In The Know: Oklahoma GOP plans for August Medicaid vote hits bipartisan snags | Oklahoma school districts bracing to pay out of pocket for teacher raises | Government is not a spectator sport

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, APRIL 30, 2026 Subscribe // View web version (current and archived) Policy Matters: Government is not a spectator sport   Most people only notice their government when something goes wrong: a road full of potholes, water service disrupted, or a storm warning that comes too late. But when government works as it should — quietly, consistently, in the background — it’s easy to take for granted. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record] Apply Now for the 2026 Oklahoma Summer Policy Institute   OK Policy’s Oklahoma Summer Policy Institute (SPI) brings together highly-qualified college students, recent graduates, and new policy professionals for a three-day learning experience that informs participants about Oklahoma’s policy landscape and provides tools and resources to create change in our state. Apply by 11:59 p.m., Sunday, May 10, 2026. Learn More & Apply Know someone who would be a good fit for SPI? Please send them the link above. $7.8 billion   The amount of federal Medicaid (SoonerCare) funding Oklahoma receives annually. Programs like SoonerCare expansion ensure those dollars don’t go to other states — they’re invested here, strengthening our health system, supporting rural hospitals, and helping more than 200,000 Oklahomans access care. [KFF] Medicaid: The Health and Economic Benefits of Expanding Eligibility   Medicaid expansion has been shown to improve health outcomes, increase access to care, and reduce mortality among low-income adults. It also delivers significant financial benefits, including reduced medical debt, fewer unpaid bills, and improved credit outcomes. Beyond individuals, expansion strengthens health systems by lowering uncompensated care costs and helping keep hospitals — especially in rural areas — financially stable. Overall, the evidence shows that Medicaid expansion generates both health and economic returns that often outweigh its costs. [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation] "They can find the money. They found the money to give tax breaks to rich people, to take money out of public schools and give it to private schools."   — Amber England, a leader in the successful 2020 ballot initiative to expand Medicaid (SoonerCare), criticized lawmakers’ push to move expansion out of the state constitution, arguing that while they claim the state can’t afford to sustain it — especially if the federal share decreases — they continue to fund other policy choices. [KFOR] Oklahoma News   Oklahoma GOP's plans for August Medicaid vote hits bipartisan snags: Oklahoma's GOP leaders in the state Legislature want to ask voters in August to approve changes to Medicaid expansion and the selection process for appellate court judges, but Senate Democrats and ultra-conservative Republicans keep stalling the efforts. [The Oklahoman] Petitioners call foul on OK lawmakers’ efforts to control Medicaid expansion [KFOR] From OK Policy: SoonerCare is a lifeline Oklahoma can't afford to lose Legal roundup: OCCA calls on #okleg, Matthew Douglas case dismissed, potential loophole closed: Appellate courts in Oklahoma have been busy, with rulings involving the federal prosecution of Indians and “technical violations” of probation, the end of an Okmulgee jailhouse police fight case, a state representative losing an Oklahoma Supreme Court appeal, a Miranda rights reversal and even a 2024 election libel lawsuit in recent weeks. [NonDoc]   State Government News   GOP lawmaker defies party on immigration, defends Jimmy Kimmel in exit speech: A longtime Republican state representative has bid farewell to the Oklahoma Legislature with a pro-immigration, pro-free speech message that defied his party's President Donald Trump-led platform. [The Oklahoman] Oklahoma House Republican delivers pro-immigration farewell speech (video) [The Oklahoman] Oklahoma Supreme Court will decide if attorney general can step in on State Farm case: Oklahoma’s Supreme Court will soon decide if Attorney General Gentner Drummond can intervene in a private insurance lawsuit against State Farm. Here is a breakdown of this week’s oral arguments. [KOSU]   Oklahoma treasurer sued over alleged open records violation: A government transparency nonprofit sued the Oklahoma Treasurer’s Office Wednesday alleging the treasurer failed to release copies of contracts related to a program processing state employee pay. [Oklahoma Voice]   Legislative Roundup Oklahoma House sends permanent school cellphone ban to governor’s desk [Oklahoma Voice] Senate kills Stitt-backed proposal to make state superintendent appointed role [Oklahoma Voice] Bill adding instructional days for some Oklahoma schools heads to governor's desk [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU] Oklahoma Senate advances data center energy cost bill [The Journal Record] Federal Government News   DEA details new rules for Oklahoma dispensaries after marijuana reclassification: The Drug Enforcement Administration has announced what information it will need from medical marijuana dispensaries and their employees that seek federal compliance with the now rescheduled drug. [The Oklahoman]   Supreme Court sides against Black voters in blow to landmark civil rights law: The high court effectively struck down a Black majority congressional district in Louisiana and limited a landmark civil rights law passed to protect the voting power of racial minorities. [USA Today via The Oklahoman]   US Supreme Court seems to side with Trump actions to strip legal status for Haitians, Syrians: The U.S. Supreme Court appeared poised Wednesday to uphold the Trump administration’s efforts to end temporary legal protections for 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians. [Oklahoma Voice]   New delay looms for Homeland Security funding as US House GOP blocks vote: U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to make changes to a Senate-passed bill that would end the shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security, a move that will further delay funding and prolong the stalemate that began in mid-February. [Oklahoma Voice]   Tribal Nations News   ‘No confidence’: Council members chastise Muscogee Supreme Court over Freedmen ruling: By a 13-1 vote, the Muscogee National Council approved a resolution April 25 expressing “no confidence” in Muscogee Nation Supreme Court Justices Andrew Adams III, Richard Lerblance, Montie Deer, Kathleen Supernaw and George Thompson Jr. for having “violated their oath of office by independently amending the 1979 Constitution by striking ‘by blood’ without an affirmative vote of the people.” [NonDoc]   Tribal nations in Oklahoma awarded million of dollars to boost broadband access: Specifically in the Choctaw Nation and Osage Nation, the internet infrastructure will primarily be fiber optic cables or fixed wireless. Officials say broadband technology not only provides essential day-to-day services for homes, schools and businesses, but also cultural preservation and strengthening tribal sovereignty. [KOSU]   Education News   Oklahoma school districts bracing to pay out of pocket for teacher raises: A $2,000 teacher salary increase advancing through the Legislature has raised concerns among school district leaders of whether state funding will support its total cost. [Oklahoma Voice]   Millions of federal dollars support low-income students in Tulsa County. Here’s how schools spend it: The federal government shells out billions in Title I grants each year to help combat poverty and its impacts on education. These funds trickle down to public districts based on need. Districts distribute them directly to schools based on how many students receive free or reduced lunch through the National School Lunch Program. [Tulsa Flyer]   Health News   Oklahoma healthcare system performs poorly across all racial and ethnic groups, report finds: A new report found that although racial and ethnic health disparities are pervasive in every state, Oklahoma’s healthcare system is performing poorly across all groups. Health research and policy nonprofit the Commonwealth Fund warns that federal cuts and restrictions to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act Marketplace could worsen outcomes. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]   Are 50% of teens in America obese, as Rep. Brecheen claimed? No: According to the Centers for Disease Control, 22.9% of adolescents ages 12-19 are obese, or have a higher weight-to-height ratio than what is considered normal. [Oklahoma Voice]   How Tulsa is tapping opioid settlement funds for housing, treatment and hope: The very people harmed by deceptive practices of opioid manufacturers, distributors and retailers are being restored through settlement funds from class-action lawsuits against those companies. The irony isn’t lost on the beneficiaries. [Tulsa Flyer]   Justice System News Jail trust attacks plaintiff, his criminal background in jail salary suit: An attorney for the Oklahoma County jail trust slammed the man who took its chairman to court over controversial jail staff pay raises as "an eight-time convicted felon attempting to veil himself with the cloak of legitimacy" in a court filing. [The Oklahoman]   Feds indict 51 people in Oklahoma illegal pot conspiracy: A federal grand jury has indicted 51 people in the newest conspiracy case alleging black-market marijuana has been distributed from illegal grows in Oklahoma throughout the United States. [The Oklahoman] Federal charges filed against 51 people in alleged Oklahoma-based cannabis trafficking ring [KOSU] Some Oklahoma prisons are becoming biodiversity hubs for pollinators: Incarcerated people at four correctional facilities are planting native gardens with the help of a nonprofit conservation organization. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KOSU]   Housing & Economic Opportunity News   Oklahoma’s Eviction Process Is Being Used as a Form of Rent Collection, Data Shows: It happens to hundreds of Oklahomans every month. Rent is due on the first, but the paycheck hits their bank account on the sixth. The reality for many tenants is that by then, an eviction notice has already been taped to their door. [Oklahoma Watch]   Norman homeless shelter lawsuit dismissed: A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the funding for a new homeless shelter in Norman has been dismissed. [KGOU]   This proposed policy could lead to more housing in Tulsa’s north side. How does it work?: Tulsa wants to make it easier to build affordable housing in Districts 1 and 3 — which includes north and northwest parts of the city — by expanding the boundaries of its infill housing overlay. [The Oklahoma Eagle]   Economy & Business News   Shrinkflation? Your favorite grocery brands have different price tags around Tulsa: Shrinkflation is a budding conversation — are we paying more for smaller amounts? The TL;DR (too long, didn’t read) is we are in fact getting less bang for our buck. And, spoiler alert, that cost varies by store in Tulsa. [Tulsa Flyer]   Community News   New study ranks Oklahoma's roads among the worst in the nation. Here's why: Oklahoma has some of the worst roads in the nation, according to a 2026 report from Consumer Affairs. Grading both the condition of road surfaces, along with traffic fatalities, consumer advocacy and review website Consumer Affairs ranked Oklahoma as No. 5 on their list of states with the worst roads. [The Oklahoman]   Local Headlines Oklahoma City's budget faces cuts, police spending draws backlash [The Oklahoman] Edmond City Council denies rezoning for Bryant and Covell planned unit development [The Journal Record] Tulsa County ends joint emergency management agency as city plans new office [Tulsa Flyer] Recall effort on Sand Springs councilors who voted for data center fails [Tulsa World] 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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