Oklahoma News
Oklahoma again ranks poorly for child well-being, annual report says: Oklahoma continues to rank in the bottom five nationally for child well-being, with its consistently low marks for education helping keep it there, according to an annual report released Monday. The 2025 Kids Count Data Book, published annually for the last 36 years by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, ranks the state 46th in the country for child well-being. It's the third straight year Oklahoma came in at 46th overall, after ranking 40th in 2022. [Tulsa World]
- Oklahoma ranks 46th in national child well-being report [News 9]
- Report: OK ranks 46th nationally in child well-being [Public News Service]
State Government News
State collects just $200K of millions owed by ineligible private school tax credit recipients: The state of Oklahoma has collected just 8% of the millions of dollars owed back by parents who received private school tax credits for children who did not attend the schools. Officials say that process resulted in the total dollar amount being sought back decreasing to $2.4 million, but as of the end of May, only $200,000, or 8%, had been recouped. [Tulsa World]
Attorney General Gentner Drummond calls for removal of all Oklahoma Afghan refugees: Advocates says Oklahoma's Afghan refugee population is being used as collateral in an unrelated political game. "Really, this is a spat between Attorney General Drummond and the governor's office. And the Afghans in this case are simply the shape of the rock they're throwing at each other." [KGOU]
- Advocates decry AG Drummond's letter calling for removal of Afghan refugees [Public Radio Tulsa]
- AG faces criticism for call to remove Afghan refugees from Oklahoma [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond calls for expulsion of all Afghan refugees [The Oklahoman]
21 bills still waiting on decision by Gov. Stitt: Governor Kevin Stitt still has to make a decision on 21 bills that made it to his desk by the end of session. During the session, the Governor has five days to sign or veto a bill. Now that the session is over, he will have until June 14 to take action on the remaining bills. [KFOR]
Oklahoma's Guardian System Set to Expand: Oklahoma's Guardian System provides online access to free and easy access campaign finance documents for political candidates and lobbyists. In the past, documents have only available for statewide candidates, and it wasn't universal for cities and counties. That's soon to change. [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma National Guard not expected to participate in Trump's military parade: The Oklahoma National Guard is not planning on participating in the nation's largest military parade. The June 14 parade will feature tanks rolling through the U.S. capital's streets, thousands of soldiers marching and military fly overs to celebrate the Army's 250th birthday. Additionally, it will also be President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. [Oklahoma Voice]
New state law a response to fraudsters passing off pets as service animals: House Bill 1178, which was enacted only after lawmakers overrode a veto by Gov. Kevin Stitt, also sets penalties for people who misrepresent an animal or pet as a service animal to gain unlawful benefits. People who try to pass off a non-service animal as a service animal can face misdemeanor charges. [Tulsa World]
New Oklahoma law waives sales taxes on gun safe purchases: Oklahomans will no longer pay the state sales tax on gun safes and firearm locking devices after a bipartisan bill becomes law in November. [The Oklahoman]
Roundup: Rep. Larry Ferguson remembered, #oklaed issues linger, 2026 poll released: If your end-of-session/school stress kept you from keeping up with Oklahoma news items and local issues, don't worry: The following roundup includes updates on storylines worth following. [NonDoc]
Political notebook: TSET sues to stop new law: The Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust Board of Directors sued last week to prevent implementation of a new law that would essentially give legislative leaders and the governor direct control of TSET's $2 billion endowment. [Tulsa World]
Capital Insider: Stitt calls recently completed legislative session 'amazing': The legislative session ended on May 30th, and Governor Kevin Stitt has declared it the best session in his seven years as governor. He called it amazing. What does Stitt point to in making that assessment? [KGOU]
Opinion: Oklahoma lawmakers didn't think we deserved to know their plans as session ended, and they did a lot: It's not necessarily problematic that lawmakers cast votes at night: That happens many years because they procrastinate or are otherwise disorganized. What was extremely concerning this time was that they entered — and exited — the penultimate day without a full public agenda posted. If their sparse public agenda was to be believed, the state House of Representatives and Senate had no plans to take up any veto overrides or even the state's mental health commissioner. The reality was starkly different. [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]
Editorial: Gov. Stitt comes out of Legislative session with wins and regret after dirty tactics: Every session has its winners and losers, and this year is no different. The last day of the legislative session clipped his wings a bit, but Gov. Kevin Stitt got nearly everything he wanted from the Legislature, from a tax cut to a new court system. [Tulsa World Editorial Board]
Editorial: Legislature showed rare congeniality this year. That's worth celebrating: Bipartisanship is rare in politics today, and when it happens, it should be celebrated. The Oklahoma Legislature came together in rare congeniality to override one of Gov. Kevin Stitt's vetoes. [The Oklahoman Editorial Board]
Federal Government News
Oklahoma public media weighs potential loss of federal dollars: With the possibility of federal cuts to funding for public media looming, Oklahoma's media outlets are working to fight the cuts and secure revenue. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma Job Corps Centers get temporary reprieve from federal shutdown order: Job Corps Centers across the country are scrambling after a district judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration's order to close them. That includes a trio of centers in Oklahoma. [KOSU]
- Cherokee Nation's Job Corps facing uncertainty after Trump calls for the program to end [The Oklahoman]
U.S. Senator James Lankford speaks at Oklahoma March for Life rally: Advocates held a rally at the Oklahoma State Capitol in support of pro-life policies. The group celebrated the overturn of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court, but still says the work must continue. [Fox 23]
Opinion: The "Big, Beautiful Bill" Is a Big, Ugly Risk for Oklahoma: The House-passed tax and budget plan — now being considered in the Senate — threatens the health and financial well-being of everyday Oklahomans. Despite the branding as a "Big, Beautiful Bill," it's a lopsided giveaway to the wealthy that comes at the expense of children, seniors, working families and rural communities. [William Langdon / Tulsa World]
Tribal Nations News
Lawmakers Say Trump's Budget Would Put Native American Health Care at Risk: Lawmakers from both parties said Thursday that President Donald Trump's budget would put care for millions of Native Americans at risk should the government shut down. [Oklahoma Watch]
Film-ready Cherokee Nation equipped to lure more film, TV projects to reservation: During a Friday event at Cherokee Film Studios in Owasso, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. signed a proclamation declaring the Cherokee Nation Reservation "film-ready," a first among tribal nations. [Tulsa World]
Voting and Election News
What's on the ballot for the June 10 election in Oklahoma: Voters in 16 Oklahoma counties will head to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in elections for legislative seats, county propositions and sales taxes. [KGOU]
- To view a sample ballot and find your polling location, visit the OK Voter Portal
- Owasso, Brookside-area voters to choose new state representatives [Tulsa World]
Opinion: Oklahoma's primary election locks out too many voters. It's time for a change: Former Gov. Henry Bellmon was a statesman who consistently acted in the best interests of the people of Oklahoma, rather than for his own political gain. Today, leaders like him would not stand a chance in a primary election, not because they lack vision, integrity or experience, but because Oklahoma's closed primary system forces candidates to pander to the most extreme voices in their party rather than appeal to the broader electorate. [David High / The Oklahoman]
Education News
Oklahoma committee, including replaced state board member, begin social studies textbook adoption: An ousted member of the state's top school board will lead the process to approve K-12 textbooks that align with controversial new academic standards for social studies. [Oklahoma Voice]
Walters recaps legislative wins, losses for his education agenda to a friendly Sapulpa crowd: State Superintendent Ryan Walters says he's proud of the new social studies standards coming next school year. He spoke at a Republican Party event late last Thursday to reflect on the legislative session and rally his base. [KOSU]
Opinion: Students debate whether NIL should be allowed in youth sports: Teens and preteens shouldn't be allowed name, image and likeness sports deals because of potential exploitation, harm to small schools, and damage to the spirit of youth and amateur athletics. Then again, NIL deals in Oklahoma high schools are already happening. So instead of trying to reverse course, it's better just to reform the system. [Ginnie Graham / Tulsa World]
Health News
Opinion: We must rely on the kindness — and data — of strangers: We have to compare health between people who don't share those risks. This is why national and even global data on health are so important. If we don't have good data on the health of people in many different places, we have no way of learning whether we're making progress or not. And that means we can't find ways to be healthier. [Maria Glymour / Tulsa World]
Opinion, Sen. Paul Rosino: Oklahoma's mental health crisis is real. Lawmakers are taking action: Oklahoma is in the middle of a mental health crisis. Nearly one in four Oklahomans faces some form of mental illness, and far too many are battling substance abuse or thoughts of suicide. [Sen. Paul Rosino / Tulsa World]
Criminal Justice News
Oklahoma Inks $74 Million Deal to Privatize Prison Food Service: The Oklahoma Department of Corrections will spend about $74 million over two years to outsource its food service operations to the Trinity Services Group, a Florida-based company that feeds more than 300,000 prisoners and pretrial detainees daily. [Oklahoma Watch]
Can voters be convinced to support funding a new jail? How Oklahoma County plans to pitch it: Could Oklahoma County voters be persuaded, again, to support funding for a county jail? Just in case it starts to seem possible, the Board of County Commissioners has a plan in hand to "flip a switch and go (for it)," as Chairman Myles Davidson put it after a recent presentation from a leading Tulsa-based PR firm. [The Oklahoman]
- With serious issues, should the Oklahoma County jail trust dissolve? One group thinks so. [The Oklahoman]
Economy & Business News
Industrial park powered by behind-the-meter solar announced for Chickasha: Chickasha will soon be home to a new industrial park powered by its own solar farm. Gov. Kevin Stitt says it will be the city's largest-ever private investment. [KOSU]
- Chickasha lands historic $3.5B investment that promises thousands of jobs [The Journal Record]
Local Headlines
- Oklahoma is drought free after nearly 6 years, but will it last? Weather experts weigh in [The Oklahoman]
- Possible county construction project in Berryhill has some questioning site, land purchase [Tulsa World]
- Why the city worked to save a northeast OKC bus route from budget cuts [The Oklahoman]
