In The Know: Gov. targets Tulsa in Trump-like removal of homeless encampments | Teacher morale crisis caused by low pay, legislature’s inaction about Ryan Walters | Private prison companies profit from incarcerating our loved ones, exploiting rural towns

In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. OK Policy encourages the support of Oklahoma's state and local media, which are vital to an informed citizenry.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 Subscribe // Web version (current and archived) CoreCivic profits from incarcerating our loved ones and exploiting rural towns. Oklahomans have the opportunity to push back.   Shuttered private prisons in Oklahoma are being considered to re-open as immigration detention centers. The primary purpose for companies that operate these private prisons is maximizing shareholder value, not making our communities safe. [Gabriela Ramirez-Perez and Polina Rozhkova / OK Policy] 13   For every 10,000 people living in the state, 13 Oklahomans reported experiencing homelessness in 2024. This is higher than rates reported in neighboring states: Texas (9), Arkansas (9), Missouri (12), and Kansas (9). Colorado (32) and New Mexico (22) had the highest rates of neighboring states. [U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development via OK Policy] What Would It Take to End Homelessness in America?   Well before the Supreme Court's 2024 decision in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, which allows cities to punish unhoused people for sleeping in public even if they have nowhere else to go, the general public was noticing an uptick in homelessness. The main reason? Housing costs have increased while wages, especially for low-income workers, have not kept pace. While many people believe that substance use, mental illness, or other individual factors are the main drivers of homelessness, extensive research shows that rising housing costs drive more people into homelessness than any other cause. [Johns Hopkins / Bloomberg School of Public Health] "Instead of spending my time engaging in activities that won't reduce homelessness, I have created the Safe Move Initiative, which aims to get hundreds of people off the streets for good, rather than simply shifting the problem elsewhere. We have a goal to end homelessness by 2030, and we're on the pathway to doing that. I'm going to continue doing the job I was elected to do, and I am not interested in being lectured by someone who has proven time and time again that he only cares to intervene to score political points."   - Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols, writing in a statement following Gov. Stitt's directive to have the Oklahoma Highway Patrol clear out individuals camping on state properties in Tulsa. The governor disbanded the state's interagency council on homelessness, which had been coordinating agencies and service providers to expand housing options and support for people experiencing homelessness. Without it, service providers lost a key venue for collaboration, making it harder to address the growing crisis. [Tulsa World] You're invited to join a Community Listening Session near you!   This summer, the Oklahoma Policy Institute and Together Oklahoma are hosting in-person listening sessions across the state to hear directly from Oklahomans about the issues that matter most in their communities. These free, public events offer a chance to connect with neighbors, share your experiences, and speak with policy experts. Participants will receive compensation for their time. Next up: Enid! September 25 | 5:30 p.m. | Enid Public Library Register Now Online Survey Closing Sunday, September 14 - Make Your Voice Heard!   Can't attend in person? Take our online survey (available in English and Spanish) and share your thoughts about the laws and policies that affect you and your neighbors. Your input helps shape our priorities for the next legislative session to build stronger, healthier, and more equitable communities across Oklahoma. Oklahoma News   Oklahoma educators say teacher morale crisis caused by low pay, legislature's refusal to remove Walters from office: Educators from across Oklahoma made clear Thursday they want legislators to raise teacher pay and remove State Superintendent Ryan Walters from office — to fix the two major things they say are causing the mass exodus of teachers from Oklahoma Schools. [KFOR] Three communication directors have left OSDE in 2025 [KFOR] Opinion, former state Rep. Mark McBride: There's a 'reign of terror' in Oklahoma education. Meanwhile, we're last in the nation: For nearly three years, Oklahoma education has been under what I can only describe as a reign of terror. Not violence, but words — words meant to belittle, intimidate and divide. In a marriage you'd call it abuse, in a workplace you'd call it harassment. In politics, too many just shrug and call it leadership. I know better because I've lived through it myself. [Mark McBride / The Oklahoman] From OK Policy's Shiloh Kantz: Oklahoma's children deserve a leader who shows up for them every day, not just for the cameras. Until that happens, classrooms will remain political battlegrounds instead of places where children can thrive. State Government News   Gov. Kevin Stitt deploys OHP to begin clearing homeless from state properties in Tulsa: The Oklahoma Highway Patrol has begun Operation SAFE in Tulsa, an effort to "restore order and safety to Tulsa by clearing homeless encampments, trash, and criminal activity from state-owned property inside the city," the Governor's Office announced Thursday. As recently as Wednesday, the Tulsa Police Department, the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, and the Mayor's Office said they had not been contacted by the state regarding the enforcement effort. [Tulsa World] Oklahoma Gov. Stitt targets Tulsa in Trump-like mission to remove homeless encampments [The Oklahoman] Gov. Stitt launches law enforcement operation to clear homeless encampments in Tulsa [KOSU] Stitt Targets Nichols, Tulsa's First Black Mayor, Over Homelessness [The Black Wall Street Times] ACLU urges Tulsa mayor to veto ordinance restricting access to medians, sidewalks [Tulsa World] Oklahoma mental health agency unsure of impact of planned provider contract cuts: Mental health and substance abuse service providers are bracing for cuts as the new head of the state's mental health department moves to shore up the agency's budget. [Oklahoma Voice] More than 300 programs that Oklahomans rely on are not being renewed [KFOR] Oklahoma lawmaker asks for AG opinion on legality of new governor's mansion: Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Del City, is questioning whether the State Capitol Preservation Commission can decide to build a new governor's mansion all on its own, regardless of how it's been funded. And he wants the state attorney general to weigh in. [KOSU]   OK House speaker says he didn't know investigation details until Rep. Ty Burns was charged: Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert says he did not know his fellow Republican lawmaker was under investigation for domestic abuse for weeks as the GOP House caucus pushed its policy agenda through the Legislature. [The Oklahoman]   Here are 39 new laws taking effect in Oklahoma: Most bills signed into law in Oklahoma are slated to take effect sometime in the fall of that same year. The first round of measures to officially become law following the 2025 legislative session has passed, and there's more to come. [KOSU]   Oklahoma Senate hears interim study on wind turbine setbacks: A Wednesday interim study hearing examined the impact of zoning setbacks for wind turbines, despite political setbacks threatening the future of renewable energy production in Oklahoma. [The Journal Record]   Oklahoma law banning critical race theory faces legal challenge: Two national groups, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, have filed a brief supporting a legal challenge against an Oklahoma law that restricts the teaching of critical race theory in public schools, arguing it violates the First Amendment. [KOCO]   Opinion, This Week in Oklahoma Politics: Rep. Ty Burns resignation, Highway Patrol troopers, new governor's mansion and more (podcast): The panel members discuss the resignation of a state lawmaker who pleaded guilty to domestic abuse and other charges, a federal judge blocking in-state tuition for undocumented students, the Attorney General saying the Oklahoma Highway Patrol must keep troopers in metropolitan areas, and more. [KOSU]   Opinion: Visionaries needed to shape Oklahoma's future: Next June, Oklahoma voters have another opportunity to be public policy visionaries – to make a real difference in rank-and-file Sooners' lives – when asked to pass judgment on State Question 832, the initiative petition-turned-ballot question that would systematically increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2029 from the current $7.25. [Arnold Hamilton / The Journal Record] From OK Policy: SQ 832: Minimum Wage Increase | Information and Resources Federal Government News   'Under threat': How HUD cuts could hit Oklahoma families hard: As the country faces a homelessness and housing crisis, there are plans to reshape a decades-old initiative, commonly known as HUD. Here's what you need to know about the proposal to cut funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development also known as HUD. [News 9]   Sen. James Lankford says he and Donald Trump clash on style but align on key policy wins: Oklahoma's senior U.S. senator says he's able to work with President Donald Trump on Republican priorities, though he acknowledged their political strategies sometimes clash. [The Oklahoman]   Immigration groups ask appeals panel to reinstate refugee programs: Immigration attorneys asked a federal appeals court Wednesday to restore two injunctions against the Trump administration's move to suspend refugee processing and to reinstate funding for refugee resettlement. [Oklahoma Voice]   Trump administration investigates Medicaid spending on immigrants in Democratic states: The Trump administration is taking its immigration crackdown to the health care safety net, launching Medicaid spending probes in at least six Democratic-led states that provide comprehensive health coverage to poor and disabled immigrants living in the U.S. without permanent legal status. [AP via KFOR]   Opinion: The politics of Trump, RFK Jr., Walters blocking the health care and education we need: We need to be clear about the possible implications of Centers for Disease Control mismanagement for Oklahomans' health. In the Oklahoma government "State of the State's Health Report" listing of data from 2010-2017, Oklahoma was given the grade of "F" in 2017 on infant mortality and total mortality, frequent poor mental health days (more than 14 out of 30), no physical activity and teen births. [Nancy Snow / The Oklahoman]   Voting and Election News   State Chamber unveils Oklahoma Decides, a hub for political candidate information: A new platform called Oklahoma Decides is keeping track of who is running in 2026 for federal, statewide and legislative offices. [The Journal Record]   Education News   In-state tuition no longer offered to some immigrant students in Oklahoma: Oklahoma higher education officials on Thursday voted to revoke a policy that allowed some immigrant students lacking legal status to pay in-state tuition at state colleges and universities in limited circumstances. [Oklahoma Voice] After court order, Oklahoma regents strike in-state tuition policy for undocumented students [The Oklahoman] Opinion: Civics teachers fear responsible instruction might lead to disciplinary action: Students might memorize definitions, but they aren't asking the kinds of questions and practicing the kinds of conversations that are essential to meaningful civic participation. [Liam Julian / The Oklahoman]   Opinion, Langston University President: Langston University to participate in Cyber and Artificial Intelligence Games: Langston University will proudly participate in the inaugural Cyber and Artificial Intelligence Games in Agriculture, the first HBCU-led initiative of its kind. Six of our top computer science and agriculture majors, led by professor Ralph Grayson, will represent our university. [Dr. Ruth Ray Jackson / The Oklahoman]   Criminal Justice News   The Oklahoma County jail struggles with a shrinking number of detention officers: The chronically understaffed Oklahoma County Detention Center has even fewer guards than last year, despite efforts to hire and retain more officers with bonuses and wellness programs. [The Frontier]   Murder case over Richard Glossip on hold because of defense concerns about judges: Former death row inmate Richard Glossip is not going to trial again in his murder-for-hire case any time soon. [The Oklahoman] Another judge steps away from high-profile Richard Glossip murder case [KOSU] Judge denies woman's resentencing request under Oklahoma Survivors' Act: A judge on Thursday declined to modify April Wilkens' life prison sentence under the Oklahoma Survivors' Act following a two-day court hearing in Tulsa County District Court. [Tulsa World] Judge denies April Wilkens' request for early release under Survivors Act [KFOR] Judge orders dismissal of criminal case against man accused of murdering OK County deputy: An Oklahoma County judge has denied a request to allow a man accused of killing a sheriff's deputy in 2022 more time to receive competency restoration treatment, saying a doctor failed to administer the man court-ordered medication. [The Oklahoman]   Gateway Church founder Robert Morris waives hearing in Oklahoma child sex crime case: The popular founder of a Texas megachurch has waived a preliminary hearing in a closely watched Oklahoma case accusing him of lewd acts with a child, moving him a step closer to trial or a plea deal. [The Oklahoman]   Economy & Business News   ConocoPhillips plans to lay off 20-25% of its workforce: Oil giant ConocoPhillips is planning to lay off up to a quarter of its workforce, amounting to thousands of jobs, as part of broader efforts from the company to cut costs. [Tulsa World]   'We're all kumbaya': Jockeys, TRAO reach agreement: Saddle up and crouch down in the stirrups: A thoroughbred racing dispute at Oklahoma City's Remington Park appears to be resolved. [NonDoc]   Oklahoma could soon see more wind turbine recycling facilities: There could be more companies recycling wind turbine blades in Oklahoma. Two entities are working with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to get their operations properly registered. [KOSU]   Atlas School slashes tuition for tech students in Tulsa from $37,500 to $5,005: Atlas School, a nonprofit software engineering school with a 20-month program in Tulsa, announced a tuition reduction from $37,500 to $5,005. The reduction was made possible through increased support from the George Kaiser Family Foundation. [Tulsa World] You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail. 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 included here are behind paywall or require subscription. OK Policy encourages the support of Oklahoma's state and local media, which are vital to an informed citizenry. Support Our Work with a Donation Contact Oklahoma Policy Institute 907 S. 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