In The Know: How 'One Big Beautiful Bill' is straining Oklahoma's state budget | Teachers say Senate plan for education reforms with retirement money is a 'terrible idea' | Putting people before party

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. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Some stories included here are behind paywall or require subscription.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2026 Subscribe // View web version (current and archived) Policy Matters: Putting people before party   When our elected officials treat policy debates as battles to be won rather than problems to be solved, complex issues get flattened into slogans. Neighbors become opponents. We can do better. Our state's biggest challenges demand cooperation, not conflict. This moment offers elected officials a chance to lower the temperature and work together for a better Oklahoma. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record] 210,405   The number of members served by Oklahoma Teachers' Retirement System as of June 30, 2025. The system covers a wide range of public education professionals — including teachers, administrators, counselors, nurses, librarians, and college faculty — making it a cornerstone of Oklahoma's public education workforce. [Teachers' Retirement System of Oklahoma] What Role Does State Government Play in Funding Teacher Pensions?   State governments play a major role in funding teacher pensions, though the level of involvement varies widely across states. As of 2024, about two-thirds of states directly contribute to teacher pension costs, and in some cases the state pays the full employer share on behalf of school districts; in the remaining states, districts cover most pension costs but still receive indirect support through general education funding. Rising pension contributions have increased financial pressure on school systems, sometimes forcing tradeoffs with salaries, hiring, or other education spending. Because schools depend heavily on state aid, state policy decisions strongly shape how teacher pensions are funded and how the costs affect local education budgets. [Center for Retirement Research] "They're taking the money from our future and giving it to us now, and pretending like that is going to solve our future. We already have retired educators who need that cost-of-living increase and cannot afford to live."   —LeeAnne Jimenez, vice president of the Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association, responding to the Oklahoma Senate's proposal to redirect $254 million in planned contributions from the state's Teacher Retirement System. The money would instead support the Senate's education priorities, including a $2,500 raise for Oklahoma teachers, $50 million to the Strong Readers Act and $25 million more for the Parental Choice Tax Credit. [Tulsa Flyer] TONIGHT: Advocacy Training in Ardmore   Most people care about what's happening at the Capitol. Far fewer know how to actually influence it. At Advocacy Training, you'll learn practical skills like making effective calls, writing letters, meeting with lawmakers, and how to tell your story in an impactful way. 6:00-7:30 p.m. Ardmore Public Library (Smith Room) Register Now Join advocates and community activists from all across the state on March 3 for our 2026 Day of Action, hosted by OK Policy and Together Oklahoma.   Our Day of Action provides you with an opportunity to engage with legislators and get the information, tools, and resources you need to advocate for the changes that you would like to see in your community. Register Now Oklahoma News   How 'One Big Beautiful Bill' is straining Oklahoma's state budget: New federal mandates within Congress's "One Big Beautiful Bill" make states pay potentially hundreds of millions more for administering the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Oklahoma lawmakers are scrambling to find a solution as they face a possible budget shortfall this year. [KOSU] From OK Policy: H.R. 1's hidden costs: What the federal megabill really means for Oklahoma | Oklahoma Can't Afford #OneBigBeautifulBill — Here's the Math (video) State Government News   'A terrible idea': Teachers say Senate plan for education reforms with retirement money creates bigger problems: Teacher reactions to the Oklahoma Senate's $254 million education spending plan came swiftly Tuesday. They say the state already tried dipping into teacher pension contributions to pay for education reforms once before — and trying it again is a "terrible idea." [Tulsa Flyer] Oklahoma Senate's plans for funding education priorities faces backlash [KOCO] Epic co-founders wanted 'retribution' for state audit, former CFO says: After a nearly two-year delay, a preliminary hearing in the prosecution of Epic Charter School's co-founders restarted Wednesday with a star witness testifying how they planned "retribution" against Oklahoma's state auditor. [Oklahoma Voice] Former CFO testifies Epic founders paid to recruit candidates to run against critics [Tulsa World] Witness in Epic Charter Schools case details plot to oust state auditor [The Oklahoman] Education Watch: Epic Court Hearing Resumes After Nearly 2-Year Delay [Oklahoma Watch] Oklahoma wildfire task force issues 15 reform recommendations in 2026 report: In the past year, Oklahoma wildfires have ravaged more than 373,000 acres across the state. Now as the state prepares for another high-risk wildfire season, a working group has issued over a dozen recommendations to state leaders, setting the stage for wildfire preparedness reform. [The Journal Record] 'It's a year-long reality': Oklahoma officials outline recommendations for growing fire danger [KOSU] Another poultry company agrees to settlement in Oklahoma's pollution lawsuit: Peterson Farms Inc. has agreed to pay the state of Oklahoma $950,000 as part of an agreement to settle its portion of the civil lawsuit brought by then Attorney General Drew Edmondson in 2005. [Tulsa World]   Legislative Roundup Extended moratorium on Oklahoma medical marijuana business licenses approved by House [Oklahoma Voice] Bill to delay ex-lawmakers from becoming lobbyists fails committee vote [KFOR] Raw milk bill advances, minus donkeys [Tulsa World] Proposed legislation could overhaul the Department of Human Services [KFOR] Oklahoma Senate to hear bill expanding paid bereavement for teachers [News 9] Gov. Stitt signs 'Rain's Law,' fentanyl education bill named for late Cameron student [KSWO] Federal Government News   Trump turns to familiar uncompromising immigration stance during State of the Union: President Donald Trump repeated his hardline stance on immigration during his record-long State of the Union on Tuesday, previewing a potential midterm campaign message as his party faces an uphill battle to keep a majority in the House. [Oklahoma Voice] Dems ditching State of the Union blast Trump on immigration, 'lawlessness' [Oklahoma Voice] Students stage ICE protests at Bixby, Rogers: Student-led protests against Immigrations and Customs Enforcement continued Wednesday, as pupils from two Tulsa-area school districts staged walkouts. [Tulsa World] Tulsa Public Schools investigating after student walkout ends with pepper spray from campus police [Tulsa Flyer] USDA to give up massive DC office building as shift of staff to states begins: The U.S. Department of Agriculture will transfer a large office building to the General Services Administration in a step toward shrinking the department's footprint in and around Washington, D.C., Secretary Brooke Rollins said Wednesday. [Oklahoma Voice]   'Get back to integrity': Oklahoma's Kevin Stitt on Republicans after Trump: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt leads a state that gave President Trump 66% of the vote in 2024. He is also charting his own course and has publicly differed with the president on multiple occasions this year. [NPR via KOSU]   Tribal Nations News   Interior Department fights to dismiss Oklahoma tribe's Indian boarding school lawsuit: The Department of the Interior, or DOI, is asking a federal judge to dismiss a proposed class action complaint brought forth by the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes and the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California over federal Indian boarding schools. [KOSU]   Native American Leaders Are Furious With Trump's Tribal Education Shakeup: The Trump administration's recent moves to dismantle the Department of Education have left Native American leaders feeling frustrated and unheard as several tribal education projects are caught in limbo between federal agencies. [Oklahoma Watch]   Choctaw Nation revises criminal code to note limited jurisdiction over non-Indians: The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Tribal Council voted unanimously Feb. 14 to broaden and clarify the tribe's criminal code, approving amendments that assert the nation can hold any person — not just Indians — within its southeast Oklahoma reservation liable for crimes within its jurisdiction to the extent allowed under federal law. [NonDoc]   Cherokee Nation to study the impacts of data centers: On Tuesday, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. signed an executive order creating a task force to study the environmental impacts data centers can have on the land and its residents. [Tulsa Flyer]   Voting and Election News   Rob Miller suspends campaign for Oklahoma state superintendent: A leading Republican candidate in Oklahoma's 2026 state superintendent race has withdrawn. Rob Miller, the former superintendent of Bixby Public Schools, announced Wednesday he is ending his campaign following his wife's unexpected death on Feb. 1. [Oklahoma Voice] Former Bixby Superintendent Rob Miller ends state campaign [Tulsa World] Oklahoma House Rep. Chris Kannady joins race for state attorney general: A new candidate has filed to join the race to become Oklahoma's next attorney general, with state documents showing Rep. Chris Kannady, R-Oklahoma City, filing to run as a Republican. [News 9]   Education News   New research tracks Oklahoma student achievement's 'long decline' to 48th in nation: Amid state policymakers' latest efforts to crack down on poor literacy rates and increase instructional days for public school students, a new research report compares how Oklahoma students are performing academically with their peers regionally and nationally. The takeaway? Oklahoma's educational decline is no myth. [Tulsa World] From OK Policy: Oklahoma ranked 48th nationally in education, according to the 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book. Oklahoma lawmakers advance anti-DEI higher education bill impacting university accreditation: House Bill 3132 would require Oklahoma's colleges and universities to avoid using accrediting agencies that have employed DEI policies as part of the accreditation process in the last five years unless otherwise impossible. [Oklahoma Voice]   Konawa Public Schools challenges state pressure to cut counseling services: Konawa Public Schools are pushing back against the Oklahoma State Department of Education, claiming the state is pressuring them to cut counseling services, which would impact special services students the most. [KOCO]   Health News   Oklahoma AG tells SoonerCare to drop proposed rule for tooth extractions: In a letter to Oklahoma Health Care Authority Director Clay Bullard, Drummond complained that the agency didn't follow state rulemaking laws when considering a new rule that requires dental patients get pre-authorized for some tooth extractions if they are on SoonerCare, Oklahoma's Medicaid program. [The Oklahoman]   Criminal Justice News   Delayed retirements may soon hit understaffed Tulsa police as accountability concerns persist: Long-time Tulsa police officers are getting ready for retirement after the ends of their careers were delayed, complicating a public safety picture critics say lacks oversight. The Tulsa Police Department has repeatedly said it's short-staffed by about 100 officers. [Public Radio Tulsa]   Housing & Economic Opportunity News   Oklahoma family lives in shed as insurance suit reveals alleged fraud: The family's wait draws out while their insurance company, Encompass, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Allstate Corporation, continues to dispute the homeowners' claim as they make payments on a property they can't even live in. Their lawsuit against an Allstate subsidiary joins hundreds of cases filed of that nature in Oklahoma. [The Oklahoman]   Economy & Business News   Google data center developer offers few details in Osage Minerals Council briefing: Although the project passed the Sand Springs City Council earlier this month, White Rose Partners arrived at the Feb. 18 meeting without a formal proposal and instead offered to answer questions about Project Spring, which will span roughly 800 acres and sit partially within Osage County. [Tulsa Flyer]   ONEOK posts 12% net income growth in 2025 despite revenue miss: Building momentum from two multi-billion acquisitions in 2024, Tulsa-based ONEOK marched through 2025, posting $3.39 billion in net income, marking a 12% jump over net income from 2024, according to a fourth-quarter and full-year earnings report the company released after markets closed on Monday. [The Journal Record]   Community News   Wildlife refuge tours in northeast Oklahoma show success story of bald eagle preservation: Because of the prevalent usage of an effective insecticide called DDT (Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane), bald eagles teetered on the verge of extinction. In Oklahoma, the eagle population fortunately bounced back, and that's the success story shared during the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge's tour. [KOSU]   Opinion: I'm a Muslim, and I'm no threat to Oklahoma: Apparently, some voices in Oklahoma are saying that Sharia is the No. 1 problem in our state. As a Muslim, an imam and a neighbor here in Oklahoma, I find that deeply painful — not because Sharia needs political protection, but because the conversation itself reveals how misunderstood we still are. [Imad Enchassi / The Oklahoman]   Local Headlines Norman Music Festival unveils 2026 headliners [KOSU] Norman had 13.61% increase in sales tax revenue from College Football Playoff game compared to last December [OU Daily] Tulsa Public Schools pumps the brakes on strategic plan timeline to allow for community engagement [Tulsa Flyer] Tulsa councilors to consider adding teeth to ordinance on racing, excessive speeding [Tulsa World] Support Our Work with a Donation 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. You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail. Contact Oklahoma Policy Institute 907 S. Detroit Ave #1005 Tulsa, OK 74120 United States  918-794-3944 | info@okpolicy.org okpolicy.org    Connect with us:   If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive emails from us, please unsubscribe.