christian public schools: Oklahoma has spent years reshaping public schools to integrate lessons about Jesus and encourage pride in America’s history. By the time the second Trump administration began espousing its “America First” agenda, Oklahoma had been there, done that. [The Frontier]

Why the Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship program will cost more than ever next year: The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education say the Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship program will cost a record $88.1 million next year. [The Oklahoman]

Health News

OU Outreach awarded $50M grant to lead national Suicide Prevention Resource Center: The University of Oklahoma‘s leadership in suicide prevention will continue for another five years after the Southwest Prevention Center (SWPC) at OU Outreach was awarded a $50 million federal grant to manage the national Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC). [The Journal Record]

Housing & Economic Opportunity News

Operation SAFE returns to Tulsa for second round of sweeps: Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Operation SAFE launched a second round of homeless encampment sweeps in Tulsa over the weekend, putting service providers on edge once again. [Tulsa Flyer]

• ‘Safe to who?’: Service providers blast governor’s Operation SAFE homeless sweeps [Public Radio Tulsa]
• State homeless operation has made everyday efforts more challenging, Tulsa providers say [Tulsa World]
• ‘It’s not a quick fix’: Service providers discuss Operation SAFE at public panel [KJRH]
• From OK Policy: Bulldozers won’t solve homelessness (Commentary)

Economy & Business News

An immigrant’s death at an Oklahoma poultry plant highlights dangerous conditions for workers: Leovigildo Ramirez Castillo’s death shines a light on the hazardous conditions faced by the thousands of workers, many of them immigrants, who keep eastern Oklahoma’s poultry plants running at breakneck speed — jobs that are often low-wage and high-risk. [The Frontier]

In heart of Hispanic Tulsa, fear of ICE presence triggers slower sales, empty stores: Munoz is one of many local business owners in the area who are feeling the impacts of the Trump administration’s deportation campaign. There has been an increasing number of Immigration and Custom Enforcement sightings in recent months, leaving many in the community afraid to venture outside of their home. [Tulsa Flyer]

Community News

Oklahoma City Memorializes the 1958 Sit-In That Sparked a Movement: Sixty-seven years after a Black teacher and her group of Black students dared to challenge Jim Crow by sitting down at a Whites-Only lunch counter, Oklahoma City is finally honoring them. [The Black Wall Street Times]

Local Headlines

• Edmond voters will head to the polls for a sales tax election. Here’s what’s at stake [The Oklahoman]
• Oklahoma City leaders seek public input for road resurfacing and widening projects [KOCO]
• Public meeting scheduled as plans to reopen Vista Shadow Mountain Apartments proceed [Tulsa World]
• Tulsa City Council votes to extend downtown curfew through October 2026 [Tulsa Flyer]

Quote of the Day

“Operation SAFE is safe to who?”

– Evan Dougoud, of BeHeard, which operates a mobile help center, questioned how Operation SAFE is actually improving security. The initiative, led by Governor Kevin Stitt, aims to clear homeless encampments from state-owned properties. [Public Radio Tulsa]

• From OK Policy: Bulldozers won’t solve homelessness (Commentary)

Number of the Day

73%
The share of people denied release by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board in 2024. More than 7 in 10 individuals who came before the board were not granted parole, maintaining the general trend of parole release or recommendations in the state. [Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board 2024 Results Reports]

Policy Note

Parole in Perspective: How parole decisions are made: Parole grant rates vary dramatically across states, with many denying most applicants and holding fewer hearings over time — pointing to systemic barriers even as eligibility increases. In many jurisdictions, decisionmaking centers on vague standards and the original crime of conviction rather than forward-looking indicators of change or readiness for release. Most boards rely on discretion and risk assessment tools but frequently disregard their own guidelines, leading to opaque outcomes with limited accountability. Greater transparency, clearer criteria, and reforms like presumptive parole could restore parole’s promise as a fair path to release. [Prison Policy Initiative]

You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.

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.

Oklahoma News

Over half a million Oklahomans could be cut off from SNAP at the end of the month: Over 680,000 Oklahomans could have their food assistance benefits cut off next week if the federal government shutdown doesn’t end, state leaders said Tuesday. [Oklahoma Voice]

• SNAP benefit suspension to impact nearly 700,000 Oklahomans [KTUL]
• SNAP Benefits Face Halt in Some States Amid Govt. Shutdown [The Black Wall Street Times]
• Oklahoma SNAP benefits to stop on November 1 if federal shutdown continues [News on 6]
• Oklahoma SNAP benefits suspended starting Nov. 1 amid federal government shutdown [Fox 25]
• Oklahoma won’t receive SNAP funding for November if government shutdown continues [KOCO]
• SNAP benefits are being suspended in November. These Tulsa resources could help [Tulsa Flyer]

State Government News

Oklahoma lawmakers discuss possible new state agency to serve young children: Some Oklahoma lawmakers want to launch a state agency devoted to serving the needs of young children and their mothers. One state representative hosted an interim study on Monday to explore the possibilities. [KOSU]

State lawmakers grapple with issues of homelessness: Over the past 20 years, the federal government has dedicated more than $36 billion in funding to so-called “continuum of care” programs to address homelessness. But in Oklahoma, and across the rest of the country, homelessness has only grown worse, a former Trump administration official told state lawmakers on Monday. [Tulsa World]

• From OK Policy: Homelessness in Oklahoma – Information and Resources

Oklahoma legislative salaries to stay the same, for now: A state panel on Tuesday voted to keep lawmakers’ base pay the same, but left the door cracked to reconsider that decision next month. The Legislative Compensation Board voted to keep legislators’ base pay at $47,500 a year, but member James Leewright, a former Republican senator appointed by the state House, said he wants to revisit the decision when the board meets again Nov. 4. [Oklahoma Voice]

• Base Oklahoma Legislature pay held flat again, but leaders get stipend hikes [NonDoc]

Oklahoma Health Care Authority appoints Melissa Miller as state Medicaid director: The Oklahoma Health Care Authority appointed Melissa Miller as state Medicaid director and deputy chief of staff. This follows recent confirmation that her predecessor, Christina Foss, would be “transitioning out” of her role. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]

Gov. Stitt files motion to speed up discussions on Oklahoma’s poultry pollution case: Gov. Kevin Stitt wants to spur negotiations in Oklahoma’s decades-old poultry lawsuit. The parties have been at an impasse since a federal judge ruled on the case more than two years ago. [KOSU]

Fields promises update on future of Walters’ controversial testing, social studies standards: Oklahoma’s top education official assured parents that he will give answers on the future of controversial state testing and social studies standards proposed by Ryan Walters soon. [The Oklahoman]

Former OSDE employees claim data manipulation, misuse of funds for schools as audit looms: Oklahoma’s Department of Education (OSDE) is still reeling from mass resignations under previous leadership and potentially lasting harm to Oklahoma students. Millions of federal dollars flow through that one particular office at OSDE. Linda Reid is among the former support specialists revealing why they say they had to walk away. [Fox 25]

Walters’ top employees received big bonuses before exit. Who are they, what were they paid?: At the end of the former state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters’ tenure, three men who no longer work at the Oklahoma State Department of Education received thousands of extra dollars in their paychecks. Here’s what to know according to state payroll records. [The Oklahoman]

Opinion: After years of chaos, Lindel Fields must rebuild what Ryan Walters tore down: For the past several years, the Oklahoma State Department of Education has been less a public institution and more a political stage. Ryan Walters used his office not to strengthen schools but to wage cultural battles, turning an agency meant to improve literacy, safety and teacher support into a platform for his partisan and religious agenda. His resignation should not be seen as closure, but should be a reckoning. [Kevin Bolling / The Oklahoman]

Federal Government News

These workers won’t get paid Friday if the government shutdown continues: While some employees paid biweekly are in line to receive their second of three paychecks this month on Friday, many federal employees won’t see a check at all as the government shutdown drags on. [KFOR]

• ‘Everybody’s got bills to pay’: The price of a prolonged government shutdown (podcast) [NPR via KGOU]

As SNAP funding delay looms in Oklahoma, Mullin and Lankford blame Senate Democrats: Republicans contend that Democrats could end the shutdown by voting for their current funding proposal, but Democrats have insisted that the budget bill needs to include more funding for health care spending. The impasse means families nationwide could miss out on food assistance, and Oklahoma officials said they aren’t sure whether people will be able to spend any SNAP funding left on their electronic benefit transfer cards after Oct. 31. [The Oklahoman]

US House Democrats question Trump administration focus on ‘patriotic education’: A group of Democrats on the U.S. House education panel urged the Education Department to withdraw its proposed supplemental priority on “promoting patriotic education” in a letter obtained Monday by States Newsroom. [Oklahoma Voice]

Trump tried to lay off more than 2,000 Interior staff in shutdown plan now on hold: The Interior Department announced Monday it will pause efforts to lay off 2,050 employees throughout the country, after a federal judge expanded a temporary restraining order late last week. The new filing provides more information about how the Trump administration plans to reduce the size and scope of a department that oversees much of the country’s public lands. [Oklahoma Voice]

Trump’s IVF announcement disappoints patients, raises concerns for doctor: The president said his administration negotiated steep discounts on a key fertility drug, as well as a new regulation allowing employers to offer IVF coverage as a standalone policy like dental or vision. EMD Serono, a major pharmaceutical brand, will offer the medication at an 84% discount via direct sales on a government webpage called TrumpRX, according to a company representative who spoke at the White House event. [Oklahoma Voice]

Can pot smokers own guns? SCOTUS to decide. How will Oklahoma be affected?: Can pot smokers legally own a gun? That question will be answered by the U.S. Supreme Court after the justices agreed this week to make a decision. On Oct. 20, the SCOTUS agreed to decide after accepting the Justice Department’s appeal of a lower court’s ruling that past drug use alone can’t keep a person from having a gun under the Second Amendment. [The Oklahoman]

Education News

Oklahoma lawmakers want new guardrails to meet special education needs: The government shutdown is creating uncertainty about the future of education in Oklahoma. There is a push by Oklahoma lawmakers to ensure more guardrails for students with disabilities. [News 9]

Criminal Justice News

New Oklahoma law toughening DUI penalties takes effect Nov. 1. Here’s what will change: An Oklahoma bill that spells out new conditions for aggravated DUIs, including making the offense a felony and mandatory jail time, will become law on Nov. 1. [The Oklahoman]

New Oklahoma law makes it illegal for drivers to hold phone in school, construction zones: It will be illegal for Oklahoma drivers to hold a cell phone while driving through active school or construction zones, starting next month. [KOSU]

Families Outraged After OSU Official’s Son Spared Prison in Sexual Assault Case: Butler was handed a 78-year prison term that would’ve boiled down to a decade behind bars if served concurrently, but a deal struck between the prosecution and defense will see him completing counseling instead, a move that has left many in Stillwater scratching their heads and questioning what it means for a community where justice appears to depend on who you know. [Oklahoma Watch]

Housing & Economic Opportunity News

Tulsa needs massive investment to address homelessness effectively, report states: The city would need to invest more than $60 million in the next three years to effectively end street homelessness, according to a framework for action presented to Mayor Monroe Nichols by local business leaders. [Tulsa World]

Oklahoma’s rising property insurance rates create money ‘Mayhem’ for consumers: Oklahomans are facing skyrocketing homeowners insurance costs that outpace prices in other states for the same levels of coverage. True to the Allstate’s mascot’s moniker, high prices are causing mayhem as homeowners scramble to cover premiums while the Legislature seeks solutions. [NonDoc]

Who are Oklahoma’s biggest landowners? The biggest private landowner owns 433,000 acres: Who truly holds the most land in Oklahoma? In a state known for numerous farms and sprawling cattle ranches, the biggest private landowner at the top of the list might surprise you. [The Oklahoman]

Economy & Business News

OESC awarded nearly $6M to boost Oklahoma workforce training: The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission has been awarded nearly $6 million from the U.S. Department of Labor‘s Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund to expand employer-focused workforce programs statewide. [Journal Record]

Community News

Two sets of remains exhumed in Oaklawn as Tulsa Race Massacre graves search resumes: Authorities exhumed two sets of remains at Oaklawn Cemetery on Tuesday as part of the city’s continuing efforts to identify unmarked burials from Tulsa’s 1921 Race Massacre. [Tulsa World]

Local Headlines

• Third Community Conversation focuses on family, youth services [Tulsa World]
• ‘It was such a joy’: Local family feeds hundreds of Tulsans after viral video [Tulsa Flyer]
• Del City Chamber announces Tinker Food Pantry for military families [KFOR]
• Oklahoma City Thunder’s season opener boosts local businesses [Fox 25]

Quote of the Day

“We’re a pro-life state which means we should be for feeding hungry children. There’s plenty of money in the rainy-day fund. I don’t think we should be thinking about tax cuts at a time when children need essential services like food on the table.”

– Oklahoma State Representative John Waldron, discussing the potential suspension of SNAP benefits if the federal government shutdown continues. He said state leaders should be ready to tap into rainy day funds to make sure Oklahomans don’t go hungry. [KTUL]

Number of the Day

66%

The share of Oklahoma SNAP participants in FY 2024 who were in families with children. Of the nearly 700,000 Oklahomans who received food assistance, most were parents and kids relying on SNAP to help keep food on the table. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]

Policy Note

SNAP Provides Critical Benefits to Workers and Their Families: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) supports millions of workers and their families by helping stabilize incomes when wages are low or inconsistent, and by stepping in quickly when households experience income loss or job disruption. Its benefit structure is designed to phase out gradually as earnings rise — so additional income doesn’t immediately eliminate all support — and offers an earnings deduction that helps reflect work-related expenses. Because many participants are employed in low-wage, irregular-hour jobs or face barriers such as caregiving or health challenges, SNAP acts as a vital safety net rather than a work-reward program. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]

You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.

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

Interim studies examine Oklahoma services to families, children, youth (Capitol Update): The House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Human Services held a series of interim studies last week ranging widely on Oklahoma’s services to families, children, and youth. The studies began by looking at Family Resource Centers (FRCs) which aim to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect by providing services like parent skill training, job assistance, substance abuse prevention and other community support. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]

State Government News

Judge rules lawsuit over Ryan Walters’ alleged violations of Open Meeting Act can continue: A lawsuit filed more than two years ago by a private school against the Oklahoma State Board of Education and then-state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters can continue, although an Oklahoma County judge has dismissed a part of the case as moot. [The Oklahoman]

Parole Board Seeks Binding Opinion on Medical Parole Statute: As the number of successful medical parole applications stagnates, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted unanimously earlier this month to request a legal opinion on who has the authority to refer a prisoner to the medical parole docket. [Oklahoma Watch]

211 hotlines call on Oklahoma lawmakers for state funding: It’s been nearly a decade since Oklahoma has provided funding to the state’s 211 resource hotlines that connect hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans each year with critical services like housing and mental health support. [The Frontier]

Interim study focuses on license plate readers, privacy concerns: An Oklahoma House Republican led an interim study on automatic license plate readers last week. The representative and study presenters raised concerns about the potential of mass surveillance. [KGOU]

Federal Government News

Shutdown leaves gaps in states’ health data, possibly endangering lives: As the federal shutdown continues, states have been forced to fall back on their own resources to spot disease outbreaks — just as respiratory illness season begins. [Oklahoma Voice]

Can pot smokers and other drug users legally own guns? Supreme Court to decide: The Supreme Court on Oct. 20 agreed to decide this question, accepting the Justice Department’s appeal of a lower court’s ruling that past drug use alone can’t keep a person from having a gun under the Second Amendment. [USA Today via The Oklahoman]

FCC Drew the Map: Media Redlining Still Shapes Who Controls the Airwaves: To many, the FCC is just another government agency with a confusing name. But the Commission, created in 1934, is behind regulating communication infrastructure that powers U.S. television, radio, and broadband—and its decisions continue to shape who controls America’s media. [The Black Wall Street Times]

Stitt seeks to intervene in federal poultry pollution lawsuit: Just as a judge was expected to rule in a 20-year-old federal lawsuit over pollution in the Illinois River watershed, Gov. Kevin Stitt has decided to join the fray. [Tulsa World]

Protections for the lesser prairie chicken have ended. What does that mean for Oklahoma’s population?: For years, the lesser prairie chicken’s habitat has been shrinking largely because of land development, spurring a decline of the species’ population. After President Trump took office in January, U.S. Fish and Wildlife reevaluated its Endangered Species Act (ESA) rules. On Aug. 12, a federal judge in Texas ruled that Fish and Wildlife made a mistake when determining the ESA status of the species. [KOSU]

Tribal Nations News

Caddo, Texas leaders reach agreement to protect tribal nation’s ancestral sites: The Caddo Nation signed an agreement with the Texas Historical Commission last month, ensuring the tribal nation has a seat at the table when making decisions about its historic sites. [KOSU]

Trail of Tears Virtual Challenge returns with fitness app route: The Sixth Annual Trail of Tears Virtual Journey starts Nov. 1 and concludes on Jan. 31, 2026. This year’s virtual route will take participants from Nanih Waiya Mound in Mississippi to Nanih Waiya in Oklahoma through cities such as Memphis, Little Rock and Fort Smith. Participants complete the journey via an app. [The Journal Record]

Education News

Oklahoma’s new superintendent clarifies end of controversial education policies: In emails to Oklahoma teachers and parents on Monday, Oklahoma’s new Superintendent of Public Instruction provided details on the end of two controversial Ryan Walters policies. [KOSU]

Opinion, former State Representative: New Oklahoma education advisory panel must not become another political stage: If Stitt’s committee is truly about improving education, it must prove it by focusing on the basics: teacher support, student achievement, curriculum stability and preparing kids for the future. [Mark McBride / The Oklahoman]

Health News

Tulsa health experts address confusion as new COVID-19 variant, guidelines emerge: COVID-19 cases are on the rise, nationally and in Tulsa County. The data is bringing new questions, mainly two of them: “Should I get vaccinated?” and “What do I do if I get COVID?” [Tulsa Flyer]

Does Reworld, which seeks to burn untreated medical waste at their Tulsa plant, have a history of legal issues in other states?: Yes. Reworld, which applied for a permit modification in order to burn untreated regulated medical waste at their Tulsa plant in March 2025, was found to be in violation of state environmental laws in New York, Pennsylvania, and Oregon, and faced civil penalties and lawsuits in other states including California and Indiana. [Oklahoma Watch]

Oklahoma teen driver safety course to include impacts of impaired driving: Tom Robins, the founder of Work Zone Safe, said impaired driving is 100% preventable and now students will learn about the impacts. More than 400 lives in Oklahoma are lost every year due to impaired driving-related crashes, according to a news release. [Oklahoma Voice]

Criminal Justice News

City to pay $15 million to two men wrongly incarcerated for murder: Malcolm Scott and De’Marchoe Carpenter both filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Tulsa in July 2017, just over a year after a judge declared them both actually innocent and ordered their release from prison where they each had served 20 years on life prison sentences. [Tulsa World]

Housing & Economic Opportunity News

Tulsa to purchase, convert former juvenile detention center into homeless shelter: The City of Tulsa announced Monday that it’s reached an agreement with the county to buy and convert the former Tulsa County Juvenile Detention Center into a low-barrier shelter. It’ll cost the city $500,000, along with ongoing costs for security and site management. [The Oklahoma Eagle via Tulsa Flyer]

OKC housing inventory growing as homes stay on the market longer: Preliminary September data show the Oklahoma City residential market is experiencing a supply build-up that is driving new listings down. This indicates a continuing shift toward a buyer’s market. [The Journal Record]

Community News

East Tulsans want cleaner neighborhoods and safer streets. They’re uniting to make it happen: Christy Hartung often sees trash around eastside bus stops and roads, but doesn’t always know who to call for particular issues she sees in her neighborhood. Hartung is one of 22 residents participating in The Neighborhood Network, an eight-week program focused on helping community members understand how to be civically engaged. Each participant must either live or work in east Tulsa to take the course. [Tulsa Flyer]

Countdown to the Olympics: organizers celebrate partnership between LA and OKC: With less than 1,000 days until the 2028 Summer Olympics, event organizers from Los Angeles met in Oklahoma City to recognize the collaboration between the two cities to put on the games. [KGOU]

• LA28 Olympics organizers speak on how OKC will become an Olympic city [The Oklahoman]
• Mayor Holt says LA28 Olympics ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ for OKC [The Oklahoman]

Opinion: OKC ‘No Kings’ protesters drowned out by construction noise. Was it by design?: Even when residents take to the streets, showing up and speaking out, the machinery of government (or the infrastructure it permits) can still drown them out. From a conservative standpoint, this raises several red flags. [Brandon Holmes / The Oklahoman]

Local Headlines

• ‘So complicated’: Uncommon Ground art park secures more public funding as Edmond questions remain [NonDoc]
• Redevelopment plan at The Hill in OKC’s Deep Deuce back on after yearslong delay [The Oklahoman]
• Nichols to hold third Community Conversation on Tuesday night [Tulsa World]
• Tulsa Botanic Garden unveils gift from Mexican sister city [Public Radio Tulsa]
• American Theatre Company scales back amid ‘crisis point’ in arts funding [Tulsa World]

Quote of the Day

“If this committee is truly about improving education, it must prove it by focusing on the basics: teacher support, student achievement, curriculum stability and preparing Oklahoma’s kids for the future.”

— Former State Representative Mark McBride, writing in an op-ed urging Gov. Kevin Stitt’s newly formed education advisory committee to avoid partisanship and focus on practical improvements. [The Oklahoman]

Number of the Day

-$717 

The reduction in per-pupil spending in the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s budget in FY 2026 compared to 2008, when adjusted for inflation and population growth. [OK Policy]

Policy Note

U.S. investment in public education is at risk: Public K-12 education in the U.S. is under serious threat: rising voucher programs, state budget austerity, and federal pressures are undermining resources at a time when research strongly supports higher spending per pupil — especially in high-poverty districts — for reducing achievement gaps. States governed by Republican trifectas are spending significantly less per student, particularly in low-income neighborhoods, widening funding shortfalls and threatening school adequacy. While additional federal aid temporarily boosted school resources during the pandemic, that relief is set to fade—making it urgent for policymakers to return to sustained investments in public education rather than letting funding drift downward. [Economic Policy Institute]

You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.

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.

Oklahoma News

In Oklahoma City, ‘No Kings’ protesters stand in rain to voice opposition to Donald Trump: The Oklahoma City “No Kings” protest on Saturday, Oct. 18 was part of a national movement to organize opposition to Trump and his administration’s activities, including the gutting of the federal workforce and raids by immigration authorities. The “No Kings” protests draw their name from the idea that the United States doesn’t have a king — a reference to Trump’s language about himself and his administration’s efforts to expand presidential powers beyond what Congress or the U.S. Constitution has authorized. [The Oklahoman]

• Over 1,000 gather in Oklahoma City as part of nationwide No Kings protests [Oklahoma Voice]
• Protestors come together for the return of ‘No Kings’ [KFOR]
• Tulsans participate in nationwide No Kings protest against Trump administration [Public Radio Tulsa]
• ‘No Kings’ but lots of jesters at serious yet whimsical Tulsa rally [Tulsa World]
• ‘We love America’: Residents, local legislators attend second ‘No Kings’ protest in Norman [OU Daily]
• Trump jabs ‘No Kings’ protesters with AI videos of himself wearing crown [The Oklahoman]
• Watch: Oklahomans rather to celebrate 1st Amendment, protest Donald Trump at No Kings protest in OKC [The Oklahoman]
• Video: Oklahoman protestors say attending No Kings rally means “standing up for democracy” [The Oklahoman]
• Video: U.S. Army veteran says he’s not bending “the only knee he has left for a king” at No Kings protest in OKC [The Oklahoman]
• Video: No Kings protestor calls on Stephanie Bice to stand up to Donald Trump as a “check and balance” [The Oklahoman]
• Video: “See something, say something” motivates protestor at No Kings protest in OKC [The Oklahoman]

State Government News

Mental health department still in troubled waters, interim chief says: The retired Navy rear admiral appointed to lead Oklahoma’s mental health department on an interim basis sees turbulent waters ahead for the foreseeable future. But in an interview with the Tulsa World, he said the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services has taken steps to better navigate crosscurrents going forward. [Tulsa World]

• Oklahoma Department of Mental Health requests millions more from state [KOSU]

How Oklahoma is spending its opioid settlement funds: More than $600 million from opioid settlements is flowing into the state over the next dozen years. Of that, around $150 million already has been paid, according to settlement administrator BrownGreer. Tens of millions have been spent or obligated. Is it making a difference? The answer, for now, seems to be a tentative yes. [Tulsa World]

Oklahoma should add special education support amid federal uncertainty, state lawmaker says: While the U.S. Department of Education proposes mass layoffs in its special education office, an Oklahoma lawmaker said he intends to bolster state-level support for students with disabilities. [Oklahoma Voice]

OSDE employees close to Ryan Walters left with thousands in extra pay, records show: Three prominent now-former employees of the Oklahoma State Department of Education received extra money in their paychecks in the final days of the administration of state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters. [The Oklahoman]

Oklahoma Ethics Commission sues Democratic state lawmaker for alleged campaign finance fraud: The Oklahoma Ethics Commission is suing Rep. Ajay Pittman, D-Oklahoma City, for alleged campaign finance fraud. The lawsuit was filed in the Oklahoma County District Court on Thursday. [KOSU]

• State Representative Faces Civil Lawsuit, AG’s Investigation Over Campaign Finances [Oklahoma Watch]
• Ethics Commission lawsuit targets Oklahoma City lawmaker [Oklahoma Voice]
• Oklahoma Ethics Commission sues Rep. Ajay Pittman as AG agents search Capitol office [The Oklahoman]

Political notebook: General revenue posts strong September: Allocations to the state’s primary revenue stream in September beat expectations and the year-over-year figure, the Office of Management and Enterprise Services said. General Revenue Fund deposits totaled $769.5 million, which was 8.6% above projections and 3.1% above the same month a year earlier. [Tulsa World]

Listen Frontier: Are Oklahoma classrooms too wired for learning?: The Frontier interviews Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, about the cellphone bill she successfully ran that removed cell phones from classrooms. [The Frontier]

Capitol Update: Classroom Bible mandate dropped by State Department of Education: New State Superintendent Lindel Fields has taken a step to undo one of former State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ most controversial mandates. An order from the Oklahoma Supreme Court forced a decision on the issue. [KGOU]

Opinion: Oklahoma’s haphazard approach to fixing public education has failed. Here’s a plan that could help: Rather than continuing the chaotic annual strategy of throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Oklahoma’s failing public school system, it’s clear that we need leaders with the vision to develop a 10-year roadmap. Because I don’t know about you, but over the past decade, it’s felt like we’ve careened from one crisis to another. And somehow we’ve ended up with lawmakers who haven’t been particularly visionary on the public school front, and who have preferred a scattershot approach to tackling whatever happens to be the latest predicament. [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]

Federal Government News

U.S. Supreme Court, federal courts to run out of money, limit operations amid shutdown: The U.S. Supreme Court and the rest of the federal judiciary are set to run out of funding in the next few days, a new development in the ongoing government shutdown that will likely reverberate throughout much of the country. [Oklahoma Voice]

• SNAP benefits on pace to run out in two weeks if shutdown persists [Oklahoma Voice]

Trump isn’t sending troops to cities with highest crime rates, data shows: A Stateline analysis of U.S. Census Bureau and federal crime data shows that Trump’s deployments and proposals have not focused on the nation’s most violent cities. Of the 10 cities population 250,000 or more with the highest violent crime rates, Trump has sent National Guard troops to just one: Memphis, Tennessee. [Oklahoma Voice]

D.C. Digest: Mullin says Young Republican chat no joke: U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin is usually a reliable Trump team player, but last week he rejected Vice President JD Vance’s dismissal of some Young Republicans’ “love” of Adolf Hitler as kids joking around. “I didn’t hear … the vice president’s remarks, but I would never let my kids joke like that,” Mullin told CNN. “That’s a solid no.” [Tulsa World]

Opinion, Your Vote Counts: Oklahoma leaders warn political misinformation threatens public safety: State Senator Paul Rosino and former Representative Jason Dunnington joined Scott Mitchell on Your Vote Counts this week to discuss the fallout from recent political behavior, saying false statements and online attacks are deepening public distrust and putting people at risk. [News on 6] 

Opinion: While not perfect, Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ has benefits for Oklahoma ranchers: American cattle raisers were recognized during negotiations for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by President Donald Trump in July. Passage of the legislation includes provisions crucial to the longevity of our industry. Notably, it also excludes controversial measures like the sale of public lands or expanded eminent domain. [James H. Dudley IV / The Oklahoman]

Tribal Nations News

Caddo youth keep traditions alive with Gardening Day, end-of-summer harvest: The Caddo Nation is planting seeds to strengthen its food sovereignty efforts and its community. During the tribe’s Gardening Day in southwest Oklahoma, young ones helped keep traditions alive and, in some cases, even revived them. [KOSU]

Education News

3 shot on OSU’s campus after homecoming weekend party: At least three people were injured in a shooting on Oklahoma State University’s Stillwater campus early Sunday morning, according to the OSU Police Department. [KOSU]

• Shooting at OSU leaves students worried [KFOR]
• Oklahoma State University police investigating shooting at on-campus residential hall [The Oklahoman]
• Three people shot following party in Stillwater, OSU police investigating [Tulsa World]

TU denies rumor of financial incentive to hire congressman as its next president: The University of Tulsa says there’s no incentive being offered to hire U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern as its next president, addressing swirling campus rumors from students and faculty. [Tulsa Flyer]

• Hern-TU link creating some smoke, but is there any fire? [Tulsa World]

Google donates money for energy efficiency, tech upgrades in Stillwater Public Schools: Stillwater Public Schools is getting $600,000 to spend on energy efficiency and classroom technology after a donation from its new neighbor: Google. [KOSU]

Fund for teachers opens fellowship applications: Oklahoma educators can now apply for Fund for Teachers fellowships, which provide grants for self-designed professional learning experiences around the globe. Applications are open through 5 p.m. on January 22, and eligible full-time pre-K through 12th grade teachers can apply individually for up to $5,000, or in teams for up to $10,000. [The Journal Record]

‘Understand the history’: Yale professor speaks on importance of constitutional study, nonpartisanship: Akhil Reed Amar, Sterling Professor of law and political science at Yale University, spoke to OU students and faculty on constitutional issues in today’s politics. He encouraged attendees to learn and get informed about political issues, but also unlearn common misconceptions. He said it’s important for college campuses to impart neutrality and nonpartisanship to students. [OU Daily]

Opinion: Let’s Not Repeat Ryan Walters’ Mess with Next Superintendent: Public schools are a common good. I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by saying they are the most important institution for a healthy democracy. Ryan Walters wanted to destroy public education. If public officials, especially individuals running for office, say they don’t like public education, then what becomes of the children in America? [Betty Casey / Tulsa Kids]

Criminal Justice News

Oklahoma Predator Hunters Face Felony Charges: A group called Oklahoma Predator Prevention that, in their view, helps keep child predators off the streets. But an Oklahoma Watch investigation revealed that group members used highly questionable tactics and pursued the most vulnerable people, using decoy accounts to pose as minors online and entice potential predators to meet in person or reveal their addresses. [Oklahoma Watch]

Tulsa could extend downtown curfew. Businesses say they want additional solutions to crime: Tulsa’s juvenile curfew could be extended by city council Wednesday, but the downtown community is conflicted on the logistics of it. The curfew, implemented on June 26, prohibits unaccompanied minors from being downtown from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Now, the council is set to vote on extending it through Oct. 26, 2026 —but only for Fridays and Saturdays. [Tulsa Flyer]

Opinion: Tremane Woods doesn’t deserve to be executed. He didn’t kill anyone: As pastors, we walk alongside people who share stories of personal grief, addiction, pain and struggle. Occasionally, there is a story that demands more than just a listening ear, a benevolent offering, or a laying of hands, it calls us to action. One of those stories is that of Tremane Wood, an Oklahoman who faces a Nov. 13 execution date, even though he didn’t kill anyone. [The Rev. Jon Middendorf and the Rev. Sean Jarrett / The Oklahoman]

• From OK Policy: Oklahoma Death Penalty Tracker

Housing & Economic Opportunity News

Local activist warns of private equity taking over affordable housing, amid Izzy Apartments complaints: Local activists are sounding the alarm about private equity companies from out-of-state taking over affordable housing in the metro, leaving no accountability when things take a turn. [KFOR]

Tulsa city, county agree to terms on a deal to establish a low-barrier homeless shelter: The city of Tulsa and Tulsa County have reached an agreement to use the county’s old Juvenile Center at 315 S. Gilcrease Museum Road for a low-barrier homeless shelter, the city and county confirmed. Under the terms of the agreement, the city will acquire the property for $500,000, with the county having first right of refusal for any future sale or change of ownership. [Tulsa World]

Economy & Business News

Critics Say CompSource Plan Will Hurt Policyholders: A hush-hush plan to convert CompSource Mutual to a stock company has been challenged by a policyholder and a law firm who argue the proposal for Oklahoma’s largest workers’ comp insurer amounts to a raid on CompSource’s $1 billion surplus for an aggressive expansion plan. A class-action lawsuit, brought by Oklahoma City law firm Whitten Burrage, ongoing for four years, alleges that CompSource’s $1 billion surplus holdings have accrued, at least in part, from decades of bundling of phantom policies that never pay out on claims. [Oklahoma Watch]

Oklahoma transmission lines to be upgraded through Energy Department loan guarantee: Hundreds of miles of Oklahoma transmission lines will soon be upgraded through a loan agreement from the U.S. Department of Energy. The loan is for $1.6 billion for American Electric Power to upgrade about 5,000 miles of existing transmission lines in five states, including about 1,400 miles in Oklahoma. [KOSU]

Tulsa company builds five AI data centers in the past year: One of the fastest growing companies in Tulsa has built five AI data centers around the U.S. in the past year. Fleming Construction Group for the second year in a row was among Inc. 5000’s fastest growing companies in the U.S. and fourth in Oklahoma for 2025. [Tulsa World]

Opinion: As we face labor shortage, don’t overlook candidates with disabilities: October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a time to recognize the contributions of people with disabilities and celebrate the value inclusive workplaces bring to our communities and our economy. This year, that celebration shines a light on both the progress we’ve made and the work still ahead. [Karie Jordan / Tulsa World]

Community News

New children’s biography explores life of Ralph Ellison: A new children’s biography about famed Oklahoman and “Invisible Man” author Ralph Ellison is now on bookshelves. [Public Radio Tulsa]

She wanted to slow down traffic in her Tulsa neighborhood. Language became a speed bump: A Tulsa woman wanted was to keep the midtown neighborhood safe from speeding vehicles. What she got was an extended trip through the bureaucracy of a city that has a rapidly growing Spanish-speaking population and, she believes, may not have the resources to fully service them. According to the 2024 American Community Survey, roughly 17% of Tulsa County residents identify as Latino. [Tulsa Flyer]

Opinion: Tulsa is stronger when we see ourselves: Why I’m betting on local news: Leaders thrive when our community shares the same basic facts. But fewer people are participating civically, and too many of us are navigating public life with incomplete information. That is why I believe Tulsa needs more local reporting, not less. [Marcia Bruno-Todd / Tulsa World]

Local Headlines

• Vinita theme park update: Defendants seek dismissal of lawsuit [Tulsa World]
• ‘Okmulgee deserves our attention’: Dinsmore explores challenges and opportunities [NonDoc]
• City of Tulsa’s planned Public Safety Center millions of dollars over budget [Tulsa World]
• Revised panhandling ordinance goes into effect in Tulsa [Tulsa World]
• Tulsa Police Department seeks more Spanish-speaking officers [Tulsa Flyer]
• Asian Affairs Commission prepares for Stories of Asian Tulsa project [Tulsa Flyer]

Quote of the Day

“I was willing to die and lost a leg in a foreign country fighting for their rights. There’s no way I’m bending the only knee I have left for a king here in America. I can’t sit idly by while rights are trampled on and ignored, and people are pushed and treated like second class citizens.”

– U.S. Army veteran Brian Wofford of Moore, who was wounded in 2004 while serving in Iraq, speaking to reporters at Oklahoma City’s No Kings rally. [The Oklahoman] | [Video]

Number of the Day

37%

The share of projected rural Medicaid funding cuts that could be offset by the $50 billion rural health fund included in the new federal budget. While that funding may sound substantial, it would cover only a little over one-third of the $137 billion in Medicaid losses rural areas are expected to face over the next decade — and just 5% of total federal Medicaid cuts nationwide. [KFF]

Policy Note

Rural Health Fund Will Do Little to Offset Harm to Rural Providers in Republican Megabill: Even with a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund, much of the harm to rural health providers from deep Medicaid cuts in the Republican “megabill” won’t be offset. The fund’s short timeframe, flexible distribution rules, and limited scale mean it will likely cover only a fraction of the losses, leaving many rural hospitals and clinics exposed. Many of these facilities already operate on thin margins, and without sustained Medicaid funding, access to care in rural communities could deteriorate rapidly. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]

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