Oklahoma News
The Last Day at Kids of Faith: Parents Navigating a Child Care Crisis: Inside one of the hundreds of day care centers that have recently closed in one state, forcing parents to make difficult decisions about their careers. [The New York Times]
Expert: Power-Hungry Inola Smelter With Unclear Plans Will Enable Isolationism: Inola, about 30 miles east of Tulsa, has celebrated its wealth of silage with a Hay Days Festival since the 1960s. But the area’s future, agricultural and otherwise, is in question as the largest aluminum smelter in the country could be built in the Port of Inola. As to the effects, no one knows for sure or seems willing to say. [Oklahoma Watch]
State Government News
After sending woman AI kissing video, Rep. John Waldron resigned as Democratic Party chairman: Rep. John Waldron confirmed Thursday that he resigned as chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party in December two months after meeting with a potential candidate for office and then using an AI tool to animate their photos into a fictional depiction of him making out with the young woman. Waldron’s revelation comes after months of rumor, at least two tense meetings of the House Democratic Caucus and a temporary caucus suspension that is set to end Monday. [NonDoc]
- Oklahoma Democratic leader resigned over AI kissing video, report says [The Oklahoman]
- Waldron confirms party chair resignation linked to AI scandal [Tulsa World]
- Former Oklahoma Democratic Party chair confirms resignation came after AI kissing video [KOSU]
Restrictions on in-state tuition and welfare benefits among Oklahoma immigration bills moving forward: Dozens of bills targeting illegal immigration did not advance this legislative session, but a few proposals have survived. [The Frontier]
Oklahoma attorney general looks to tighten charity fraud laws: A request by the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office to tighten state laws on charitable contributions this legislative session is not a hint of more fraudulent activity in that sector, officials say. [Tulsa World]
Legislative Roundup
- Oklahoma lawmakers push to extend school year [KFOR]
- Oklahoma Senate moves forward with state question on judicial reform [KOSU]
- Oklahoma lawmakers add data center restrictions to groundwater metering measure [KOSU]
- Advocates push HB 4227 to end statute of limitations, NDAs for child sexual abuse [NonDoc]
- Unlikely Oklahoma Senate alliance blocks GOP-backed August state question (video) [The Oklahoman]
- The rest of the (budget) story [Monday Minute / NonDoc]
- Political Notebook: Corrections Department launches 'Deaths in Custody' page [Tulsa World]
Letter to the Editor, Gov. Stitt: Here's the truth about Invest in Oklahoma: The April 10 reprint of an Oklahoma Watch article titled “Gov. Stitt vote steered $2 billion advisory role to former business partner's firm” fails to represent the facts, so here they are. [Gov. Kevin Stitt / The Oklahoman]
- Archive: Oklahoma Governor’s Vote Steered $2 Billion Advisory Role to Former Business Partner’s Firm [Oklahoma Watch]
Opinion: Oklahomans, let's hold leaders accountable on TSET, Medicaid: If TSET is diverted and Medicaid is weakened, Oklahoma risks undoing decades of progress. Fewer people will receive preventive care. More families will delay treatment until it becomes an emergency. Costs will rise, outcomes will worsen, and the burden will fall hardest on children, families, people with disabilities, and older adults. This isn’t just about policy — it’s about people. [Dalton Delaney / The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
Gas prices soar by 21% as government inflation figures reflect Trump’s war on Iran: Spikes in energy prices caused by the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran drove up inflation for Americans in March, according to the latest consumer price index figures released Friday. Prices for all items together, including food, energy, shelter and other commodities like vehicles, rose by 3.3% from a year ago. That’s the highest annual jump since May 2024, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics historical data. [Oklahoma Voice]
2.5 million Americans lost food aid in months after passage of GOP megabill, study finds: At least 2.5 million low-income people quickly lost help affording groceries under a Republican-passed law that added new requirements for the nation’s largest nutrition program and shifted hundreds of millions of dollars in costs from the federal government to states, according to a study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Enrollment in Oklahoma’s SNAP program dropped about 10%, the analysis found. [Oklahoma Voice]
How Trump’s SAVE America Act could make it harder for married women to vote: Millions of women could face new challenges to voting under President Donald Trump’s SAVE America Act, which would require voters to prove their citizenship before casting a ballot. [Oklahoma Voice]
Immigrants who sought asylum during border surge under increasing pressure: The millions of migrants who were released into the country during the immigration surge that began in 2021 and peaked in 2023 caused a political firestorm when Republican states transported them to Democratic cities. Now, according to a new analysis, many of them are back working in the states that expelled them. [Oklahoma Voice]
CDC’s 2025 data shows birth rates continuing to slide: New data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows fertility and birth rates continue to fall across the U.S., while cesarean section procedures increased and preterm birth rates remained flat. [Oklahoma Voice]
D.C. Digest: Mullin under the microscope as Homeland Security tenure begins: Former U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin's first few weeks on the job have been closely scrutinized by all sides. Critics of the Trump administration's immigration policies said first impressions of Secretary Markwayne Mullin's early days running the Department of Homeland Security are not good. [Tulsa World]
Tribal Nations News
Inter-Tribal Council passes resolution supporting Medicaid expansion: The Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes passed a resolution at its quarterly meeting April 10 at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, expressing support for protecting Medicaid expansion and tribal health care systems in Oklahoma. [The Journal Record]
Application window now open for Summer EBT administered by tribes: With the school year ending as early as May 1 for some Tulsa-area students, applications are now available for a federal program targeting summer food insecurity among children. [Tulsa World]
Voting and Election News
Most State Legislative Races Are Contested: For the first time since 2018, most Oklahoma voters will see at least one state legislative race on the November ballot. [Oklahoma Watch]
- Record number of candidates file for Oklahoma elections, state election board says [KGOU]
- Capitol Insider: Prepping for the 2026 Oklahoma elections [KGOU]
Ethics Commission reprimands Rep. Justin Humphrey for fundraising ask in Capitol video: The Oklahoma Ethics Commission publicly reprimanded Rep. Justin “JJ” Humphrey today for posting a video on State Capitol grounds in which he requested donations for his lieutenant governor campaign. [NonDoc]
- Oklahoma Rep. Humphrey reprimanded by ethics panel over campaign video [The Oklahoman]
Lawmaker’s effort to lower Ethics Commission campaign reporting threshold continues: If Rep. Jay Steagall, R-Yukon, has his way, the language of a dead House bill may be reanimated inside an Oklahoma Ethics Commission rule change soon, lowering the campaign contribution threshold governing when all candidates, whether at the state or local level, must begin reporting funds raised and expended to the commission. [The Journal Record]
Thousands of Oklahomans switched party affiliation ahead of primary elections: Over 13,000 Oklahomans have changed their party affiliation this year ahead of the closed June primary elections, according to a state report. [Oklahoma Voice]
Opinion: The Quiet Erosion of the Vote and the Urgent Work to Rebuild It: As Congress once again debates federal legislation that could reshape how Americans register to vote, the future of access to the ballot is no longer theoretical—it is being decided in real time. And yet, like so many turning points in American democracy, this one is not arriving with spectacle but a quiet erosion. [James S. Bridgeforth / The Black Wall Street Times]
Education News
Pauls Valley principal healing after shooting: 'I am forever grateful': Pauls Valley High School Principal Kirk Moore is sharing words of gratitude while he recovers from a gunshot wound sustained during an incident at the school. [The Oklahoman]
5 things to know about Parental Choice Tax Credit in Oklahoma: The Oklahoma House of Representatives on Thursday passed House Bill 3705 to increase the cap on the state’s Parental Choice Tax Credit to $275 million. [Tulsa World]
Criminal Justice News
Oklahoma County 'found' $14 million, but jail budget still tight: Oklahoma County officials "found" $14 million with the discovery of a bookkeeping error, but it won't immediately help county finances or the financially feeble county jail, officials said. [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma County sheriff to stop jail detainee transport [The Oklahoman]
Tulsa County DA clears officer involved in Michael Glunt shooting as new details emerge: The Tulsa police officer who shot and killed Michael Glunt Feb. 8 has been cleared of any wrongdoing following a district attorney’s investigation. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
- District attorney clears Tulsa officer in fatal shooting near 51st and Sheridan [Tulsa World]
Economy & Business News
CompSource Conversion Plan Dealt Blow With Restraining Order: In August of last year, CompSource Mutual — formerly Oklahoma’s insurer of last resort for workers comp insurance — launched an effort to convert into a larger stock company that sells many forms of insurance across the country. Since then, a protracted legal battle has erupted of baffling complexity, legal obfuscations and embarrassing corporate flubs. The battle, at heart, is over CompSource’s surplus assets. A billion dollars. Or more, depending on which court filing you consult. [Oklahoma Watch]
Study: State's workforce engaged, but retention an issue: A new study shows Oklahoma’s workforce is engaged, supported by strong organizational cultures and employee attraction. But retention is a challenge due to burnout, lack of career advancement opportunities and misalignment of workforce skills with employer needs, its author said. [Tulsa World]
Community News
Hidden in fine print, discriminatory language from a century ago still exists in some Tulsa property records: Some state lawmakers want to make it easier to scrub this language from property records. A law went into effect in November to help homeowners do so, but some counties have argued they don’t have the authority to change the records. [Tulsa Flyer]
Local Headlines
- Who is Paul Foster, Oklahoma County's new commissioner? [The Oklahoman]
- Local businessman's departure from Tulsa city board creates a stir — and second thoughts [Tulsa World]
