 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 may be behind paywall or require subscription. OK Policy encourages the support of Oklahoma's state and local media, which are vital to an informed citizenry. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and click here see past editions. | 
New from OK Policy Policy Matters: Having a Heart Attack? Take a Number: When you or a loved one experiences a medical emergency, you expect care to be immediately available. Oklahoma’s rising COVID-19 rate, however, has strained our state’s health care system to the breaking point. A person having a heart attack today might as well be facing a “Now Serving” ticket queue as if they were in line for a car tag renewal. [Ahniwake Rose / Journal Record] Oklahoma News U.S. Secretary of Education tells Stitt, Hofmeister that state's prohibition on universal masking 'may infringe upon a school district’s authority': The Biden administration put Oklahoma on notice Wednesday that a new state prohibition on mask mandates in schools may violate individual student rights and local school districts’ authority to protect students and employees. Speaking from the White House on Wednesday afternoon, President Joe Biden said he had directed U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to use his oversight authority or even take legal action “if appropriate.” [Tulsa World] - Few students in 2 Oklahoma districts opt out of mask mandate [AP News]
- As a new school year starts, StateImpact is tracking COVID-19’s impact [StateImpact Oklahoma]
- 'Balancing the nerves and the joy': Suburban districts head back to school [Tulsa World]
- Stillwater residents join lawsuit seeking overturn of bill that prohibits mask mandates, vaccine requirements [Stillwater News Press]
COVID-19: 15,471 new cases in Oklahoma last week; Hospitalizations climb toward December peak: Oklahoma's COVID-19 hospitalization numbers are continuing their climb back toward the state's peak, which was reached in December, state data released Wednesday show. Oklahoma hospitals are now treating approximately 1,385 COVID-19 inpatients, which is on par with late-January levels. [Tulsa World] - Who needs a third COVID-19 shot now, and when and where can Oklahomans get one? [The Oklahoman]
- Expert: Public understanding needed to combat delta strain [The Journal Record]
Health News Only Half of Oklahoma’s Nursing Home Workers Are Vaccinated. Now Biden Is Mandating It: Nursing homes in Oklahoma and across the nation are in danger of losing staff or funding following pressure from the Biden administration spurred by a resurgence of COVID-19. Nursing homes that refuse to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for their staff will lose Medicare and Medicaid funding. [Oklahoma Watch] Blood Donations Needed As Supply Set To Slump Again: Blood donations are once again needed as supply is forecasted to drop due to the rise in COVID. Dr. John Armitage, CEO of the Oklahoma Blood Institute, said because of the recent virus spike, scheduled donors who are being cautious of exposure have backed out. [Public Radio Tulsa] State Government News Stitt announces new medical marijuana director, Oklahoma's fourth in three years: Adria Berry is being named the new director of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority. She will be the agency's fourth director in less than three years. Berry is replacing Kelly Williams, who worked as director for nearly a year. Berry, who most recently worked for the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma, will begin as OMMA director on Aug. 30, she said. [The Oklahoman] According to a statement distributed after the publication of this article, Williams will “continue to work with the agency, providing her expertise and guidance” after Berry becomes director Aug. 30. [NonDoc] Canoo CEO confirms $300 million incentives number from state for Pryor factory: The head of a electric vehicle maker scheduled to build a plant at MidAmerica Industrial Park in Pryor acknowledged this week that the state has proposed hundreds of millions of dollars in incentives for the project. [Tulsa World] Electric Grid Managers Pursuing Fuel Availability Improvements After February Storms: A Southwest Power Pool executive told Oklahoma state regulators the corporation is working hard on ensuring an adequate supply of fuel for electricity generators across the 14-state grid it oversees. An SPP report on February’s winter storm response focused on natural gas shortages and resulting price spikes as major factors behind utilities implementing rolling outages amid subzero temperatures. [Public Radio Tulsa] Federal Government News Millions of workers will lose their safety net this Labor Day if Congress doesn’t act: Labor Day is a federal holiday honoring the nation’s workers. This year, however, it will coincide with a damaging moment for those workers: the expiration of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits for millions of Americans who involuntarily lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Century Foundation estimates that on September 6, 7.5 million workers will no longer receive UI benefits. This is because those workers participated in one of the three temporary programs that Congress authorized in March 2020’s CARES Act. (Those who still qualify for regular UI will continue to receive benefits, but without the CARES Act’s extra $300 in weekly benefits.) [Brookings] Tinker Air Force Base has new highest-ranking official: Oklahoma's new highest-ranking Air Force official took the reins Tuesday morning at Tinker Air Force Base. Maj. Gen. Tom D. Miller was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general as Commander of Tinker Air Force Sustainment Center, taking over the position from retiring Lt. Gen. Donald "Gene" Kirkland. [The Oklahoman] Criminal Justice News Clearing Records: Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City’s Expungement Expo: Nineteen people will be getting their legal slates wiped clean while others are invited to begin the process of clearing convictions from their records, where applicable. The Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City’s (ULOKC) Community Convening and Social Justice Department will host the inaugural Expungement Expo Aug. 21. on their campus, at 3900 N Martin Luther King Ave. [Oklahoma Gazette] Economy & Business News ‘Trojan horse’ cannabis industry brings changes, challenges: Freedom to operate unencumbered by excessive expense or regulation has lured many a cannabis entrepreneur to Oklahoma. But some are finding that the lack of regulation can hurt those trying to do things the right way. [The Journal Record / The Denver Post] Seaboard Foods Union In Guymon Files Complaint As Company Requests Temporary Workers: The union representing Seaboard Foods in Guymon, Oklahoma has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor as the company seeks temporary workers to fill gaps in its workforce. [KOSU] Education News Western Heights school district has first day back to class after turbulent summer: Western Heights Public Schools opened for its first day of classes Wednesday after a tumultuous summer that pitted state officials against local administrators and school board members. While a legal battle over control of Western Heights still wages in the state Supreme Court, students returned for their first day of school in the southwest Oklahoma City district. [The Oklahoman] General News Justice for Greenwood requests federal civil rights investigation into city's mass graves search: A Tulsa-based advocacy group has asked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to investigate the city of Tulsa’s handling of its search for mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. [Tulsa World] Survivors of the 1921 massacre and descendants of victims said they did not trust city officials to search for the graves of Black residents who were killed by a white mob. [New York Times] Oklahoma Local News Quote of the Day “I think Ronald Reagan was right when he said those closest to the problem are the ones best suited to address it." -Oklahoma State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister commenting about a letter from the U.S. Secretary of Education to Gov. Stitt and her noting that a new state prohibition on mask mandates in schools (SB 658) may violate individual student rights and local school districts’ authority to protect students and employees. [Tulsa World] Number of the Day 16% Percentage of Oklahomans who identified as American Indian and Alaska Native alone or in combination during the 2020 Census, which was the nation's second highest such rate behind Alaska. This was a 31 percent increase from the 2010 Census. [U.S. Census Bureau] Policy Note New 2020 census results show increased diversity countering decade-long declines in America’s white and youth populations: The first release of race-ethnic statistics from the 2020 census makes plain that America’s “diversity explosion” is continuing, albeit in the context of slower national growth, especially among the youth. The new numbers show that, for the first time, there was a decade-long loss in the number of white Americans who do not identify with other racial and ethnic groups. This means that all of the nation’s 2010-to-2020 growth is attributable to people of color—those identifying as Latino or Hispanic, Black, Asian American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Native American, and as two or more races. Together, these groups now comprise more than 40% of the U.S. population. [Brookings] You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail. | Oklahoma Policy Institute
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