Oklahoma News
Local attorneys struggle to contact clients in Watonga ICE facility: Families and local immigration attorneys say they have been unable to visit detainees virtually or in-person at the privately owned Diamondback Correctional Facility since it reopened in December to house detainees for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma AG wins key ruling against State Farm in insurance lawsuit: A judge's decision has cleared the way for Oklahoma attorney general to take over the Hursh v. State Farm lawsuit, which could be considered a landmark case that alleges a systematic scheme by Oklahoma's largest insurer to underpay or deny roof damage claims to increase profits. [The Oklahoman]
- State Farm announces $5 billion cash back to auto customers, averaging $100 per payout [KOTV via Tulsa Flyer]
Construction lobbyist calls turnpike opponents 'domestic terrorists': Supporters of the ACCESS Oklahoma turnpike system expansion say transportation officials are facing death threats as condemnation and demolition of homes is starting up in Norman for a new toll road. Bobby Stem, executive director of the Association of General Contractors, despite having no evidence, tied the threats posted on Facebook to protests staged by Pike Off OTA, a group of residents trying to protect their homes from being seized and destroyed by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. [The Oklahoman]
- OAGC alleging threats over turnpike project, Pike Off OTA rebukes [KFOR]
State Government News
Oklahoma advances Trump-backed bills targeting undocumented immigrants: Republicans in Oklahoma's House of Representatives all stood from their seats on the chamber floor to illustrate their support for two bills that would have undocumented immigrants reported to federal authorities they tried to receive government assistance. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma governor repeals rules allowing sex marker change on state driver's licenses: Governor Kevin Stitt and Oklahoma lawmakers removed state agency administrative rules that allow people to change their sex markers on state driver's licenses Tuesday evening. A lawyer working with trans Oklahomans said it's a "significant blow" to their rights. [KOSU]
Legislative Roundup:
- Bipartisan bill requiring annual mental health screenings by Oklahoma providers advances [KGOU]
- Oklahoma lawmakers weigh immigration, SNAP and more as key deadline approaches [KOSU]
- Oklahoma lawmakers advance bill limiting ability to consider religious practices [Oklahoma Voice]
- House committee advances bill lowering campaign contribution reporting threshold [The Journal Record]
- Oklahoma bill requires foreign nationals with CDLs to prove lawful status [The Journal Record]
Opinion: Wildfires are enduring threat that demands urgent resolve: In Oklahoma, the idea of a defined "fire season" is quickly becoming outdated. State officials now warn that wildfire is a year-round reality. The threat is at our fence lines, and it is costing us more than just land. [James Campbell / The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Working Oklahomans don't have time for political theater: Working families don't have time for political theater. They're trying to make payroll. They're trying to raise their kids. They're trying to run a business or hold down a job. They want stability. They want predictability. They want someone to listen before decisions are made that affect their lives. [Former State Representative Mark McBride / The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
Opinion: Oklahoma response to Epstein files isn't about picking sides: The Epstein files, and their implications, aren't a scoreboard to root around. They document one of the most horrific networks of child sexual exploitation and trafficking this country has ever seen. Real victims, many of them children, were preyed upon by powerful people who thought their status made them untouchable. [Tristan Fitzgerald / The Oklahoman]
Tribal Nations News
Kiowa Chairman Lawrence SpottedBird impeached, removed; Sullivan assumes office: After a three-hour hearing Monday, the Kiowa Legislature unanimously voted to impeach and remove Chairman Lawrence SpottedBird. The hearing brought little new information to the public, but legislators re-presented their case and ultimately welcomed a new chairman who called for the tribe to "move forward with unity and urgency." [NonDoc]
Federal judge declines to confirm Osage Nation's reservation, but offers 'roadmap' to do so: An Oklahoma federal judge ruled he can't rule the Osage Nation's reservation is still intact, denying a legal maneuver to resurrect an old lawsuit. However, Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear said this decision does not diminish hope; rather, it provides Osage leaders with more clarity on how to move forward. [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
Group fails to collect necessary signatures to make Oklahoma ballot, will try again: The Sooner State Party said that it will try again after failing to secure enough signatures to become the state's fourth recognized political party. The group failed to get the required 35,000 signatures by a few hundred, said C.J. Webber-Neal, acting chair. The deadline to qualify the party for the upcoming election was last month. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma ethics board launches temporary portal for local campaign finance reporting: Oklahoma Ethics Commission officials said candidates filing for local elections will ultimately be integrated into the existing Guardian system in the coming months once upgrades are completed, but for now they can file electronically using a temporary portal, according to a news release. [Oklahoma Voice]
Education News
After 30K graduates, Union Adult Learning Center will close its doors. Its impact will be felt across Tulsa: The Union Adult Learning Center will close June 30, leaving thousands of Tulsans with few alternatives for GED or English language education —- and saving Union Public Schools more than $200,000 a year. For 25 years, it has provided free English as a Second Language (ESL) education, a High School Equivalency (HSE) program, job placement and education fairs to more than 30,000 community members. [Tulsa Flyer]
Opinion: Oklahoma Republicans' plan to help current teachers will shirk their duty to retired ones: Leave it to Oklahoma lawmakers to find a way to pit the fortunes of our retired educators against the needs of our current ones. But that's essentially what the Republican-controlled Senate is doing with their latest plan to pay for $254 million in much-needed education investments by screwing around with funding the pension system that retired educators rely on and are entitled to. [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]
Health News
Meet the woman keeping TSET on course amid politicians' storm: Oklahoma is nearing the 30th anniversary of its landmark 1996 lawsuit against major tobacco companies. That lawsuit, led by then Attorney General Drew Edmonson, led to a 1998 "Master Settlement Agreement" between 46 states and the tobacco industry and a requirement that they pay billions of dollars in annual allocations to states. [The Oklahoman]
Criminal Justice News
Oklahoma Ranks Third in Fatal Police Encounters: Oklahoma has recorded 383 fatal encounters involving police over the past 12 years, consistently ranking among the highest in the nation per capita, yet the system that reviews those deaths, built on legal standards that ask only whether force was reasonable in the moment, rarely produces criminal charges against officers. The result is a cycle that satisfies legal definitions of accountability while leaving unresolved questions about whether training, culture and policy are doing enough to change outcomes. [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma Elder Parole Eligibility Act passes through committee: A bill that would streamline the parole process for elder inmates is advancing through the House. Democratic Representative Ronald Stewart's House Bill 3053 passed through the House Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee unanimously on Tuesday. [KGOU]
Groups that serve victims of crime in Oklahoma face shrinking funding: Oklahoma organizations serving abused children and domestic violence survivors have lost up to 80% of their federal support, even as demand continues to rise. [NonDoc]
Lowe seeks state audit of OK County jail trust, other commissioners leery: Oklahoma County Commissioner Jason Lowe had planned to ask his fellow commissioners to authorize an investigative audit of the county jail trust Monday, but that proposal is now on hold until the board's next meeting after Lowe said he received further guidance from the District Attorney's Office. [NonDoc]
- DA advises OK County commissioners to postpone request for jail audit [The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Rent-To-Own Scheme Highlights Lack of Tenant Protections: A 2023 Business Insider analysis found that rent-to-own contracts are becoming increasingly popular, and they often fall in a legal gray area with most participating tenants leaving or being evicted before buying. Hallett said such deals can be attractive to people with few options for home ownership, including immigrants, people on fixed incomes and people leaving incarceration. [Oklahoma Watch]
$1.3 million grant expands housing support for justice-involved Oklahomans: A $1.3 million grant is expanding housing support for justice-involved individuals in Oklahoma City. Through funding from the Arnall Family Foundation, Diversion Hub, the Key to Home Partnership, Homeless Alliance, and City Care are collaborating on a 3-year project to reduce homelessness and increase housing stability. [KFOR]
Community News
Tulsa pastors join statewide campaign calling for 'compassion' toward immigrants: A group of more than 30 Oklahoma pastors and church representatives in signing a February letter calling for compassion toward the immigrant community. Several called on state lawmakers to take action. Roughly 500 individuals from across the state have signed the letter since it was released. [Tulsa Flyer]
Local Headlines
- Putnam City district hires new superintendent [Oklahoma Voice]
- Moore voters to decide one-cent sales tax proposition [KGOU]
- Tulsa City Council could spend $2.5M on incentives to attract Oklahoma's first IKEA [The Oklahoma Eagle]
- South Tulsa councilor has nearly $1M to spend. Here's where it could be headed. [Tulsa Flyer]
- How do Tulsa-area school districts handle ICE enforcement and student protests? We asked. [Tulsa Flyer]
- Tulsa's Midland Valley Trail renaming pulled from council agenda amid conflicting statements [Tulsa Flyer]
- Oasis to open Tulsa's first downtown grocery store in a decade [The Oklahoma Eagle]
