Oklahoma News
New poll shows voters narrowly favor Oklahoma minimum wage hike: A poll released this week shows Oklahoma’s State Question 832, which would raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2029, would pass if the election were held today. The outcome will likely hinge on who shows up to vote in the June primary election, and whether or not conservative voters unite against the measure in the final weeks of the campaign. [The Oklahoman]
State Government News
Lacking specific agendas, Oklahoma Dems expect end of session to be ‘hectic’: Oklahoma’s Democratic lawmakers said they don’t know what legislation will be brought up Thursday or what to expect on what could be the final day of the legislative session. While lawmakers passed a resolution last week agreeing to sine die by 5 p.m. Thursday, neither the House nor the Senate has yet to post an agenda specifying what legislation they plan to take up. [Oklahoma Voice]
Ratepayer protections signed into law by Oklahoma governor: Oklahoma ratepayer’s energy bills won’t go up because of the energy consumption of data centers under a bill signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt. The “Data Center Customer Ratepayer Protection Act” applies to any new data centers, cryptocurrency mining operations and facilities that function for artificial intelligence computing that consume 75 megawatts of power or more. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Stitt signs bill to prevent higher utility costs from data centers into law [KGOU]
Hunger Free Oklahoma questions need for Stitt's order on SNAP: An advocate for people who rely on government help to get enough food to eat has expressed concerns about an executive order issued recently by Gov. Kevin Stitt meant to ensure that only American citizens receive taxpayer-supported benefits. [Tulsa World]
Cannabis specialist fired from OMMA council: A key figure who helped oversee Oklahoma’s Medical Marijuana Authority, and keep unsafe products off of dispensary shelves, has been fired. She says she wasn’t given a detailed reason why she was let go. [KFOR]
Long Story Short: Abolitionists, Assets, and the Minimum Wage (podcast): Oklahoma Watch staff break down how an ultra-ideological faction is quietly capturing control of the state Republican Party and targeting incumbent lawmakers, reports on the fallout after the governor’s former chief of staff wins a bid to manage key state pension assets, and how an upcoming state question proposing a gradual minimum wage increase to $15 per hour. [Oklahoma Watch]
Legislative Roundup
- Oklahoma ban on child marriage becomes law [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma governor vetoes 'human composting' bill [KOSU]
Opinion: Oklahoma public investments deserve more scrutiny, transparency: There is an old Oklahoma way of looking at money. Most folks around here understand the difference between investing and gambling. They understand the difference between a steady hand and chasing the next big thing. And when it comes to public money, Oklahomans have traditionally preferred slow and steady. That’s why the growing questions surrounding Gov. Kevin Stitt’s former chief of staff and business associate, Bond Payne, Citizens Capital, 311 Capital Management and state Treasurer Todd Russ deserve far more than a polished presentation and carefully worded talking points. [Former Rep. Mark McBride / The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
Cost of Iran war rises to $29B as US gas prices spike: The cost of the Iran war has increased to $29 billion to date, Pentagon officials told lawmakers in both chambers Tuesday. Top Department of Defense officials faced questions from House and Senate appropriators over several hours of testimony on the administration’s Pentagon budget request and the direction of the U.S. operation in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. [Oklahoma Voice]
Tribal Nations News
Muscogee Freedmen denied last-minute appeal to get voting rights before tribal election: The Muscogee Nation Supreme Court denied a series of appeals Tuesday seeking to enforce citizenship for descendants of people formerly enslaved by the tribe. [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
Two Democrats, one chance at flipping Oklahoma’s 5th District: Redistricting has made the path to victory steeper in Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District since the last time a Democrat was elected to the seat in 2018. Now, with two distinct candidates, Jena Nelson and Trey Martin are making their cases as the June 16 primary approaches. Democratic voters are being asked to make a calculation: Which is best positioned to oust Republican incumbent Stephanie Bice in November? [The Frontier]
Rooney drops out of 1st Congressional District race: Lt. Col. Dan Rooney said Wednesday he has ended his campaign for the 1st Congressional District, following President Donald Trump's endorsement of Jackson Lahmeyer. [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma judicial candidates can't campaign as 'conservative', panel says: The Oklahoma Judicial Ethics Advisory Panel, made up of former judges, decided that a judicial candidate may not use the word “conservative” to describe themself in materials, saying that it violates the Oklahoma Code of Judicial Conduct. [The Oklahoman]
What are your questions for KOSU about voting?: KOSU is partnering with collaborators — including Focus: Black Oklahoma, Tulsa Flyer, The Oklahoma Eagle, The Frontier and La Semana — to answer your questions about voting. [KOSU]
Education News
Ryan Walters sued for slander by teacher he blasted on social media: An Edmond high school teacher has filed a slander lawsuit against former state superintendent Ryan Walters for publicly accusing the teacher of threatening President Donald Trump. [The Oklahoman]
Health News
Federal rural hospital program offers lifeline in Oklahoma, but hurdles remain: Small rural hospitals are facing significant challenges amid lower volume, aging populations and rising costs. As the designation gains traction in Oklahoma, providers said it's become a lifeline for their facilities, which would otherwise close. But critics argue there's a need for other solutions that don't require them to give up services. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KOSU]
COPES partnership helps divert 6,600 mental health calls to 911 Call Center: In the year since Tulsa's 911 Call Center partnered with Family & Children’s Services’ COPES program, more than 6,600 mental health calls were diverted, and Mayor Monroe Nichols said Wednesday afternoon nearly 90% of them were handled entirely on the phone by a professional. [Tulsa World]
Opinion: Help urgently needed for those with mental health issues: May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a national observance that has been recognized since 1949, but its message has never been more urgent. In the United States, nearly 1 in 5 adults is living with a mental health condition, and more than 1 in 20 experience a serious mental illness that significantly interferes with daily life. [Cesiley Bouseman / The Oklahoman]
Justice System News
Oklahoma sheriff resigns after escapee killed during traffic stop: A sheriff in east-central Oklahoma has resigned from his post after a controversy stemming from the death of an escaped inmate who was shot by state troopers on New Year's Eve. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma County jail trust ratifies pay raises, activist to drop lawsuit: The activist who sued Oklahoma County jail trust Chairman Jim Holman over controversial jail staff pay raises that Holman insists he did not personally authorize said he will dismiss his complaint after the trust retroactively ratified the raises on Friday, May 8. [The Oklahoman]
Tulsa Race Massacre reparations is soul-redeeming work for the US, Oklahoma civil rights lawyer says: Civil rights attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons learned about the Tulsa Race Massacre during college. This revelation inspired him to lead a reparations campaign for survivors and descendants. [Associated Press]
- Attorney for Tulsa Race Massacre survivors releases 'Redeem A Nation' book [Tulsa World]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Homelessness among families and youth reach new highs in Oklahoma City: More families and unaccompanied youth are experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma City now than at any other point in the past two decades, according to newly released figures. [The Frontier]
National affordable housing developer to bring 1,000 units to Oklahoma: A national affordable housing developer is making one of the largest commitments to Oklahoma’s market in recent years, with plans to build more than 1,000 units in Oklahoma City and Tulsa over the next three years. [The Oklahoman]
Economy & Business News
Pittsburg County committee endorses deal tied to 2,000-acre, $50 billion data center site: With data centers becoming a hot topic in the Legislature and across the state, a Pittsburg County Review Committee formally recommended approval of proposed tax increment finance districts tied to a $50 billion data center development proposed in southeast Oklahoma near Kiowa. The move comes after city leaders in Oklahoma City and Tulsa have both passed temporary moratoriums on the development of new data centers in their cities. [NonDoc]
PSO to invest $1.2 billion in new energy projects to meet growing demand: State regulators gave preapproval to Public Service Company of Oklahoma for several new projects. The utility said it needs to add more energy to its mix to ensure reliability. [KGOU]
Community News
Libraries are the 'kitchens of our communities': The CEO of the Metropolitan Library System says, "The analogy I use a lot is that libraries used to be like grocery stores, places where things were on shelves and where you went to pick things up, get something and leave. That's a role we still play. But we're not just grocery stores anymore, we're more like kitchens — you know, when people come to your house they congregate in the kitchen, and now we're like the kitchens of our communities, where everybody mixes together." [The Oklahoman]
Broken Arrow library removed displays on LGBTQ+ topics, race after senator forwarded complaint: Until she was contacted by a reporter, State Sen. Christi Gillespie, R-Broken Arrow, was unaware an email she forwarded to the Tulsa City-County Library March 25 led to display removals and a system-wide rebuke from top administrators. [Tulsa Flyer]
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance drew thousands of national complaints. We rounded up Oklahoma’s: The Federal Communications Commission, the agency charged with regulating radio, television and other communications industries, recently released the nearly 2,400 complaints it got in reaction to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
Tulsa Asia Fest organizers opt to pause popular event in 2027, citing workload: Tulsa’s Asian Affairs Commission voted to pause its popular Asia Fest in 2027, saying the decision reflects the event’s rapid growth — not a lack of community interest. [Tulsa Flyer]
Opinion: Every Oklahoman should have access to tornado shelter: Not every Oklahoman has somewhere safe to go when the sirens sound. For too many residents, the shelter question has no good answer. Oklahoma remains one of the nation's most tornado-prone states. Tornado Alley is not a metaphor here. It is a geography where survival often depends on what kind of home a person is in when the storm arrives. [Mezabahnur Masum / The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- Tulsa population stays flat as nearby cities see increase in residents, Census shows [Tulsa World]
- Councilors unanimously approve ordinance change for north Tulsa master plan [Tulsa World]
- $15 million funding shortage could stop construction of major Tulsa Zoo attraction [Tulsa World]
- Former chief photographer at News 9 in OKC faces 21 felony counts [The Oklahoman]
- Former Oklahoma Co. Commissioner and others facing new legal trouble [KFOR]
