In The Know: Advocates challenge the rejection of open primaries initiative petition | OK Supreme Court hears challenge to homestead property tax state question | Oklahoma’s minimum wage is out of step with today’s economy

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 4, 2026 Subscribe // View web version (current and archived) Policy Matters: Oklahoma’s minimum wage is out of step with today’s economy   For years, debates about the minimum wage have been framed as a fight between workers and businesses. But many employers settled that debate long ago. They understand that attracting and keeping good employees requires offering more than the federal minimum wage. They know turnover is expensive, hiring takes time, and a reliable workforce is essential to serving customers and growing their business. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record] From OK Policy: SQ 832 Information and Resources $1.52 billion   Estimated loss of local funding for essential community services if State Question 843, which would eliminate property taxes in Oklahoma, is enacted. The measure, referred to voters by the Legislature, is currently being challenged before the Oklahoma Supreme Court. State estimates indicate that Oklahoma public schools would see a $1.03 billion reduction in local funding from the loss of property tax revenue. [Oklahoma Tax Commission] Toward Fairer, More Equitable Property Taxes   Local public services are cornerstones of our communities, ensuring that our children are educated, our communities are safe and healthy, and public spaces like parks and libraries can be enjoyed by all. Unfortunately, local governments’ ability to provide these services is under threat as state legislators across the country have called for inequitable and costly across-the-board property tax cuts under the guise of addressing housing affordability. Most of the proposals this year have failed to benefit those most impacted by affordability — low-income homeowners and renters — while restricting the ability of local officials to raise the revenue they need to support their communities. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities] "Nobody likes paying property taxes. I don’t like it personally, but I know what my property taxes fund. It funds my school, roads and county health institutes."   — Caedmon Brooks, a college student and Republican political activist from rural Oklahoma, arguing that property taxes help fund essential public services and play a critical role in supporting local communities. [The Oklahoman] Oklahoma News   Advocates challenge the rejection of Oklahoma open primaries initiative petition: Oklahoma Secretary of State Benjamin Lepak rejected the open primaries initiative petition in March and said it fell short of the required number of valid signatures. While supporters submitted over 209,000 signatures, well over the required 172,993, Lepak reported that only 142,567 were valid. [Oklahoma Voice]   OK Supreme Court hears challenge to homestead property tax state question: A group of 10 Oklahomans is urging the Oklahoma Supreme Court to strike down State Question 843, arguing it violates the state constitution. The proposed ballot initiative would eliminate property taxes on homesteads through phases, beginning with a 33.3% reduction in 2027, increasing to 66.67% in 2028 and reaching full exemption by 2029 and beyond. [The Oklahoman] From OK Policy: Fact Sheet: Property taxes are vital to the health of local government in Oklahoma (2026) State Government News   As regulators consider PSO’s rate increase, Oklahomans voice concern over rising costs: Public Service Company of Oklahoma filed a rate increase last year that would hike average customer bills by 15%. State utility regulators on Monday heard from PSO customers and Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols about the company’s proposed rate increase. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]   Oklahoma lawmaker proposes AI tool to review agency rules: Oklahoma lawmakers may soon use artificial intelligence to ensure state agencies, boards and commissions are complying with the law when making administrative rules defining operations minutiae, such as fees, licensing requirements and more. [The Journal Record]   Long Story Short: A Panhandle Tragedy, Reading Overhauls and The Cost of Play (podcast): J.C. Hallman discusses the devastating fallout of a fatal Panhandle accident, while reporter Andrea Eger takes the temperature of classrooms navigating a massive legislative overhaul of how Oklahoma children learn to read. Plus, Jennifer Palmer details a new federal crackdown on the soaring, hidden costs of youth sports, from steep registration fees to mandatory “stay-to-play” hotel rules. [Oklahoma Watch]   Federal Government News   US picks Louisiana, Oklahoma rare earth projects for $134M funding: The U.S. Department of Energy said on Tuesday it has selected projects in Louisiana and Oklahoma for $134 million in funding to extract rare earth elements from waste streams. Washington has been pushing to boost domestic critical minerals output and cut dependence on China, which dominates the global rare earths supply chain. [The Journal Record]   Rebuffing Trump, House votes for first time to end war in Iran: In a severe political blow to President Donald Trump, the House of Representatives voted on for the first time on Wednesday, June 3, to end the war in Iran. [USA Today via The Oklahoman]   US Senate panel pans DHS plan to stop customs processing at blue-city airports: Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin appeared before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Homeland Security panel Tuesday and defended his threats to cripple international air travel into some cities led by Democrats. [Oklahoma Voice]   Mullin declines to commit to court orders on immigration policies: U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin declined to commit to following court orders that run against the Trump administration's immigration policies, when grilled by a top Democratic senator at a hearing on Tuesday. [Reuters via The Oklahoman]   Treasury’s Bessent mum on Trump’s IRS immunity deal: The day after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Trump administration’s “anti-weaponization” fund was dead, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent evaded questions on Capitol Hill Wednesday about whether President Donald Trump, his family and the Trump Organization would be absolved from future tax enforcement, another part of the president’s IRS settlement. [Oklahoma Voice]   Appeals court hears arguments in case over President’s House slavery exhibit removal: Attorneys for the U.S. Department of the Interior and the city of Philadelphia argued in a federal appeals court Tuesday over whether an earlier decision banning the U.S. government from removing exhibits on slavery from the President’s House historical site in Philadelphia should stand. [Oklahoma Voice]   Tribal Nations News   Osage Nation results: Voters elect Joe Tillman chief, John Shaw assistant chief: As the sun set Monday in the not-quite-summer heat, Osage Nation voters elected Congressman Joe Tillman and casino general manager John Shaw as their new principal chief and assistant principal chief. Tillman will replace outgoing Principal Chief Geoffrey StandingBear, while Shaw will succeed RJ Walker. [NonDoc]   Voting and Election News   Election Roundup Lieutenant governor candidates fight to stand out against Trump's pick [The Oklahoman] Who is Jake Merrick? 'Grassroots' GOP candidate for Oklahoma governor [The Oklahoman] McCall says leadership experience sets him apart in Oklahoma governor’s race [Oklahoma Voice] Democratic debate: McVay, Marshall discuss literacy, local control, counselors and calendars [NonDoc] RECAP: Democrat State Superintendent Candidates Address Oklahoma Education Issues in Primary Debate [News 9] 2 Democrats running for state superintendent seek to transform Oklahoma education [KOCO] CD 5 Democratic primary: Trey Martin, Jena Nelson fight for right to face Bice [NonDoc] HD 51: Cody Elliot, Cole Stevens talk education, tax reform as primary will decide SWOK seat [NonDoc] Opinion, OK State Senators: We can't ignore history of voting, representation barriers: Since Oklahoma became a state in 1907, only 13 Black men and women have been elected to the Oklahoma Senate. The first was Civil Rights attorney E. Melvin Porter in 1965, the same year Congress passed the landmark Voting Rights Act (VRA). His election was not a coincidence. The VRA opened doors that discriminatory laws had long kept shut. Now, a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling threatens those hard-won gains in voting rights and representation. [Sens. Julia Kirt and Nikki Nice / The Oklahoman]   Education News   Oklahoma schools beat national average in student attendance, report finds: Often known for bottom-tier educational rankings, Oklahoma has improved over the national average in a critical area: student absenteeism. Nineteen percent of Oklahoma students were chronically absent from school in the 2024-25 academic year, better than the nationwide average of 21%. [Oklahoma Voice] Oklahoma Schools Have a Chronic Absenteeism Problem. Now, It Will No Longer Count Against Them [The 74] Education Watch: What the candidates for state superintendent said about Walters’ tenure: Ryan Walters’ three-year tenure as state superintendent drew chaos, lawsuits, protests and unending scrutiny to the Education Department. In the race to replace Walters, six of the Republican candidates were asked for the positives and negatives of Walters’ administration at a debate Tuesday night hosted by NonDoc and Griffin Media. [Oklahoma Watch]   Health News   After daughter’s cancer diagnosis, Oklahoma family lobbies for research funding: Five days of persistent headaches in May 2024 landed 12-year-old Elise Anderson in an Oklahoma City ER. That visit resulted in a dreaded diagnosis. Anderson had brain cancer. Cutting-edge scientific research resulted in life-saving treatment for Anderson, but threats to future NIH funding could interfere with advancing cures in the future. [The Journal Record]   18 Oklahoma senior care communities earn national quality awards: Fifteen Oklahoma skilled nursing facilities and three assisted living communities have been named recipients of the 2026 Bronze — Commitment to Quality Award by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living. [The Journal Record]   Do prices for identical services by the same doctor increase by up to four times when hospitals acquire physicians’ offices, as Rep. Kevin Hern claimed?: No. Studies show that hospital acquisition of physician practices increased prices for the same services, by the same practices, by 14%-15%. Though one study found two to four times greater prices at hospital-owned sites, it did not investigate causality between acquisition and changes in particular physicians’ service prices. [Oklahoma Watch]   Justice System News   AG, DA to announce criminal charges connected to Tulsa Public Schools bond money: In a joint media advisory issued Wednesday afternoon, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler referred to a “scheme involving hundreds of thousands of dollars in voter-approved Tulsa Public Schools capital improvement funds.” [Tulsa World]   Housing & Economic Opportunity News   The cost of childcare is too high for many Oklahoma families. How are lawmakers responding?: Childcare costs are soaring. Infant care at childcare centers rose 27% from 2023 to 2025, according to the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]   Economy & Business News   What's the highest paying job in Oklahoma? New study points to health: While Oklahoma was home to several energy industry giants like Devon Energy and Expand Energy, who both announced departures in early 2026, the state's highest earners weren't found in that sector on average. Instead, it was found that those working in the medical field came to take the highest checks in the state. [The Oklahoman]   As Mazzei Changes Tone on Smelter Project, Drummond Moves to Block It: Two candidates for Oklahoma’s governorship are taking separate paths on one of the largest industrial projects ever proposed for the state. On Tuesday, Attorney General Gentner Drummond held a press conference at Inola High School to announce he filed a lawsuit in Rogers County to stop the construction of the country’s largest proposed aluminum smelter that would sit on about 350 acres inside the Port of Inola. The plant, which would produce more than 750,000 tons of aluminum annually, has been the subject of intense controversy. [Oklahoma Watch] Proposed Inola aluminum smelter now a legal fight. Three things to know [The Oklahoman] Community News   16,900-pound World Trade Center steel beam coming to OKC: A 16,900-pound steel beam recovered from the original World Trade Center will make a stop at the Oklahoma City Police Department on June 12 as part of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation‘s coast-to-coast “Steel Across America” tour commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. [The Journal Record]   Boley plaza project will greet visitors at Oklahoma Civil Rights Trail destination: Boley, a historic all-Black town and destination on the Oklahoma Civil Rights Trail, has plans to open a 12,500-square-foot plaza as part of an ongoing revitalization effort. The complex will include a welcome center, restaurant and full-service gas station. [KOSU]   Local Headlines Tulsa to provide $7.5 million to help keep major Tulsa Zoo exhibit construction going [Tulsa World] Meet the challengers — so far — seeking to represent north Tulsa on City Council [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.