Oklahoma News
Oklahoma AG won't say if Trump administration push to access protected voter info is lawful: It wasn't clear Friday if the state's Attorney General's Office planned to fight the release of protected voter data sought by the Trump administration. Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a statement that Oklahoma will fully cooperate with "any lawful requests related to the investigation of voter fraud." His office would not say Friday if Drummond believed the federal government could lawfully obtain voters' social security and driver's license data. [Oklahoma Voice]
Judge weighs immediacy vs. efficacy in Oklahoma poultry waste settlement proposal: Oklahoma could be one step closer to ending its decades-long court battle with poultry companies over pollution in the Illinois River Watershed. A federal judge heard attorneys' thoughts on a settlement agreement with one poultry company on Friday and will hear more on agreements with other companies this week. [KOSU]
- Judge hears requests to approve settlement in Illinois River watershed pollution lawsuit [Tulsa World]
Experts put data centers under the microscope, address local concerns: National experts are putting data centers under the microscope amid questions and controversies with developments proposed not just in northeast Oklahoma, but around the world. [Tulsa World]
These 3 charts show how Oklahoma's electricity costs are rising for residents: Electricity has gotten more expensive, and the Public Service Company of Oklahoma is asking for more rate increases. Most recently, PSO asked to review and increase base rates for improvements to the power grid, which would cost residents around $25 more a month if approved. [Tulsa Flyer]
State Government News
After Years of Stalemate, Lawmakers Advance Bail Reform Proposals: As county jails grapple with a backlog of sentenced prisoners, defendants suffering from serious mental illness, and one of the largest counties in the state faces a federal court ruling that its bail system favors the wealthy, the Oklahoma Legislature is showing a renewed willingness to tackle the issue of bail reform. [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma, other red states target SNAP fraud, errors under threat of costly federal penalties: State officials across the country are looking to crack down on fraud and mistakes in the nation's largest food assistance program, spurred by looming federal rules that will force states with high error rates to pay more. [Oklahoma Voice]
Foreign land ownership sparks debate in Oklahoma politics. What does the law say?: While state law generally doesn't allow citizens of foreign nations to own real estate in Oklahoma, the law carves out some exceptions that has led to nearly 5% of the state having foreign ownership or control. [The Oklahoman]
Report finds state could save millions on office space: Oklahoma could save millions of dollars by making better use of office space owned by the state instead of relying on space leased by state agencies in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, an analysis by the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency shows. [Tulsa World]
Legislative leaders put $26 million request for more troopers into perspective: A request for money to hire 150 additional Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers is on the radar at the state Capitol, but leaders say that freeing up $26 million will be tricky in a tight budget year. [Tulsa World]
Stitt says politics get 'disgusting,' calls himself 'more free' in final year: With less than a year to go in his final term, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt spoke candidly to fellow governors last week about the freedom that comes with not running for reelection. [NonDoc]
Monday Minute: Deadline time: At the Oklahoma State Capitol this week, legislators are barreling toward Thursday's due date for babies bills to advance from a committee in their chamber of origin. That means some of us are in for long days, work delays and maybe not a lot of sleep. [NonDoc]
Opinion, Capitol Insider: State House of Representatives advances immigration enforcement bills: Two bills supporting the Trump administration's immigration enforcement plan are moving forward in the Oklahoma legislature. Speaker of the House Kyle Hilbert presented both bills, which enforce federal immigration policy through SNAP and Medicaid. And predictably, there was considerable debate. [KGOU]
Opinion: Oklahoma Republicans' plan to help current teachers will shirk their duty to retired ones: Leave it to Oklahoma lawmakers to find a way to pit the fortunes of our retired educators against the needs of our current ones. But that's essentially what the Republican-controlled Senate is doing with their latest plan to pay for $254 million in much-needed education investments by screwing around with funding the pension system that retired educators rely on and are entitled to. [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]
Federal Government News
US, Israel strike Iran; Democrats call for immediate vote on Trump war powers: Democratic lawmakers called Saturday for Congress to weigh in on President Donald Trump's order launching "major combat operations" in Iran, while Republicans largely provided cautious support of the attacks. [Oklahoma Voice]
- What Oklahoma leaders said about U.S. strikes in Iran [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma Senator James Lankford shares updates on Operation Epic Fury [KFOR]
Oklahoma challenges new U.S. Army plan for base dining contracts: The U.S. Army's attempt to bypass traditional procedures for awarding dining contracts has triggered lawsuits by two states, including Oklahoma, that represent blind business owners in winning those contracts. [The Oklahoman]
Democrats push back against Trump anti-DEI funding cuts for minority-serving colleges: U.S. Senate Democrats threw a spotlight Thursday on President Donald Trump's attempts to yank funds away from minority-serving institutions, as the administration tries to end diversity, equity and inclusion policies in schools. [Oklahoma Voice]
5 things to know about the SAVE Act changing voter registration rules: The U.S. House, in a tight vote Feb. 11, passed the SAVE America Act that would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote. [Tulsa World]
D.C. Digest: Mexico not the best place for spring break, Lankford and Mullin say: U.S. Sens. James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin warned young Oklahomans not to spend spring break in Mexico because of violence following the killing of crime boss Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes. [Tulsa World]
Voting and Election News
Governor candidates pledge to keep Oklahoma 'most conservative state': State GOP leaders say Oklahoma is the most conservative state in the nation and are looking to gubernatorial candidates to uphold the state's red agenda. [The Oklahoman]
- Top Republicans campaigning for Oklahoma governor abandon Stitt for Trump [The Oklahoman]
How a handful of states and districts could decide who runs Congress: There are just four Senate races out of 35 and 18 House districts out of 435 where each candidate has even odds of winning, according to analysis from The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter. The rest are categorized as leaning, likely or solidly for one party or the other. Some ratings potentially will still shift in a turbulent election year. [Oklahoma Voice]
Political notebook: In Oklahoma, high voter turnout has favored Republicans: With the Trump administration suing Oklahoma and 28 other states, including the District of Columbia, for access to voter information, the old saw that low voter turnout helps Republicans and hurts Democrats is again in vogue. The numbers, however, do not support that, especially in Oklahoma. [Tulsa World]
Education News
Tensions flare as protracted preliminary hearings for Ben Harris, David Chaney concludes: After an almost two-year recess caused by procedural delays, the preliminary hearings for Epic Charter Schools co-founders Ben Harris and David Chaney concluded Friday after three additional days of testimony by their former chief financial officer, Josh Brock, who originally took the stand in 2024 before the lengthy recess. [NonDoc]
- After 2 years and a final tense day, Epic co-founders' preliminary hearing concludes [Oklahoma Voice]
Opinion: The solution for student reading improvement is commitment: Speaker Kyle Hilbert's proposal to retain some third-graders who cannot yet read deserves attention — and honestly, some credit. The plan has drawn criticism from legislators and others who worry it could embarrass students, hurt confidence, or even increase dropout rates. Some argue retention alone won't work and that schools need tutoring, intervention programs and sustained support to make a difference. Those concerns aren't unreasonable. But they also miss something important. [Former State Rep. Mark McBride / The Oklahoman]
Health News
Mental health department set to begin transferring patients to new Oklahoma City hospital location: Officials on Friday said they're planning to begin accepting patients next week at a new mental health hospital in southwest Oklahoma City as they wrap up renovations on the first phase of a multi-million dollar renovation. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma mental health department to begin moving patients from Griffin Memorial [KOSU]
Criminal Justice News
County commissioner to ask for state audit of jail trust finances: Controversial spending, unauthorized pay raises and other questionable financial activity by the beleaguered Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority has Commissioner Jason Lowe asking for an examination of the jail trust's books by State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd. Some of the jail's financials can't even be found, Lowe told The Oklahoman. [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma County Commissioners to discuss possible audit of jail trust finances [KFOR]
A Secret Survey From Inside a Women's Prison Tells Stories of Domestic Abuse Untold in Court: One incarcerated woman set out to understand how many others at Oklahoma's Mabel Bassett Correctional Center had cases like hers. Their stories helped shape a new state law intended to reduce their sentences — but will it work? [ProPublica]
Opinion: Oklahoma 'Failure to Protect' law betrays survivors like me: If Oklahoma is serious about protecting women and children, it's time for lawmakers to repeal Oklahoma's "Failure to Protect" statute for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. [Ashley Garrison / The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
OKC's oldest public housing complex seeks $26M grant for transformation: Planners behind a major revitalization project at a severely aging public housing complex in southwest Oklahoma City are now applying for additional federal grants to make the new apartments a reality. [The Oklahoman]
Community News
Blood supply shortage has patients skipping treatment. This Tulsa woman wants to change that: Shagah Zakerion is on her fourth bout with cancer. For her, blood is life. And, in the last few weeks, she's had to miss at least two transfusions because there is just not enough blood in Tulsa to go around. Her younger sister, Sheyda Brown, is creating an awareness campaign to diversify the pool of people who donate blood because certain ethnic groups have unique antigens making treatment for some patients with similar ancestry — such as those with sickle cell or blood cancers — more successful. [Tulsa Flyer]
Opinion: Bessie Coleman, Langston University, Clara Luper reflect the best Oklahoma can be: It is a hard truth that following statehood, the first legislation passed by the Oklahoma Senate was Senate Bill 1, a series of Jim Crow laws that made it legal to discriminate against Black people. But I was heartened to learn that after celebrating Oklahoma's Centennial in 2007, one of the first orders of business in the Senate was to pass legislation condemning the actions of 100 years before. It matters. [State Sen. Nikki Nice / The Oklahoman]
