State Government News
Interim Oklahoma mental health commissioner named: Gov. Kevin Stitt named an interim commissioner of the Oklahoma mental health department Tuesday, following the Legislature's vote to fire the previous agency head last week. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Gregory Slavonic appointed interim leader of ODMHSAS [NonDoc]
- Stitt names interim commissioner of Oklahoma's mental health agency [KOSU]
- Stitt appoints Gregory Slavonic as interim mental health commissioner [Tulsa World]
- Stitt appoints interim commissioner of mental health agency after previous leader's firing [The Oklahoman]
Lawmakers override MMIP and mammogram access vetoes: This year's legislative session saw a record number of vetoes from Governor Kevin Stitt. In total, he vetoed 68 bills, breaking the previous record set by former Governor Frank Keating in 1995. Before lawmakers adjourned Sine Die on Friday, they worked to override 40 of Stitt's vetoes. [The Black Wall Street Times]
OK Board of Cosmetology to enter 'wind down' time starting July 1: News 4 recently reported on a those in the beauty industry urging lawmakers to override Governor Kevin Stitt's veto, which essentially abolished the Board of Cosmetology. The veto was withheld, leaving license holders wondering what happens next. [KFOR]
Oklahoma Supreme Court dismisses lawsuit over tobacco settlement investment managers: The Oklahoma Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by an investors' board led by state Treasurer Todd Russ against Attorney General Gentner Drummond. The board had wanted the court to rule on who has the final say when the state enters into contracts or other legal agreements with investment managers. [The Oklahoman]
Brent Swadley seeks to disqualify AG over public comments; asks for gag order in BBQ case: Brent Swadley, the co-founder of the Swadley's BBQ chain and the defendant in a case which pits the state of Oklahoma against him, has filed a motion in district court to have Attorney General Gentner Drummond disqualified from the case. [Fox 25]
Long Story Short: Oklahoma Watch Files Transparency Lawsuit Against Ed. Dept. (audio): Paul Monies talks about a lawsuit Oklahoma Watch filed against OSDE. Keaton Ross breaks down several criminal justice measures that passed this session, from fines and fees reform to tougher sentencing laws. JC Hallman discusses a woman who was being held on an old warrant in the Tulsa County Jail. [Oklahoma Watch]
Legislation pushes Tulsa's OKPOP museum closer to its fundraising goal ahead of deadline: Between adding a fiddle from the late, great Guthrie musician Byron Berline to its collection and fielding a special visit from Sooner State native and Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill, the long-awaited Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture in Tulsa got a big boost to its fundraising campaign. [The Oklahoman]
New Oklahoma license plate design faces scrutiny, focus group preferred alternative design: It has been nine months since Oklahoma license plates went red. Through an Open Records Request, FOX 25 learned it is not what most Oklahomans would have picked. [Fox 25]
Federal Government News
Trump promises to hike steel and aluminum tariffs to 50% starting Wednesday. Here's what we know: U.S. President Donald Trump has promised to hike nearly all of his tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum to a punishing 50% on Wednesday, a move that would hammer businesses from automakers to home builders, and likely push up prices for consumers. [AP]
Trump wants Congress to slash $9.4B in spending now, defund NPR and PBS: The Trump administration plans to send its first spending cuts request to Congress on Tuesday, asking lawmakers to swiftly eliminate $9.4 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and various foreign aid programs. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahomans voice concerns about Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill': Some Oklahomans are raising concerns about funding cuts hitting Oklahoma if Congress passes the "Big, Beautiful Bill" in its current form. The bill cleared the House by just one vote and will soon be considered by the Senate. [Fox 25]
Rubio in talks for return of wrongly deported 'Cristian,' in flip for Trump administration: If successful, the man, identified in documents in federal court in Maryland only by the pseudonym of "Cristian," would be the first deported person returned from the brutal Salvadoran Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo, or CECOT. [Oklahoma Voice]
Tribal Nations News
Tribal leaders in Oklahoma frustrated by lack of communication about federal cuts: Oklahoma tribal nation leaders are wondering how federal cuts will continue to impact their citizens, as confusion persists about massive federal cuts. [KOSU]
Cheat sheet: Issac Collins challenges Candessa Tehee for Cherokee Nation District 2: One candidate is challenging the incumbent Cherokee Nation District 2 Tribal Councilor in the June 7 election. Rep. Candessa Tehee has served as the district's representative since 2021, and newcomer Issac Collins is facing off against the incumbent. [NonDoc]
Voting and Election News
Voters to select three new Oklahoma representatives: Three open seats in the Oklahoma House will be decided June 10 by voters in a special election. In Tulsa County, voters will choose between Republican Beverly Atteberry and Democrat Amanda Clinton. Democrat Amy Hossain will face off against Republican Kevin Wayne Norwood in the race for House District 74. Two Democrats, JeKia Harrison and Aletia Haynes Timmons, will vie for the open House District 91 seat, representing parts of Oklahoma City and Midwest City. [Oklahoma Voice]
Education News
Christian School's Runoff Email Sparks Debate Over Partisan Lines: A private religious school in Owasso sent an email to parents about GOP candidate positions on the Parental Choice Tax Credit in a recent election, raising questions about nonprofit private school involvement in partisan politics. [Oklahoma Watch]
Epic Charter Schools cuts 357 staff members, phases out Learning Centers: Epic Charter Schools suddenly announced that over 300 staff members would not return for 2025-26, as part of implementing significant streamline measures to "continue delivering a high-quality educational experience and ensure long-term financial sustainability." [News 9]
- Epic Charter Schools closing learning centers, slashing 357 jobs [Tulsa World]
- EPIC Charter Schools lays off more than 300 staffers as it cuts learning centers [The Oklahoman]
OKC Public Schools board takes first step toward revoking contract with Montessori charter school: The Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education has voted to potentially revoke its sponsorship of a Montessori charter school that has struggled to maintain its obligations under its contract with the district. [The Oklahoman]
Health News
'How we ended up here': Authors on effects of abortion bans: During the pandemic, when many people were reevaluating their life goals, Colleen Long texted her childhood best friend and fellow journalist Rebecca Little to see if, together, they could write a relatable, even funny, book about pregnancy loss. They wanted to understand why it was so hard to talk about pregnancy loss in public, and thus difficult to process. [States Newsroom via Oklahoma Voice]
Norman Regional announces layoffs, six clinics to close: Norman Regional Health System will close select clinics in July after a workforce reduction was announced earlier this week. [The Journal Record]
Opinion: Oklahoma's largest health insurer is putting its own profits ahead of patients: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma is now requiring prior authorization for critical asthma therapies administered by a physician. It's about saving the insurer money. [Iftikhar Hussain / The Oklahoman]
Opinion: We're Oklahoma doctors. Here's the truth about vaccines.: In the past century, relatively few things have more fully demonstrated this goal than the antiviral and antibacterial vaccines that have protected our most vulnerable populations. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in the last 50 years, immunizations have saved the lives of over 150 million children. [Dr. Sumit Nanda and Dr. James Kirk / The Oklahoman]
Criminal Justice News
Oklahoma Department of Corrections seeks to keep incident reports for inmate deaths confidential: The Frontier is suing the Oklahoma Department of Corrections after the agency refused to release incident reports on deaths and other violent incidents. [The Frontier]
Hundreds could be in Oklahoma prisons on a wrongful conviction. This group helps them find justice: Imagine having a bad dream about being convicted of a crime you didn't commit. Or a nightmare if the crime was a murder ― and you were innocent. It really happens, perhaps more often than you might think. [The Oklahoman]
Judge removed from murder case after 'improper' meeting with defendant: A Tulsa judge has been removed from hearing a murder case after prosecutors expressed their "grave concern" about her meeting privately with the defendant. [Tulsa World]
A judicial sex scandal gave a murder suspect a second chance. Now, he's back in prison: Robert Leon Hashagen III was sentenced to life in prison after an Oklahoma County jury convicted him in 2021 of first-degree murder. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals in 2023 overturned his conviction because his trial judge had been in a secret sexual relationship with one of his prosecutors years before. [The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Park Board vote clears path for Newblock Park to be used for program to help homeless: The Tulsa Parks and Recreation Board on Tuesday voted 2-1 to approve a recommendation from the city to abandon 2.5 acres of Newblock Park in the Crosbie Heights neighborhood for use as a transitional living program. [Tulsa World]
Economy & Business News
Digital resilience: EF5-Rated data center opens in OKC: There are hundreds of data centers scattered across the United States, comprising a central nervous system of digital infrastructure, known simply as "the cloud." What would happen if an EF5 tornado rambled through Oklahoma City and blew one of them up? Healthcare facilities could go dark, businesses could be crippled, manufacturing could grind to a halt and services the community depends on could stop. [The Journal Record]
Community News
Oklahoma funds USS Batfish move to new harbor home: One of America's most decorated World War II submarines — and a beloved Oklahoma landmark — is one step closer to safe harbor. On May 22, the Oklahoma Legislature approved HB2794, allocating $4 million in FY26 funding to the USS Batfish. The state appropriation will be used to relocate the historic military vessel to its future home at Three Forks Harbor. [The Journal Record]
Local Headlines
- OKC Budget Approved: Capital Projects Up, Staffing Down [The Journal Record]
- OKC Council approves new budget, adjusts current budget for water main breaks [The Oklahoman]
- There's a ton of construction happening in OKC. Here are some of the biggest projects so far [The Oklahoman]
- PartnerTulsa Board of Trustees accepts resignation of former CEO, appoints interim [Tulsa World]
