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Sponsorship Packages for OK Policy's Summer Policy Institute are now available!   It's that time of year again! Our annual Summer Policy Institute is just about to kick off and we need your help!    Oklahoma is strongest when the next generation of leaders are engaged. This year's Summer Policy Institute will bring together a cohort of 40 promising college students, recent graduates, and early career professionals to dive deep into Oklahoma’s policy landscape, broaden their perspectives, network with esteemed policy experts, and ignite their political power to drive change. This transformative experience not only equips them with the knowledge and skills to shape our state's future, but also instills in them (and us) a sense of hope and inspiration. Particular emphasis is given on selecting a class of participants from a broad range of educational institutions, fields of study, and geographic and cultural backgrounds.  SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES SPONSOR   Your Sponsorship Promotes Equity!   Program tuition is $400, but scholarships are made possible by your generous donation so that no one will be denied a spot at SPI due to inability to pay.   As one of those who was able to experience SPI due to the generosity of others, I will never be able to repay those donors for what I gained. Thank you to those who believe in what OK Policy is doing for the state and for believing in me and my ability to contribute to the awesome-ness. -Alicia W.    We hope you'll support this year's participants as a Sponsor of the 2026 Summer Policy Institute. Please feel free to forward this to anyone you know would love to support this special program of Oklahoma Policy Institute.  Want to support SPI, but not interested in sponsoring? Donate to the Oklahoma Policy Institute with a one time or recurring donation!   Your support makes this possible. We remain committed to advocating for a better future for all of us - but we can't do it without you. Consider setting up a recurring donation to support our work all year long. DONATE Contact Oklahoma Policy Institute 907 S. Detroit Ave #1005 Tulsa, OK 74120 United States  918-794-3944 | info@okpolicy.org   Connect with us:   If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe.

In The Know: Oklahoma SNAP enrollment sees 14% decline since last year | Economist says $15 minimum wage could reduce worker turnover | Our kids aren’t failing. We’re failing our kids

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.

THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026 Subscribe // View web version (current and archived) Policy Matters: Our kids aren’t failing. We’re failing our kids   When a new report ranks Oklahoma near the bottom for child well-being, it’s easy to focus on the number: 44th in the nation. That ranking should concern us all. But it should not lead anyone to believe that our children are somehow less capable than children anywhere else. The problem is not our kids. The problem is that our state’s leadership has not consistently provided them with the tools and support they need to succeed. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record] 2x   Since 1979, worker productivity has increased more than twice as fast as worker compensation. Workers are producing more, but their pay hasn't kept pace with those gains. [Economic Policy Institute] Adjusting minimum wages for inflation is a necessary yet modest step toward protecting affordability for low-wage workers   Indexation is often an afterthought in debates over wage standards. But it can turn out to be the most important part of any policy that sets a wage standard. The federal minimum wage has not increased since 2009 and is worth less today in inflation-adjusted dollars than it was when it was last raised. While higher minimum wages are often criticized for causing job losses or inflation, decades of research generally find that they increase workers' earnings without significantly affecting employment. Adjusting wages for inflation is a relatively modest approach because it simply helps workers maintain their purchasing power over time. Without automatic adjustments, wage standards become less effective every year they remain unchanged. [Economic Policy Institute] "If (employers) pay a bit higher, they’re going to have lower turnover, they’re going to have higher retention, lower costs of retraining and so forth."   — Arindrajit Dube, a labor economist who spoke during an Oklahoma City event this week about how a higher minimum wage could stabilize the state's labor market with little impact on overall prices. [The Journal Record] Oklahoma News   Oklahoma SNAP enrollment sees 14% decline since last year: Fewer Oklahomans are getting federal assistance to help pay for groceries. Recent numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show a continued decline in participation. [KOSU]   Economist says $15 minimum wage could reduce Oklahoma worker turnover: Oklahoma voters will begin deciding on Thursday whether the state’s minimum wage should rise to $15 — a change that economists say could stabilize a labor market where workers are leaving jobs faster than employers can fill them. [The Journal Record] Oklahomans ready to vote on SQ832, increasing minimum wage [KFOR] From OK Policy: SQ 832: Minimum Wage Increase | Information and Resources State Government News   Long Story Short: A Cannabis Crash, The Inola Smelter and A Treasurer’s Commute (podcast): Oklahoma Watch staff give a breakdown of how oversupply and regulation are crashing Oklahoma’s cannabis boom, and investigate how two gubernatorial candidates view a massive proposed aluminum smelter in Inola. Plus, they detail an investigation into the state treasurer’s frequent use of a state vehicle to commute to a rural satellite office. [Oklahoma Watch]   Federal Government News   Billions for the next 3 years of Trump’s mass deportation campaign signed into law: President Donald Trump significantly bolstered funding for immigration enforcement Wednesday when he signed into law a nearly $70 billion package that will keep key federal agencies operating without any new restrictions. [Oklahoma Voice]   Homeland Security retreats on plan to get data on mail-in voters: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is walking back, for now, a plan to sweep up data on millions of Americans who vote by mail under President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting mail ballots. [Oklahoma Voice]   Tribal Nations News   Native American Boarding School Oral History Project wraps up in Tulsa, welcomes more participants: An oral history project dedicated to gathering stories from Indigenous boarding school survivors from across the country is coming to a close. The project is ending in Oklahoma, where it began — the state with the highest number of boarding schools. [KOSU]   Voting and Election News   Oklahoma governor candidates funnel $22 million in personal money to campaigns: Candidate self-funding has soared past $22 million in the Republican primary race for Oklahoma governor, with a Trump-endorsed candidate alone pouring almost $10.9 million into his campaign. [Oklahoma Voice]   Election Roundup Democrats running for governor of Oklahoma hope education frustration, tribal relations can turn tide [NonDoc] Incumbent Russ, Inspector Byrd butt heads in GOP treasurer race [NonDoc] Meet the candidates for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission [The Oklahoman] Oklahoma country musician running for U.S. Senate [KOSU] Cheat Sheet: 3 Democrats run to succeed Cyndi Munson in HD 85 [NonDoc] ‘Crucial’ SD 4 primary between Kenny Smith, Tom Woods a battle to define conservative values [NonDoc] Tulsa candidate filing: 4 reelected unopposed, 3 seek to succeed Carol Bush [NonDoc] Tulsa County DA’s race presents voters with a choice: experience or change [Tulsa Flyer] Tulsa City Council candidates list finalized as filing period ends [Tulsa World] Editorial: Fake AI ads are sullying Oklahoma primary. Don't let them: We encourage Oklahoma legislators and agencies to thoroughly explore steps that can legally be taken to halt fraudulent election campaigning whether AI-generated our not — or, at a minimum, make sure all content produced with AI assistance is labeled as such so that audiences can be warned to give it extra scrutiny. [The Oklahoman Editorial Board]   Education News   Education Watch: How much has been spent in the race for state superintendent?: Candidates for state superintendent spent just over $335,000 through June 8, Ethics Commission records show — far less than the millions spent on the governor’s race, but still significant. [Oklahoma Watch]   As AI use in schools grows, lawmakers and districts scramble to set up guardrails: With many students and educators already using widely available artificial intelligence tools, state lawmakers and school districts are playing catch-up on AI policies. [Oklahoma Voice]   OU plans 90-hour degree programs amid push to fill Oklahoma's high-need industries: A college degree in just three years? That's the idea proposed by the University of Oklahoma, which has signaled its intent to let some students finish school after just 90 hours' worth of coursework. [The Oklahoman]   Health News   US measles cases could overtake 2025 numbers. What about Oklahoma?: A number of new outbreaks across the U.S. this year have triggered alarm that the number of measles cases in 2026 will eclipse what the nation saw last year. [The Oklahoman]   Justice System News   Oklahoma man charged with threatening to kill President Trump: A Midwest City man is accused of threatening President Donald Trump, court records show. Howard Gimmey, 46, was charged in Oklahoma City federal court with making a threat against the president, authorities announced Tuesday, June 9. [The Oklahoman]   Economy & Business News   Inflation spiked to 4.2%, a three-year high, in May: Consumer price inflation reached 4.2% in May, the highest mark in three years, boosted largely by higher energy prices that have spiked because of the Iran war, according to federal numbers released on Wednesday. [Oklahoma Voice]   Oklahoma utilities receive $50 million to extend lives of coal-fired power plants: As the Trump administration pushes investment in coal power, two Oklahoma utilities will receive grant funding to extend the life of existing coal-fired plants. [KOSU]   Local Headlines Deepfakes prompt Sand Springs Public Schools to disable student email access [Tulsa World] Mayor defends utility rate increases at north Tulsa Community Conversation [Tulsa World] A disabled Tulsan’s home was almost put on the auction block. Residents rallied to save it [Tulsa Flyer] Company no longer pursuing data center proposal for Broken Arrow, officials announce [Tulsa World] Luther residents challenge data center development as opposition grows across Oklahoma [KOSU] Homelessness proposal sparks Norman City Council's unified opposition [The Oklahoman] Norman City Council declines to move forward with residential camping ordinance [KGOU] Edmond council to take second look at more housing at Legacy at Covell [The Oklahoman] Proposed aluminum plant in Inola won’t raise electricity rates for residents [Tulsa Flyer] 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.