In The Know: Attorney General asks court to halt construction of OK aluminum smelter | Last living perpetrator of Sirloin Stockade murders recommended for parole | OK Policy hosting nonpartisan town hall about state questions on the August ballot

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.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2026 Subscribe // View web version (current and archived) In the Chickasha area? Register now for our last listening session of the year!   If you or someone you know lives near Chickasha, register now for our final 2026 listening session on Thursday, August 13. By hearing directly from residents, we can better advocate for state policies that reflect your priorities.   This session is free and open to the public, and participants over 16 will be compensated for their time. [Learn More] Register for the Chickasha Listening Session Take Our Quick Online Survey Share this link with your friends and family in Oklahoma! $1.46 billion   The gap between the $41.5 million the federal government invested in Native American language revitalization in 2024 and its own estimated annual funding need of $1.5 billion. [Brookings Institute] Underinvestment in Indian Country: How federal and philanthropic funding to Native Americans falls short, and how to fix it   American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes and communities have seen significant shifts in federal funding in recent years. Sweeping federal laws passed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and recession brought historic levels of funding to Tribal communities in areas such as infrastructure, health, education, clean energy, and economic development. However, since the start of 2025, the funding landscape has shifted. Unfortunately, rather than move the U.S. closer to meeting the full funding needs of Tribal communities, recent fiscal policy decisions have moved it further away. This report provides an overview of recent funding to Indian Country, outlines areas of critical need, and highlights service areas that have recently seen some of the largest funding reductions. [Brookings Institute] "The immersion school taught our children to speak. Closing it is an attack on our language sovereignty."   — Osage Nation citizen Yancey Red Corn discussing the Osage Nation executive branch’s decision to close the Tribe’s language immersion school. [KOSU] Oklahoma News   AG asks federal court to halt construction of Oklahoma aluminum smelter: Oklahoma’s attorney general on Tuesday asked a federal court to block construction in Inola of what would be the largest aluminum smelter in the country. [Oklahoma Voice] Drummond asks federal court to halt construction of Inola aluminum plant [The Oklahoman] Drummond files motion to halt construction of aluminum smelter in Northeast Oklahoma [KOSU] Drummond seeks injunction to block proposed aluminum smelter in Inola, Oklahoma [KOTV via Tulsa Flyer] Drummond asks federal court to block start of construction on aluminum smelter [Tulsa World] Oklahoma AG Drummond files injunction to block proposed aluminum smelter in Inola [KFOR] Smelter permit on hold as state agency awaits answers from Oklahoma Primary Aluminum: The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality confirmed Tuesday that a permitting for a planned aluminum smelter near Inola has been paused pending receipt of further information. [Tulsa World]   Federal Government News   Did Donald Trump state during a 2020 Tulsa campaign rally that he’d asked to slow COVID-19 testing to reduce reported case numbers?: Yes. President Donald Trump told the crowd at his June 2020 campaign rally in Tulsa, three months after the pandemic-prompted declaration of a state of emergency, that he had asked his administration to slow COVID-19 testing to avoid bad statistics, the Associated Press reported. [Oklahoma Watch]   Trump urges shift in childhood vaccine recommendations, calls for splitting up MMR vaccine: President Donald Trump on Monday signed a sweeping executive order that aims to reshape guidance surrounding childhood vaccines, standing alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and was met with immediate pushback. [Oklahoma Voice]   Tribal Nations News   Osage Nation Congress asks for principal chief to consider reopening language immersion school: When the Osage Nation executive branch curtailed some services last week, the tribe's language immersion school was among the cuts. Now the tribe’s congress and more than 1,000 community members are asking for the decision to be reconsidered. [KOSU] Osage Congress calls for school closure reconsideration [Tulsa World] 10th Osage Nation Congress formally requests Tillman to reopen Daposka Ahnkodapi [Osage News] Voting and Election News   Election Roundup GOP gubernatorial candidates Drummond and Mazzei talk controversial data centers, Flock cameras [KOCO] Faith and politics shape Oklahoma superintendent Republican runoff [The Oklahoman] HD 9 runoff: Scotty Stokes, Crystal Campbell discuss smelter concerns, disaster response [NonDoc] Midtown Tulsa will be represented by a new face. Where do council candidates stand on the issues? [Tulsa Flyer] District 1 Voter Guide: Tulsa City Council & State Questions [The Black Wall Street Times] Flock cameras a hot topic at voter forum for District 9 City Council candidates [Tulsa World] Recall election for Yukon Mayor Brian Pillmore set for Nov. 3 [KOCO] Education News   Oklahoma grows statewide team of reading coaches as new literacy laws take effect: An expanded team of reading coaches will train teachers across Oklahoma as public schools implement new requirements for childhood literacy. The Oklahoma State Department of Education’s HEROES Literacy Instructional Team has grown to 24 reading coaches and six regional supervisors, following recent legislative action. The team, which the state lawmakers converted from a pilot program to a permanent fixture, will work with 120 elementary schools over the coming academic year. [Oklahoma Voice]   University of Tulsa lowers tuition to $25,000 starting in 2027: The University of Tulsa announced Tuesday it’s lowering its annual tuition and fees from $54,000 to $25,000, making it the most affordable private research university in the region, the school says. [Tulsa World] The University of Tulsa is cutting undergraduate tuition in half with help from major donors [Tulsa Flyer] Health News   Oklahoma cyclosporiasis cases climb past 500 in latest health department update: Reported cyclosporiasis cases have climbed to more than 500 in Oklahoma, according to data from the State Department of Health. The state’s total count includes 496 confirmed and 10 probable cases. This is up from a total of 418 confirmed and eight probable cases reported last week. Thirty-two cases have resulted in hospitalization. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU] More than 500 cyclosporiasis cases confirmed in Oklahoma this year, officials report [The Oklahoman] Opinion: When healthcare policy becomes personal: Over the past several months, thousands of Oklahomans have received letters from their physicians informing them that their clinics are closing. Those letters have been arriving since INTEGRIS Health announced workforce reductions, clinic closures, and cuts to medical services after projecting approximately $130 million in losses tied to Medicaid and Medicare funding cuts from the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill.” [Julie McKone / The Journal Record] From OK Policy: H.R. 1 could push Oklahoma’s health care system past its breaking point Justice System News   Oklahoma murderer Verna Stafford recommended for parole, but will not go free: Admitted murderer Verna Stafford has been recommended for parole despite an outcry from the families of victims, prosecutors and legislators. Stafford, 73, is serving a life sentence for the 1978 massacre at the Sirloin Stockade steakhouse in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended in a 3-2 vote Tuesday, Aug. 11, that Gov. Kevin Stitt grant her parole. [The Oklahoman] Last living perpetrator of Sirloin Stockade murders recommended for parole [KOSU] Woman in prison after notorious murders gets parole recommendation, but no release [Tulsa World] Verna Stafford tells parole board she was ‘controlled’ by convicted killer husband [KFOR] Housing & Economic Opportunity News   Landlords Are Failing To Provide Essential Services, But Tenants Have Little Recourse: Section 118 of Oklahoma’s Residential Landlord-Tenant Act outlines the landlord and tenants’ duties. The landlord must maintain in good and safe working order all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating and air-conditioning appliances. But tenants have only two options: the law allows them to repair the problems themselves at a cost of up to one month’s rent with written notice to the landlord, or break the lease and leave. [Oklahoma Watch] From OK Policy: Oklahoma’s housing crisis met with legislative silence this session Oklahoma among worst states for underprivileged children, study says: There are more underprivileged children in Oklahoma than in 44 of the other states in America and the nation's capital, according to a new report. The study, which evaluated the living and economic conditions of children nationwide on the basis of socio-economic welfare, health and education, ranked Oklahoma fifth among states with the most underprivileged children. [The Oklahoman] From OK Policy: 2026 KIDS COUNT: Oklahoma ranks 44th for child well-being Local Headlines Railroad crossings closed for maintenance in Edmond [The Oklahoman] Edmond History Museum gets another $300,000 with city budget amendment [The Oklahoman 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.