In The Know: Oklahoma could collect $175M annually from federal immigration enforcement agreements | House rejects workplace 'zero-tolerance' expansion for medical marijuana | Stitt meets with president as he mulls Senate pick

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.

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2026 Subscribe // View web version (current and archived) 1.6 million   The Trump administration has revoked legal status for immigrants who entered the country through legal pathways — affecting at least 1.6 million people — by canceling programs and protections like CBP One, Temporary Protected Status, humanitarian parole and student visas. [NPR] How ICE's Budget Boom Is Changing Immigration Detention   To justify this massive infrastructure for immigration enforcement, the Trump administration has shifted away from historical approaches to immigration detention by putting more immigrants behind bars and rapidly expanding detention capacity through private contracts and investments in its own infrastructure. At the same time, it is finding new ways to evade oversight, leading to greater risks to the health and safety of the people in the government's custody. [Brennan Center for Justice] "There are, right now, a lot of people in the state of Oklahoma who could be picked up now by ICE and then detained without any sort of bond hearing who will be surprised to find that out."   — Attorney Ted Hasse, speaking about people who do not realize that the current administration's interpretation of immigration law puts them at risk of arrest during any encounter with law enforcement. This could include people with work permits, valid state driver's licenses, and pending asylum applications who believe they are living in the United States legally. [Oklahoma Watch] Oklahoma News   Oklahoma Could Collect $175 Million Annually From Federal Immigration Enforcement Agreements: Oklahoma has built one of the most aggressive immigration enforcement infrastructures in the country, one that generates significant federal money for the state's law enforcement agencies, detention facilities, and local economies, regardless of whether those arrested are in the country legally. [Oklahoma Watch] From OK Policy, What's That?: 287(g) Agreements  Six Navy suicides in one year at Tinker Air Force Base: Six U.S. Navy service members from one unit at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City died by suicide last year. The Frontier identified the service members using state medical examiner records and obituaries. The sailors ranged in age from 20 to 41. Some died within weeks of each other. [The Frontier]   Gov. Stitt meeting with President Trump as he mulls Senate pick: Gov. Kevin Stitt says he has met with President Donald Trump to discuss Oklahoma's soon-to-be open seat in the U.S. Senate. Stitt and Trump met on Thursday, March 12, in the nation's capital to talk about the "importance" of appointing a replacement for outgoing Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who is set to join Trump's Cabinet as secretary of Homeland Security. [The Oklahoman] Markwayne Mullin cabinet confirmation hearing scheduled for March 18 [KOSU] State Government News   Oklahoma House cans employment bill seeking to expand marijuana usage ban: House lawmakers on Thursday defeated a measure that would give employers more leeway to fire individuals for using medical marijuana. [Oklahoma Voice] Grumpy House rejects workplace 'zero-tolerance' expansion for medical marijuana [Tulsa World] Oklahoma AG challenges Jewish charter school vote: Attorney General Gentner Drummond again took a state board to court over its vote on a religious charter school. The Statewide Charter School Board on Monday rejected an application to open Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School because its curriculum would include religious teaching. Drummond alleged the vote was deliberately rigged to benefit the school's chances in court. [Oklahoma Voice]   Legislative Roundup Six weeks in, state lawmakers appropriate over $21 million [The Journal Record] Session Watch: Week Six [Oklahoma Watch] Opinion, This Week in Oklahoma Politics: Markwayne Mullin nomination, SQ836 fails, Jewish charter school and more (podcast): The panelists talk about the nomination of Senator Markwayne Mullin to lead the Department of Homeland Security, the political fallout with Mullin vacating his Senate seat and the failure of State Question 836 to open primaries in Oklahoma. The trio also discusses concerns from Attorney General Gentner Drummond after a board denies a second attempt to create a Jewish charter school and the governor's plans to use state funds to help unhoused individuals in Oklahoma City. [KOSU]   Opinion: Lawmakers launch full court press against OSSAA: Gov. Kevin Stitt and legislators tipped off the 2026 session with a full court press against … the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association? Yep, the OSSAA. The group that governs high school extracurricular activities. The group that is operated by its m-e-m-b-e-r schools. [Arnold Hamilton / The Journal Record]   Federal Government News   Long security lines start popping up at airports as TSA officers go without pay: Passengers at a handful of airports this week waited in hours-long security lines as the government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security dragged on. [Oklahoma Voice]   Tribal Nations News   Decolonizing prayer: Quapaw Nation offers online course to connect citizens with language, culture: The Quapaw Nation's language department created an eight-week program to help tribal members make their own personal prayers in Okáxpa. The virtual course is seen as a form of decolonizing prayer and an act of reclaiming culture and history. [KOSU]   Citizen Potawatomi Nation support transforms foster youth: As a young child, Samantha Masquat — a citizen of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation — was made a ward of the state, unable to remain in the care of her parents. Eventually, she was placed with her grandmother, with the CPN tribal court supervising her case. Masquat credits the Tribe's consistent presence in her life with increased confidence during her teens, especially as she approached aging out of foster care. [The Journal Record]   MCN roundup: Whitecloud wants AG DQ'd; ballot questions set, but Freedmen seek election injunction: Muscogee Nation courts have a busy month ahead of them as the criminal case against Rep. Robyn Whitecloud continues in district court, while attorneys representing Muscogee Freedmen Jeff Kennedy and Rhonda Grayson filed two separate motions in the nation's Supreme Court, including a request to delay the tribe's May 30 special election. [NonDoc]   Education News   TPS advocates push for $609 million bond package: Supporters of Tulsa Public Schools' upcoming bond election formally launched a campaign Thursday to encourage Tulsa voters to head to the polls on April 7. [Tulsa World]   Cheers fill Tulsa Public Schools classrooms as district announces Teacher of the Year finalists: At every campus, the scene was similar. As Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Ebony Johnson addressed the room, students, staff and families burst into applause. The teacher working inside quickly learned the reason behind her surprise visit — to congratulate them on being named one of five finalists for 2026 Teacher of the Year. [The Oklahoma Eagle] Tulsa Public Schools names Teacher of the Year finalists [Tulsa World] Criminal Justice News   Jail trustee wants investigation of chairman over jail staff pay raises: Oklahoma County Jail Trustee the Rev. Derrick Scobey is calling for an investigation of trust Chairman Jim Holman's approval of pay raises for jail staff, and for Holman's resignation if he is conclusively found to have acted against the trust's express direction. [The Oklahoman]   Protective order may put more pressure on Myles Davidson to resign: An Oklahoma judge granted a three-year protective order against Oklahoma County County Commissioner Myles Davidson for a woman who accused him of sexual harassment and stalking. The judge's ruling could lead to Davidson's removal from office, which would impact the Board of County Commissioners and other county boards. [The Oklahoman]   Tulsa police's use of Flock cameras to investigate protest activity sparks debate: The Tulsa Police Department used Flock Safety cameras and automatic license plate readers to investigate protest activity throughout 2025, according to data collected by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for privacy rights. Now, EFF's report is raising concerns of whether TPD's use was a violation of constitutional rights. [Tulsa Flyer]   Economy & Business News   Oklahoma doubled its solar energy capacity last year, report shows: A majority of new energy added to the grid in the U.S. came from solar installations, according to a new report. Oklahoma's capacity to generate solar energy jumped significantly last year, more than doubling the number of megawatts it can produce. [KOSU]   Video shows Amazon workers forced outside Oklahoma City warehouse as tornado warned storm approached: Multiple Amazon delivery drivers tell News 4 that management at an Oklahoma City warehouse had locked them and dozens of other drivers out of the building during a tornado warning Tuesday evening, capturing the entire thing on camera. [KFOR]   Metro woman represents self in trademark fight with DoorDash and wins: A months-long legal fight with the company DoorDash ended in favor of a metro woman. She took on the multi-billion-dollar company on her own when they opposed her request to trademark her therapy business by arguing its name was too similar to theirs. [KFOR]   Opinion: OKC can't let overreach hurt economic, community growth: Legislative decisions made at the Capitol, even those that may seem unrelated to economic development, can shape whether businesses invest, families relocate and graduates choose to stay. [Lori Dickinson Black / The Oklahoman]   Local Headlines Construction underway on four major Oklahoma City projects [The Oklahoman] Citing frustration with Tulsa Animal Services, residents ask for stricter enforcement [The Oklahoma Eagle] 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. Detroit Ave #1005 Tulsa, OK 74120 United States  918-794-3944 | info@okpolicy.org okpolicy.org    Connect with us:   If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive emails from us, please unsubscribe.

In The Know: Tax cuts easy to promise, but what replaces lost revenue? | What’s Behind Oklahoma’s Education Ranking? | Oklahoma voters deserve choices at the polls

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.

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2026 Subscribe // View web version (current and archived) Policy Matters: Oklahoma voters deserve choices at the polls   Pop quiz: Do you feel your values are reflected in the votes of your state and local lawmakers? If the answer is yes, then the status quo is working just fine for you. But if the answer is no — if you feel like the decisions being made at the Capitol or the courthouse don't quite line up with your hopes for Oklahoma — then the next few weeks could matter more than you think. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record] $5.7 billion   The amount Oklahoma property taxes generated for local governments last year. This funding is a cornerstone of local budgets, supporting schools, public safety, infrastructure, and other essential community services.  [OK Policy] States Can Make Property Taxes Fairer Without Shortchanging Local Services   States can reform property taxes to be more equitable without draining resources from essential services by adopting policies like circuit breakers, more progressive assessments, and targeted relief measures. These tools help protect low- and moderate-income homeowners or renters from excessive tax burdens while preserving local government capacity to fund schools, infrastructure, and public services. Such an approach balances fairness with fiscal stability. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities] "Nobody likes paying taxes. No one wakes up excited about writing a check to the government. But taxes are the price we pay for the basic things that make a society function — roads, bridges, schools, law enforcement and the services that hold communities together."   — Mark McBride, a former member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, arguing that while cutting taxes may be politically appealing, Oklahoma must still generate enough revenue to fund core public services and meet its constitutional requirement to maintain a balanced state budget. [The Oklahoman] State Government News   Drummond Sues State Board Over Handling of Jewish Charter School Application: The statewide governing board overseeing charter schools has once again drawn the ire of Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond over its handling of an application for a religious school. [Oklahoma Watch]   Oklahoma senators warn effort to ban sexually explicit books could block students' Bible access: A bill advancing through the Legislature aimed at removing sexually explicit books from schools could take the Bible off of library shelves and would be a nightmare to navigate, critics said. [Oklahoma Voice] Oklahoma Senate advances bill banning sexual, obscene books from school library shelves [KOSU] Legislative Roundup Several music-related bills advance in Oklahoma's legislature [KOSU] Bills addressing 988 funding, mental health treatment advancing in Oklahoma legislature [KOSU] Oklahoma lawmakers advance bill to increase physical education in schools [News 9] Bill focusing on modifying established tax incentive program passes Senate [KSWO] Oklahoma House approves bill banning state from displaying LGBTQ+ pride flags [Oklahoma Voice] Lawmakers looking to try to change TSET again [KFOR] Opinion: Tax cuts easy to promise, but what replaces lost revenue?: Campaign seasons are full of promises about cutting taxes. Those promises can sound simple on the campaign trail. Governing, however, is rarely simple. [Former State Rep. Mark McBride / The Oklahoman] From OK Policy: Tax cuts and building a better future in Oklahoma (Policy Matters) | Taxes = Community (video) Federal Government News   Trump's Iran war is estimated to cost in the billions already, with no end in sight: Members of Congress have not formally authorized a war in Iran, though they may soon be expected to approve emergency funding for the endeavor without any projection from the Trump administration as to how long it may last or the full cost, not just in dollars but in American troop and civilian lives. [Oklahoma Voice]   No easy answers for senators grappling with college sports pay: A U.S. Senate panel on Tuesday added to the fierce debate over compensation for student-athletes, with senators and experts agreeing the current system wasn't working but with different ideas for a path forward. [Oklahoma Voice]   Democrats sue Trump administration for information on possible plans for troops at polls: The Democratic National Committee Tuesday filed a lawsuit in federal court aiming to force the Trump administration to admit if it plans to send armed federal law enforcement or U.S. troops to polling locations in the upcoming midterm elections. [Oklahoma Voice]   Tribal Nations News   Creek Freedmen want election postponed until citizenship fight resolved: Descendants of Black people enslaved by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation are demanding postponement of an upcoming tribal election until they are approved for citizenship. [Public Radio Tulsa]   Tribal gaming officials sound alarm over prediction markets, threat to Indian gaming: Tribal gaming officials are sounding the alarm about prediction markets, or events-based wagering that operates outside the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) framework and tribal-state compacts. [KOSU] Tribes urged to address prediction markets in light of potential impact on compacts [Tulsa World] Voting and Election News   Kevin Hern launches U.S. Senate campaign, opens Tulsa-based congressional race: With U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) awaiting pending confirmation of his appointment as U.S. secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK1) broke the seal today on what will likely be a crowded Republican field in an open primary for the Senate seat. [NonDoc] Rep. Kevin Hern launches campaign for Mullin's U.S. Senate seat [The Oklahoman] Hern announces bid for open Oklahoma Senate seat [KOSU] Did New Petition Rules Kill Oklahoma's Open Primaries Initiative?: For now, Oklahoma voters will not get to weigh on whether they want their state to open taxpayer-funded primary elections to independent voters and give all candidates a chance to participate in the process from the start. [Independent Voter News] From OK Policy: SB 1027 would exclude millions of registered voters from signing initiative petitions Education News   Education Watch: What's Behind Oklahoma's Education Ranking?: "Oklahoma's 50th in education." Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Gentner Drummond has said it. So has Cyndi Munson, the Oklahoma House Democratic Leader, who's also running for governor. Teachers and Board of Education members have, too. We wanted to know: Are we really 50th? If so, why? And says who? [Oklahoma Watch] Behind the Rankings: How WalletHub Determined Oklahoma is 50th in Education [Oklahoma Watch] The great tech debate: Should Oklahoma students use screens in the classroom?: The Oklahoma legislature is considering measures to push back against the rising tide of ed tech. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]   Stacy Leeds officially introduced as TU's first female president: The historical significance is not lost on Stacy Leeds. A Muskogee native and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Leeds was formally introduced Wednesday as the next president of the University of Tulsa — an institution that originated in Muskogee as a boarding school for Indigenous girls. [Tulsa World] Stacy Leeds vows to be 'clutch player' as she returns home to lead The University of Tulsa [Tulsa Flyer] Health News   How a new Tulsa rehab center seeks to fill a health care void: The DEFY Center — short for Don't Ever Forget Yourself — is Tulsa's first activity-based therapy and community center. The center represents the dream of Tulsan Chris Lieberman, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in March 2016 after falling off a ladder. [Tulsa Flyer]   Criminal Justice News   Jail trustee wants investigation of chairman over jail staff pay raises: Oklahoma County Jail Trustee the Rev. Derrick Scobey is calling for an investigation of trust Chairman Jim Holman's approval of pay raises for jail staff, and for Holman's resignation if he is conclusively found to have acted against the trust's express direction. [The Oklahoman]   OKC pushes back against allegations of civil asset forfeiture scheme: Oklahoma City officials are disputing allegations that the city is improperly keeping hundreds of thousands of dollars that should have gone to citizens, victims or courts. [The Oklahoman]   Community News   Amid calls to relocate 'Klan trophy,' Tulsan wants process to review controversial monuments: After launching a fundraising effort in February to remove a controversial statue in Owen Park, James Taylor with the Tulsa nonprofit Kitty Gang Family Foundation asked the Tulsa Park and Recreation Board to develop a petition process for residents who want monuments to be reviewed for controversial material. [Tulsa Flyer]   Local Headlines Tulsa City Councilors propose charter amendment for public safety oversight office [Tulsa World] Project Anthem data center could go away if phase two not approved, Tulsa city official says [Tulsa World] Mayor Holt dedicates new landmark in OKC [KFOR] 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. Detroit Ave #1005 Tulsa, OK 74120 United States  918-794-3944 | info@okpolicy.org okpolicy.org    Connect with us:   If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive emails from us, please unsubscribe.