In The Know: Tens of thousands of Oklahomans illegally paid below the minimum wage | State Supreme Court dismisses suit over new social studies standards | House Speaker considers special session for #OKLeg

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.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2026 Subscribe // View web version (current and archived) NEW! OK Policy is now hiring for FOUR positions! Administrative & Office Coordinator Donor Stewardship & Events Coordinator Research & Data Analyst (two open positions) Deadline to apply for all positions is Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.   Learn More & Apply We encourage folks to please forward this email to someone you know who may be in the market for a new job opportunity. $109 million   Between 2010 and 2024, an average of 28,000 Oklahomans a year were illegally paid below the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Workers who were paid below the minimum wage during this period lost an average of more than $3,800 a year, or 30 percent of their earned wages. In total, working Oklahomans lost an estimated average of roughly $109 million a year from being paid below the minimum wage, totaling $1.6 billion over the 15-year study period. [Workplace Justice Lab] Minimum Wage Violations in Oklahoma, 2010-2024   Every year, tens of thousands of Oklahomans go to work and don’t get paid what they’re owed. This report estimates that an average of more than 28,000 Oklahomans a year were illegally paid below the minimum wage between 2010 and 2024. Although Oklahoma has its own minimum wage law, it exempts the vast majority of employers from coverage because it excludes anyone covered under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This makes the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour—a rate that has not been updated since 2009—the effective floor for most workers in the state. [Workplace Justice Lab] "These findings show what many working Oklahomans already know: hard work doesn’t always mean you can make ends meet. Thousands of Oklahomans are working long hours in restaurants, stores and other jobs that keep our communities running, but many are still being illegally underpaid. No one with a full-time job should have to struggle to get by."   — Gabriela Ramirez-Perez, Economic Security and Immigration Policy Analyst for OK Policy, responding to a report from the Workplace Justice Lab. The report revealed that tens of thousands of Oklahomans are illegally paid below the minimum wage, earning an average of just $5 per hour. [Workplace Justice Lab] Oklahoma News   More businesses will likely underpay Oklahomans if ballot measure approved, report says: If voters approve a June ballot measure that gradually raises the minimum wage $15 an hour, the Oklahoma Department of Labor will need to increase the number of wage and hour investigators to hold employers accountable, according to a report from the Workplace Justice Lab at Northwestern University and Rutgers University. [Oklahoma Voice]  Tens of thousands of Oklahomans illegally paid below the minimum wage [Workplace Justice Lab] From OK Policy: What you need to know about the minimum wage in Oklahoma State Government News   Oklahoma’s Education Overhaul: What’s Changing in Schools Next Year: As the Legislature prepares to adjourn for the year, Oklahoma Watch looked at some of the most consequential changes coming to public schools. [Oklahoma Watch]   Oklahoma Supreme Court dismisses suit over social studies standards: The high court on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit filed in July by former Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter on behalf of more than 30 faith leaders, parents, teachers and students seeking to block the implementation of social studies standards approved under former state Superintendent Ryan Walters that emphasized Christianity and called for students to learn about “discrepancies” in the 2020 presidential election. [Tulsa World]   Speaker: Special session for Oklahoma lawmakers may be considered: A special session for the Oklahoma legislature is something that could be considered, according to House Speaker Kyle Hilbert (R-Bristow). [Fox 25] Republican leaders feud as Oklahoma Legislature wraps tumultuous year [The Oklahoman] Oklahoma lawmaker speaks out on House, Senate tension [KSWO] Legislative Roundup Gov. Stitt signs bill improving school transfer for military families [KSWO] Veto override of pharmacy bill still undecided, lawmakers say [Southwest Ledger] Oklahoma Senate Passes Ibogaine Clinical Trials Bill, Awaiting Governor’s Signature [Hemp Gazette] Opinion: Oklahoma insurance should be subject to government scrutiny: Oklahomans pay the highest insurance bills in America. We are often told this is simply the unavoidable cost of living here. But those explanations don’t fully account for what Oklahoma families are experiencing, and they obscure a basic reality: Oklahoma’s current approach to insurance pricing operates like a tax increase imposed without public oversight of whether that tax is excessive. [Josiah Daniel IV / The Oklahoman]   Editorial: Political favoritism is common, but always wrong: "I did zero favors for this inmate," said Gov. Kevin Stitt. He was talking about Sara Polston, of Norman, sentenced to prison for causing a near-fatal crash while driving drunk. A multicounty grand jury found that Stitt called Cleveland County District Attorney Jennifer Austin, who prosecuted Sara Polston, to tell the DA he was "a close personal friend" of the Polstons. [The Oklahoman Editorial Board]   Federal Government News   Supreme Court extends stay allowing telehealth abortion: The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday extended a highly anticipated stay blocking an appellate court’s pause on telehealth abortion access until May 14. [Oklahoma Voice]   Trump nominates ousted FEMA chief to return: President Donald Trump on Monday nominated Cameron Hamilton to run the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a former acting chief who was fired in 2025 shortly after he told a congressional panel FEMA should continue to exist. [Oklahoma Voice]   Tribal Nations News   Bipartisan Bill Aims to Prevent Wrongful Detention of Native Americans During ICE Enforcement: A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced new legislation designed to prevent Native Americans from being wrongfully questioned, delayed, or detained during federal immigration enforcement operations because officers fail to recognize tribal identification documents. [Native News Online]   Cherokee Nation to host expungement expo; Hoskin calls for reform: Cherokee Nation will host a two-day ‘Expungement Expo’ May 19-20 at the Chota Center in Tahlequah. The event is open to eligible Cherokee citizens and eligible citizens of other federally recognized tribes seeking to clear their criminal records. Cherokee Nation citizens will also be connected to programs and services that support long-term stability and success. [Tahlequah Daily Press]   Voting and Election News   Utility costs are rising. Here’s what the Oklahoma Corporation Commission race has to do with it.: Perhaps the most powerful state agency the public pays the least attention to, the OCC is a three-person board that regulates the state’s utility, oil and gas and transportation industries. On June 16, Oklahoma Republicans and Democrats will have the opportunity to select their party’s nominee to replace term-limited Republican commissioner Todd Hiett. [Tulsa Flyer] Oklahoma Corporation Commission candidates debate energy costs, data centers [The Journal Record] Up to 5 state questions from Oklahoma lawmakers coming up this election season: Oklahoma lawmakers have proposed several constitutional reforms this year. Here are the ones voters can expect to see on the ballot this election season — and when. [KOSU] From OK Policy: Eliminating property taxes would devastate crucial local services  Oklahoma AG candidate refunds donations from couple involved in political favor scandal: Republican attorney general candidate Jon Echols has returned campaign donations to a Norman couple embroiled in a political favoritism scandal, as first reported in The Oklahoman. [KOSU]   Education News   Former Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters targeted this teacher. Now, he’s suing for defamation: An Edmond teacher who found himself in the crosshairs of former State Superintendent Ryan Walters is suing Walters and the state for defamation and more. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU] Walters facing new defamation lawsuit [KFOR] OU launches Project 200 to expand research and innovation across Oklahoma: The University of Oklahoma (OU) announced a new investment in research, talent and infrastructure called Project 200. Project 200 is designed to strengthen Oklahoma toward strengthening the health of its citizens, growing the economy, and creating more opportunities. [Fox 23]   Deer Creek schools raise special education teacher stipends to address shortage: Deer Creek Public Schools in Oklahoma has increased stipends for special education teachers, making the district the highest-paying in the state for these educators. [KOCO]   Health News   Does America spend nearly double per individual with worse health outcomes when compared to similarly developed countries, as Rep. Josh Breechen claimed?: Yes. A 2025 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development report found that the U.S. was the highest spender on health per capita, spending 2.5 times the OECD average, while having below-average outcomes across several metrics. [Oklahoma Watch]   Opinion: Pharma’s greed and government’s waste are crushing disabled Oklahomans like me: It’s hard to be disabled. It’s even harder when paying for treatment empties your wallet — and comes with a wallop of waste, fraud, and abuse. [Matthew Vermillion / The Journal Record]   Justice System News   Second suspect arrested in Arcadia Lake shooting investigation, police say: Police have made a second arrest in the ongoing investigation of the gang-related mass shooting May 3 at Arcadia Lake that left a young woman dead. [The Oklahoman] Edmond Police announce second arrest in deadly Arcadia Lake shooting [KFOR] Tulsa police arrest 4 Food Not Bombs members, others allege mayor targeting group: As the City of Tulsa embarks on its ambitious plan to decrease homelessness through a series of public-private partnerships, members of a group that hosts weekly food distribution events to protest war is claiming Mayor Monroe Nichols has targeted them for not following the instructions of his senior adviser on homelessness, Emily Hall. [NonDoc]   Police shoot, kill man who they say caused crash in north Tulsa by shooting at driver: A man is dead after an officer-involved shooting in north Tulsa after what police called "a very harrowing series of events" Tuesday morning. [Tulsa World]   Ex-CEO of failed Oklahoma bank pleads guilty to fraud: Danny Seibel, the former leader of the now-defunct First National Bank of Lindsay, has pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma. [KOSU]   Diversion nonprofits respond to ongoing Oklahoma County jail transport dispute: County officials, spanning from the district attorney to the chief public defender, all shared their frustration that the dispute between the sheriff’s office and the jail’s governing trust disrupted so many cases on Monday. But, several nonprofit groups may also have to contend with further inability to find common ground. [News 9]   City unveils details of violence intervention and prevention initiative in north Tulsa: In December 2024, just weeks after taking office, Mayor Monroe Nichols announced that the city had received a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to fund a community-based violence intervention and prevention initiative. On Tuesday, joined by local partners, Nichols unveiled details of Secure Tulsa, as the pilot program will be called. [Tulsa World] Tulsa taps non-law enforcement leaders to address root causes of violence in north side [The Oklahoma Eagle] Housing & Economic Opportunity News   Oklahoma City's homeless population declines for the first time since 2022: In it's most recent "Point in Time" count Oklahoma City recorded 1,867 people experiencing homelessness. It was a 1% decrease from the 2025 count — the first time the number has gone down since 2022. [The Oklahoman] From OK Policy: Homelessness in Oklahoma — Information & Resources Economy & Business News   Gas prices top $4 per gallon in Tulsa, first time since 2022: As of Tuesday, the price at many Tulsa-area QuikTrips was $4.19 per gallon for regular unleaded. The relatively good news is that Oklahoma still has some of the lowest gas prices in the U.S. as of Monday, according to GasBuddy. [Tulsa World]   Oklahoma farms lose $143.7M annually to natural disasters: Oklahoma’s 69,700 farms lose an estimated $143.7 million each year to natural disasters, with drought posing the single greatest threat to the state’s agricultural sector, according to a new analysis from Trace One, a product lifecycle management and compliance software company. [The Journal Record]   Spacecraft parts manufacturing facility planned at Tulsa Airport: A company helmed by Jim Bridenstine, former congressman and NASA administrator, announced Tuesday a high-precision spacecraft parts manufacturing facility to be built at Tulsa International Airport. [Tulsa World]   Amazon launches 30-minute delivery service in Oklahoma City: Amazon is expanding its ultra-fast delivery service to Oklahoma City as part of a nationwide rollout that will bring thousands of groceries and household essentials to customers’ doorsteps in 30 minutes or less. [The Journal Record]   Community News   Thousands of motorcyclists expected to ride into Greenwood for Black Wall Street Rally: When motorcyclists roar into Tulsa Thursday for the start of the Black Wall Street Rally, they will kick off a three-day celebration of Greenwood’s legacy and cultural importance. [Tulsa Flyer]   Local Headlines New Norman entertainment district breaks ground [KFOR] 3 big development projects offer a look at where Edmond is headed [The Oklahoman] Edmond water rates to climb 13 percent July 1, council dabbles in data center discourse [NonDoc] Cloverleaf to hold open house for $1B data center in Piedmont [The Journal Record] Tulsa Mayor defends planned utility rate hikes as necessary for infrastructure [Public Radio Tulsa] Support Our Work with a Donation In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Some stories included here are behind paywall or require subscription. OK Policy encourages the support of Oklahoma’s state and local media, which are vital to an informed citizenry. You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail. Contact Oklahoma Policy Institute 907 S. 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