State Government News
Oklahoma governor to weigh which undocumented criminals are immediately deported: A push to deport undocumented immigrants serving time in Oklahoma prisons doesn't mean that they won't be required to serve out their sentences or will escape justice. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma Governor's Office disagrees with projections of tax cut impacts: An income tax cut heralded by the governor will cost state coffers hundreds of million less than an independent projection indicated, the Governor's Office said Thursday. [Oklahoma Voice]
'Last couple years have been pretty tumultuous': OSBI Commission names interim director: The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Commission accepted the resignation of retiring director Aungela Spurlock on Thursday and named Steven Carter interim director at a meeting originally scheduled to discuss "performance" concerns. [NonDoc]
Riggs Abney report: Hiett's Broadway 10 statement 'isolated,' Minneapolis incident omitted: A five-month investigation into the conduct of Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett, spurred by reports he allegedly got blackout drunk and groped an energy industry employee at a conference last summer in Minneapolis, has produced a 10-page report that found the commissioner did not say or do anything that constituted sexual harassment during a 2023 party at an Oklahoma City steakhouse. [NonDoc]
- Accusation from 2017 surfaces against Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett [The Oklahoman]
New leaders, new challenges: A lot is changing for Oklahoma's 2025 legislative session: One word can best describe the upcoming session of the 60th Oklahoma Legislature: change. Change for the leaders in the House of Representatives. Change for the Oklahoma Senate. Change for a governor, facing his final two years in office. [The Oklahoman]
- New session, new faces: These are the newest leaders in the Oklahoma Legislature [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma lawmakers will weigh abortion, maternal health and more in upcoming session: This legislative session, Oklahoma lawmakers will consider a range of health bills on topics like abortion, maternal health, parental leave and improving rural health. [KOSU]
Opinion, This Week in Oklahoma Politics: Federal grant freeze, immigration status in schools, Catholic charter school and more (audio): The panel talks about President Trump's executive order to freeze federal funding grants, the State Board of Education advancing a new rule requiring parents to give citizenship status upon enrollment of their children and State Superintendent Ryan Walters announcing Oklahoma history standards had changed to include the Gulf of America and Mount McKinley. [KOSU]
Editorial: Oklahoma lawmakers ought to prioritize people over savings accounts: Oklahoma lawmakers enter the legislative session Monday in a good position financially. Buoyed by higher revenue the past few years, federal emergency aid and largely flat budgets, the state has a record of savings, with at least $5 billion in various accounts. [Editorial / Tulsa World]
Federal Government News
Opinion: Let us honor the human dignity of all who come to this nation seeking refuge: We are living through a global crisis of human displacement, and the way that each of us responds to this crisis will reveal something important about who we are and what we value. At our best, human beings are capable of great hospitality and generosity toward vulnerable people who have been displaced by violence and poverty. At our worst, fear and scapegoat politics can blind us to the humanity of these same people. [John-Mark Hart / The Oklahoman]
Editorial: Questions remain if U.S. Constitution's checks-and-balances will survive Trump: In less than two weeks, President Donald Trump has followed through on his promises that will test the limits and strength of American democratic institutions. The question remains if the checks-and-balances envisioned by the nation's founders and provided by the U.S. Constitution will hold up. [Editorial / Tulsa World]
Tribal Nations News
Muscogee Nation sues prosecutors accused of violating 'McGirt' precedent: Muscogee Nation is suing two Northeast Oklahoma prosecutors, accusing them of violating the precedent set in the McGirt v. Oklahoma case. [KOSU]
Education News
Stuck at the Bottom: Oklahoma Reading and Math Scores Stagnate: Oklahoma students' scores in reading and math stagnated in 2024 and remained well below the U.S. average, according to national test results released this week. [Oklahoma Watch]
- Oklahoma ranks near the bottom for math and reading scores, according to Nation's Report Card [KGOU]
Education Watch: School Immigration Rule Advances: The Board of Education on Tuesday advanced a proposal to ask for proof of citizenship or legal immigration status from families when they enroll in public school. Hundreds of people gathered outside the building in protest. [Oklahoma Watch]
Juvenile center holds first-ever graduation ceremony for incarcerated youth: For the first time ever, Tulsa County Family Center for Juvenile Justice celebrated an incarcerated youth graduating from high school. Jose Cardona-Perez got his diploma from Tulsa Public Schools Thursday through the district's partnership with the detention center. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Urban Coders Guild hosts 2025 Black Futures Youth Hackathon at Atlas School: Urban Coders Guild is set to host the 2025 Black Futures Youth Hackathon, an immersive, one-day tech experience designed to introduce middle and high school students to web development while celebrating Black History Month. The event will take place on Saturday, February 22 at Atlas School in Tulsa. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Ryan Walters' visit to Tulsa elementary school draws protesters: Chanting and carrying signs condemning his recent remarks about undocumented students, more than 150 people lined the sidewalks outside Carnegie Elementary School Thursday morning to protest a campus visit from State Superintendent Ryan Walters. [Tulsa World]
Judge rules Walters, OSBE violated transgender student's rights in gender marker case: A Cleveland County judge found that a vote by State Board of Education members in 2023 violated a student's rights under the Oklahoma Constitution. [Fox 25]
Teachers to be required to take U.S. Naturalization test: The Oklahoma Board of Education recently approved a rule requiring teachers to take a test based on the U.S. Naturalization test, the same test used to become U.S. citizens. [KFOR]
Okmulgee schools superintendent to resign amid investigation into high school: The Okmulgee Public Schools Board of Education will consider a resignation agreement with its superintendent Thursday as the Oklahoma State Department of Education opens an investigation into the district. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion, Tulsa School Board President: How are we doing right by our neighbors and our children?: When our government — led by elected officials — decides that schools should not be a safe haven for students, they are making it much harder for our teachers to teach. They are making it exponentially harder for students to learn. They are creating a situation through which potentially every student could experience trauma. [Stacey Woolley / Tulsa World]
Opinion: Immigration raids in Oklahoma schools? Haven't students been through enough?: While I recognize that improvements to the national immigration system may be needed, let's not make our schools the battleground and our kids the wounded. [Jane Sutter / The Oklahoman]
Health News
Oklahoma City, Edmond, Norman schools closed Friday amid flu outbreaks: More Oklahoma school districts are closing their doors Friday in an attempt to stop the spread of the flu. Oklahoma City Public Schools, Edmond Public Schools and Norman Public Schools announced Thursday they would close campuses Friday as the districts work to clean and disinfect school buildings. [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma City Public Schools to shift to distance learning amid illness outbreak [Fox 25]
Criminal Justice News
Condemned killer requests mercy ahead of upcoming Oklahoma execution: On Feb. 5, Wendell A. Grissom is expected to ask the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board for clemency for his murder conviction. He is set to die by lethal injection on March 20 at Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. [Oklahoma Voice]
Lawsuits against corrections agency over inmate death will be filed soon, lawmaker says: State Rep. Justin Humphrey says he'll be joining an open-records lawsuit that will be filed by family members of a former inmate from Tulsa who died while he was incarcerated at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. [The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Bill to limit help for homeless spurs four Tulsa city councilors to caution state lawmakers: Four Tulsa city councilors issued a letter to state legislators on Thursday expressing concern about a proposal that would prohibit smaller communities from providing programs or services to homeless people and urging exploration into other avenues to address housing shortages and homelessness. [Tulsa World]
- Sarah Frye, Executive Director of Ada Homeless Services, shares why we need more funding and solutions, not more barriers, if we want to address the growing crisis across the state. [OK Policy / YouTube]
Economy & Business News
Build in Tulsa honors Black History Month with workshops, coaching: In celebration of Black History Month, Build in Tulsa is launching a series of workshops, coaching sessions, and networking events aimed at empowering local Black entrepreneurs. The February programming will provide critical financial and business development resources to historically underrepresented founders, helping them build sustainable success. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Opinion, Tulsa Chamber President: OneVoice legislative priorities set course for regional prosperity: You might not be able to feel it just yet, but Tulsa is on the verge of another boom. Sustaining that momentum — and making it easier for companies to invest, visitors to explore and residents to build fulfilling lives — demands a continued strategic focus. [Mike Neal / Tulsa World]
Community News
Undocumented Tulsans fear going to school, work as immigration arrests publicized: A Tulsa official is urging people to oppose the deportation of undocumented immigrants following the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Hispanic Affairs Commissioner Amanda Peregrina says immigrants in Tulsa are afraid to go about their daily lives. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Local Headlines
- Norman mayoral candidates meet for debate at Gaylord College [KGOU]
- 13 candidates file for Tulsa-area special election primaries set for April 1 [Tulsa World]
- Tulsa's downtown convention center is getting a new name [Tulsa World]
