Oklahoma News
In Depth: Breaking down Oklahoma State Question 844: State Question 844 asks Oklahoma voters to decide on changes to the state's property tax policies, but the ballot language can be confusing. FOX23's Rick Maranon sits down with a nonpartisan policy expert to break down what the measure would do, the arguments for and against it, and what voters should know before casting their ballots. [Fox 23]
Obamacare enrollment plunges 32% in Oklahoma: In 49 states, the number of people enrolled in Obamacare plans has declined since Congress made coverage more expensive by allowing federal subsidies to expire at the end of last year. Late last month, the Trump administration announced that overall participation in the health insurance marketplaces created under Obamacare, officially called the Affordable Care Act, had declined by nearly 3 million people, to about 19.2 million from 21.8 million in 2025. [Oklahoma Voice]
Long Story Short: AI Schools, Ballot Initiatives, and Serial Evictors (podcast): A dive into Alpha School, an expensive, controversial private school system coming to Oklahoma this fall that relies on AI with zero teachers, and a break down of an upcoming August 25 ballot initiative facing Oklahoma voters. Plus, a discussion about an out-of-state corporate landlord operating one of Oklahoma City’s most active eviction pipelines. [Oklahoma Watch]
State Government News
Aluminum smelter study denied, Oklahoma lawmaker claims censorship: A House lawmaker said Wednesday that a fellow Republican has blocked his efforts to hold a study at the Capitol to probe a controversial aluminum smelter that the Trump administration wants to build in his hometown. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma lawmaker at center of misconduct investigation doesn't think he did anything wrong: Last week, a bombshell investigation came out saying that state Rep. Danny Williams, a Republican from Seminole, is being investigated by a legal firm regarding alleged misconduct he committed with a member of the State House of Representatives. The Republican lawmaker spoke with KOCO 5 on Wednesday, saying he doesn't think he did anything wrong. And if he did do something wrong, Williams said it was unintentional. [KOCO]
TSET to continue contract with Georgia university despite Oklahoma lawmaker concerns: A state governing body will allocate up to $150,000 to a private Georgia university despite concerns from some lawmakers that Oklahomans intended for the funding to remain in state. [Oklahoma Voice]
Federal court upholds Oklahoma anti-riot law in Black Lives Matter mural case: Oklahoma's riot act will remain law, for now. A federal appeals court has ruled against several Oklahoman activists who challenged the state anti-riot law, accusing it of being too restrictive for the First Amendment and too vague for the Fourteenth Amendment. [The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
Oklahoma vying for nuclear waste, reactor hub: What does the pitch entail?: Oklahoma is one of five states hoping to be part of the United States' new push for development of nuclear power, and they're betting that the state's history with oil and gas exploration will seal the deal. [The Oklahoman]
US agency works to support Oklahoma power grids amid back-to-back heat waves: The U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order this week to help keep the power on in 17 states, including Oklahoma, as the ongoing heat wave places added strain on power grids. [The Oklahoman]
Courts issue conflicting rulings on Trump executive order restricting vote-by-mail: A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the federal government can continue implementing President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting vote-by-mail, reaching the opposite conclusion that another appeals panel decided over the weekend. [Oklahoma Voice]
TSA shares passengers’ personal information with immigration enforcement, documents show: The Trump administration has for more than a year used personal information airline passengers provide to the Transportation Security Administration for immigration enforcement, according to documents obtained by a government watchdog group. [Oklahoma Voice]
Number of unauthorized immigrants hit new high of nearly 16 million in 2024, report says: The unauthorized U.S. immigrant population grew to its highest level ever by mid-2024, increasing to 15.8 million after hovering at about 11 million since 2010, according to data released Wednesday by a nonpartisan think tank that tracks migration. [Oklahoma Voice]
Tribal Nations News
Black Creek Freedmen Sue Chief David Hill Over Unissued Citizenship Cards: Creek Freedmen descendants Rhonda Grayson and Jeffrey Kennedy filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against Muscogee (Creek) Nation Principal Chief David Hill, the Nation’s Citizenship Board and its individual members. The lawsuit was filed exactly one year after the Muscogee Nation Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the board acted “contrary to law” by denying Grayson and Kennedy citizenship solely because they could not trace an ancestor to the Creek By-Blood Dawes Roll. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Voting and Election News
Could north Tulsa offer clues to increasing voter turnout across Oklahoma? These organizers say yes: Only one in four eligible voters cast a ballot in Oklahoma’s June primary election. In north Tulsa, where turnout is historically low, field organizers say increasing the number of people at the polls requires being more intentional about breaking the barriers facing potential voters. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
- North Tulsans worry lack of early voting site will keep people from getting to the polls [The Oklahoma Eagle]
- City approves nonbinding resolution urging Election Board to add north Tulsa early voting site [Tulsa World]
Election Roundup
- Tulsa District 3: Jackie Dutton challenged by Tanisha Bowen amid resource conversations [NonDoc]
- Tulsa City Council District 5: Local litigator Adam Burnett challenges incumbent Karen Gilbert [NonDoc]
- Tulsa City Council District 7: Incumbent Lori Decter Wright challenged by Kenny Wogoman, Dave Perry [Tulsa Flyer]
Opinion: AI is just latest tool for Oklahoma candidates seeking an edge: Every time there's a new controversy, somebody wants to grab a headline, get on television, issue a press release or call for a special session. It makes for a good headline. It makes for a good television interview. But does governing always have to be a headline? Good government should be about solving problems, not chasing the story of the week. [Former State Rep. Mark McBride / The Oklahoman]
Education News
New private school opening, with AI being the teachers: A private school is opening in Oklahoma in just a matter of weeks, where kids won’t be learning from teachers. The school is all driven by artificial intelligence. Many news outlets have already done some reporting on the expansion of these schools, but we are now learning a lot more about how it is being incorporated in the classroom, and why the price of tuition is higher than the most expensive private school in Oklahoma. [KFOR]
Shocking numbers of non-standard certified teachers in Oklahoma classrooms: Numbers from the Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting held on Thursday showed that most of the new Oklahoma teachers aren’t traditionally trained to be teachers. From 537 in 2017 to nearly 1,912 in 2026, the number of emergency-certified teachers nearly tripled, increasing by 256% over the last decade. [KFOR]
Opinion: For the Children: OICA encourages our nation’s governors to expand civics education: “Common ground” is a crucial topic not discussed enough in our nation. The United States seems increasingly divided, where I wish leaders would focus on what unites us instead of attacking others with differing opinions. Among those holding the highest elective offices, partisan power stoked by division outweighs consensus solutions. [Joe Dorman / The Journal Record]
Health News
Cyclosporiasis cases in Oklahoma continue to rise, surpassing 300: Cases of the intestinal illness, which is transmitted through contaminated food or water, have skyrocketed more than 440% in the last month. There were 56 reported cases of cyclosporiasis when state health officials first released information about the illness on July 14. [KOSU]
Ascension St. John plans to end inpatient care at Nowata hospital. Residents are fighting back: Ascension St. John is seeking federal approval to turn its Nowata hospital into a rural emergency facility, which would mean ending acute inpatient and swing-bed services. Congress established the designation in 2020 to help maintain local access to outpatient and 24/7 emergency services amid growing concerns over hospital closures. Rural emergency facilities receive a monthly payment of around $295,000 to do this. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KOSU]
Justice System News
The Price of Freedom: Oklahoma Bail Schedules Vary Widely, Penalizing the Poorest: When used well, bail schedules help jails book more efficiently and limit how many people are held in jail pretrial, allowing people to bail out without having to wait days to see a judge. But there’s little consistency across the state. The price of freedom, at least while a case works its way through the court system, depends largely on where someone gets arrested, not just what they got arrested for. For arrestees, the ability to bail out quickly can be a matter of livelihood, life, and death. [Oklahoma Watch]
Tulsa district attorney asks OSBI to investigate city jail deaths: Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said Wednesday he has asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to examine seven deaths over the past three years at the Tulsa Municipal Jail. [The Frontier]
- Tulsa County district attorney asks OSBI to look into seven city jail deaths [Tulsa World]
Economy & Business News
Questions swirl around Oklahoma mutual insurance company's reorganization plan: Late last year, a pair of Oklahoma companies sued CompSource Mutual Insurance over its plan to reorganize into a stock company. Now, lawyers for the plaintiffs say the state’s top insurance official may have helped set the plan in motion. [KOSU]
Community News
Broken Arrow leaders were flooded with anti-Muslim emails on a proposed mosque. Here’s what they said behind closed doors: Thousands of communications obtained and reviewed by the Flyer reveal Broken Arrow city councilors were inundated with hundreds of emails about the project in late December and early January. Councilors eventually voted 4-1 against the proposal, which previously earned narrow approval from planning commissioners. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
Local Headlines
- City councilors hear updates on dissolving Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission [Tulsa World]
- Oklahoma City seeks volunteers to identify discriminatory language in plats [KOSU]
- Bus driver shortage prompts Union Public Schools to announce pay raise [Tulsa World]
