In The Know: Supporters of SQ 836 ask court to weigh in on rejected signatures | Report says 43% of Oklahoma households can't afford basic living costs | A new generation is ready to lead Oklahoma

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.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2026 Subscribe // View web version (current and archived) A new generation is ready to lead Oklahoma (Commentary)   It’s easy to look at Oklahoma’s challenges and feel discouraged. Our public schools struggle for resources. Too many families struggle for basic needs. Rural communities fight for hospitals and essential services. Too often, political division overshadows the real solutions we can solve together. But something else is happening across Oklahoma. And it should give us hope. [Shiloh Kantz / OK Policy] OK Policy & Together OK are bringing the voices of your community to the Capitol.   This summer, we’re hosting listening sessions in towns and cities across the state to provide an opportunity for the public to have conversations with our fellow Oklahomans about issues that matter most in their communities. By hearing directly from residents, we can better advocate for state policies that reflect your priorities.   Sessions are free and open to the public, and participants will be compensated for their time (in-person events only). [Learn More] Find A Listening Session Near You Take Our Quick Online Survey 43%   The percentage of Oklahoma households living in financial hardship in 2024, including families below the federal poverty level and ALICE households earning too much to qualify as poor but too little to afford basic necessities. [United for ALICE & United Way of Northern New Jersey] The State of ALICE in Oklahoma 2026   Nearly half of Oklahoma households struggled to afford basic necessities in 2024, even though many were working and earning above the federal poverty level. An estimated 28% of households were classified as ALICE — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — meaning they earned too much to qualify as poor but not enough to cover essentials like housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and technology. Financial hardship was most common among Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native households, single-parent families, young and older adults, and rural residents. As the cost of basic needs continues to outpace wages, many Oklahoma workers in essential industries and occupations struggle to make ends meet despite being employed. [United for ALICE & United Way of Northern New Jersey] "If we’re not aware of community problems... then we can’t make the appropriate changes to correct those problems and solve those community challenges. We have to know the facts in order to drive more positive change."   — Melanie Poulter, Tulsa Area United Way's director of research and data, discussing the value she hopes the 2026 State of ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) in Oklahoma report will provide. The report highlights households that earn above the federal poverty level yet still struggle to afford basic necessities, as well as those living in poverty. [Tulsa World] Oklahoma News   Oklahoma Supreme Court to decide legality of state question signature purge: Supporters of a state question that would let voters decide if the state’s primaries should be open challenged a determination by the Oklahoma Secretary of State that they failed to garner enough legal signatures to get it on the ballot. Frederic Dorwart, an attorney for the state question, which would place all primary candidates on a single ballot, said the Secretary of State must explain why over 57,000 signatures were rejected. [Oklahoma Voice] Supporters of SQ 836 ask court to weigh in on rejected signatures [The Oklahoman] State Government News   Broadband officials open internet portal program in Oklahoma libraries: The Oklahoma Broadband Office will install about 175 broadband community access portals in libraries across the state. The project is part of a $14.5 million-initiative to help residents get connected to telehealth, workforce services and digital skills training. The money is through the American Rescue Plan Act Capital Projects Fund, according to an Oklahoma Broadband Office press release. [KOSU]   Federal Government News   After 2 deadly shootings, ICE reportedly ordered to end vehicle enforcement stops: The Department of Homeland Security Tuesday ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to cease vehicle-related enforcement stops, following the deadly shootings of two men in their vehicles, according to multiple media reports. [Oklahoma Voice]   Permanent daylight saving time is closer to reality as House passes bill: The House of Representatives voted on Tuesday, July 14, to allow states to enact daylight saving time year-round, moving to prevent Americans from having to change their clocks twice a year. [USA TODAY via The Oklahoman] Is year-round daylight saving time the solution? 'Locking the clock' struck out before [Tulsa World] Would Trump’s $1.776 billion ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ have come out of the same federal funds that would have been used to pay the remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre under Rep. Al Green’s proposed bill?: Yes. According to the DOJ, the “anti-weaponization” fund would come from the federal Judgement Fund, the same indefinite appropriation used to pay judgements and settlements such as those proposed in Rep. Al Green’s bill. [Oklahoma Watch]   Opinion: 'Dignity Act' offers a path for our neighbors: Right now, more than 2.5 million people in America face a similar struggle. They were brought here before adulthood, but they have no legal path to be here the right way. They live each day wondering if America will accept them as Americans or leave them unprotected and exposed to deportation to a country they barely remember. While they continue to contribute an estimated $18 billion per year in taxes, they wonder if their dreams of permanent legal status will ever be fulfilled. [Kara Moseby / The Oklahoman]   Tribal Nations News   Iowa Tribe claims health care sovereignty from IHS: The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma entered the Indian Health Service’s Tribal Self-Governance Program this month, announcing it now has more direct oversight of its healthcare. [KOSU]   Education News   Epic Charter Schools students struggle academically, district responds to investigative audit: As Epic Charter Schools works to address a recent audit that found widespread financial mismanagement, a new report also shows students are performing low on state testing compared to the state average. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]   6 Oklahoma universities to launch new teacher certification pathways in August: Six Oklahoma universities will begin offering new teacher preparation programs in August as part of a statewide effort to strengthen Oklahoma’s educator workforce and create more pathways into the profession. [News 9] Cameron University among 6 universities working to strengthen state education workforce [The Lawton Constitution] OK universities launch programs designed to strengthen education workforce [KTUL] Health News   Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, Miss Oklahoma partner to spread substance abuse awareness: Oklahoma’s top anti-drug law enforcement agency is partnering with the state’s Miss Oklahoma pageant to better get through to students about avoiding substance abuse. [KOSU]   State law says kratom is 'food.' Why are officials sounding the alarm?: Oklahoma's anti-drug agency has issued a warning about the dangers associated with using kratom, a mostly legal drug derived from a tree found in southeast Asia. While it's legal to sell and is even considered a food in Oklahoma, the state has placed restrictions on potency for those who manufacture it. It also cannot be sold to anyone under 18. [The Oklahoman]   Oklahoma confirms 56 cyclosporiasis cases, six hospitalizations in state: The parasite causing cases of so-called "explosive diarrhea" has now reached Oklahoma, with the Oklahoma State Department of Health confirming 56 cases in 2026. Cyclosporiasis is a stomach-churning illness caused by a parasite often found on produce. [The Oklahoman] Cyclosporiasis: What Oklahomans need to know about outbreak of intestinal infection [Tulsa World] Oklahoma State Department of Health confirms 56 cyclosporiasis cases, 6 hospitalizations [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU] Justice System News   ‘It’s time for me to pay for what I did:’ Oklahoma board rejects clemency for death row inmate Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez: The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-1 Tuesday against recommending clemency for death row inmate Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez. Cuesta-Rodriguez, 70, was sentenced to die in 2007 by lethal injection for fatally shooting his girlfriend, Olimpia Fisher, in 2003. [The Frontier] Man facing execution says he doesn’t deserve nor ‘want any mercy’ [Oklahoma Voice] From OK Policy: Oklahoma Death Penalty Tracker Tulsan sentenced to life in prison without parole in son’s murder: A Tulsa man was sentenced to life without parole Tuesday in connection with his son’s murder. District Judge David Guten ordered Tyrice Antione Williams Jr., 25, to serve the life-without-parole prison term following a hearing in Tulsa County District Court. [Tulsa World]   Jail: Death rate takes drastic dive based on rolling, 365-day periods: The Oklahoma County jail saw fewer inmate deaths in the year ending July 4 than any other 365-day period since the Criminal Justice Authority, the public trust that governs the jail, took over in 2020, jail administrator Tim Kimrey said. [The Oklahoman]   Housing & Economic Opportunity News   Report says 43% of Oklahoma households can't afford basic living costs: About 43% of Oklahoma households can't afford basic living costs, according to a new report that measures financial hardship. The figure is lower than last year’s 45%, as are other metrics measured in “The State of ALICE in Oklahoma: 2026 Update on Financial Hardship,” released by Tulsa Area United Way and the national research organization United for ALICE. [Tulsa World]   Economy & Business News   The 10 worst state economies in America in 2026: Oklahoma is among the most dependent on federal funding, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers. More than 40% of state spending in Oklahoma comes from Washington, D.C., putting the state in the top 10 for reliance on the feds. [CNBC]   Community News   Oklahoma Black history includes tragedy, but perseverance, optimism, triumph: After the Civil War, many newly freed Black families fled the Old South and the violent Ku Klux Klan hell bent on terrorizing and intimidating the formerly enslaved. They envisioned a haven, a place where they would be free from White supremacists that had dogged them since emancipation. They thought they had found it in Oklahoma. [The Oklahoman] A timeline of significant people, events in Oklahoma Black history [The Oklahoman] Meet eight Black Oklahomans who helped shape Oklahoma history [The Oklahoman] Demand for parenting classes skyrocketed during the pandemic. Tulsa waitlists are still growing: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Parent Child Center experienced a 116% increase in demand for its parenting programs. The surge hasn’t let up, and waitlists are growing for voluntary parenting classes. It would take $2 million annually for the center to bring those participants in and eliminate the waitlists. [Tulsa Flyer]   Local Headlines Irish company sets path for Tulsa with new jobs, takeout by air in minutes [Public Radio Tulsa] Coweta city manager to step down following data center controversy [Tulsa World] Owasso Public Schools board approves one-minute addition to school day [Tulsa World] Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt set to deliver annual State of the City address [KOCO] 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. 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