In The Know: Oklahoma regulators approve electricity rate hike | Incoming governor Mike Mazzei offers OK tribes path to renewed partnership | Oklahoma County judge promises changes to bail system after concerns of constitutional violations

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.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2026 Subscribe // View web version (current and archived) "If you have violent crimes and a lot of priors, and you have money, that means you can get out of jail. If you are poor or indigent and you don't have money, you can have a non-violent crime and you stay in jail. This does not make the public safer."   — Brigitte Biffle, Oklahoma County Chief Public Defender, speaking to state lawmakers during an interim study on Oklahoma County's bail practices. [KOSU & The Frontier] 75.5%   Percent of the 10,468 people held in Oklahoma jails awaiting trial, meaning they have not been convicted of the charges for which they are being detained. Many remain behind bars simply because they cannot afford bail or the fees associated with securing their release. Nationally, 69% of people held in local jails are awaiting trial. [R Street Institute] | [Prison Policy Initiative] From OK Policy: Oklahoma’s pretrial process is slow-moving and punishes poverty through its overreliance on cash bail Bail Reform and Public Safety   Over the past decade, more than a dozen jurisdictions across the United States have implemented reforms limiting the use of money bail. However, following a sharp increase in violent crime during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, critics blamed bail reform for rising crime rates, prompting some jurisdictions to roll back these policies. Despite these concerns, research has found little evidence linking bail reform to increased crime. An analysis by the Brennan Center for Justice comparing crime trends from 2015 to 2021 across 22 cities with bail reform policies and 11 cities without them found no statistically significant relationship between bail reform and crime rates. These findings held across different types of offenses, methods of implementation, and major reforms in states such as New York and New Jersey. The results suggest that bail reform has not been a significant driver of crime trends and that efforts to improve public safety may be better directed toward other evidence-based approaches. [Brennan Center for Justice] State Government News   Corporation Commission approves PSO request to raise residential rates 3.55 percent: The Oklahoma Corporation Commission approved a 3.55 percent increase to Public Service Company of Oklahoma’s residential customer rates today, a rate case that critics have argued was driven by efforts to attract large-load industrial projects, such as data centers. [NonDoc] Oklahoma regulators approve PSO electricity rate hike [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU] Oklahoma Corporation Commission approves higher PSO rates for residents [Tulsa Flyer] Oklahoma turnpike tolls to rise, increasing the cost to travel to Tulsa by about 35 cents: Tolls on Oklahoma turnpikes are set to increase Jan. 5. For PikePass customers traveling on the state turnpike system, the cost will increase by about a penny to 8 cents for every mile driven. [Oklahoma Voice] Oklahoma Turnpike Authority approves statewide toll increases for 2027 [KOSU] Opinion, This Week in Oklahoma Politics: Oklahoma election results, open primary oral arguments, Operation Guardian and more (podcast): Panelists talk about the win by Governor-elect Mike Mazzei over his Democratic opponent Cyndi Munson along with other statewide races, wins by Democrats in the State House and the results of ballot measures across the state along with Oklahoma and Tulsa counties. They also discuss oral arguments before the State Supreme Court on an initiative petition to open primaries in Oklahoma, as well as federal and state officials taking Oklahoma's "Operation Guardian" immigration program to surrounding states. [KOSU]   Federal Government News   Oklahoma’s influence in Capitol Hill under threat as Democrats set to take control of Congress: Oklahoma Republicans retained every seat in the state’s congressional delegation Tuesday, but a Democratic sweep of both chambers of Congress is set to cost the state some of its most influential leadership positions in Washington. [OU Daily]   Democrats won Congress. Now they have to figure out how to deal with Trump: Democratic leaders in Congress have just a couple months to decide how they want to balance investigations into President Donald Trump and his administration with securing his signature on major bills to address the cost of living, a top concern for voters. [Oklahoma Voice]   Tribal Nations News   Tribes hope for renewed relationship with Oklahoma under Governor-elect Mazzei: Some tribal leaders are congratulating Oklahoma governor-elect Mike Mazzei on his victory this week, hoping he won’t repeat the last eight years of state-tribal conflict. [KOSU] Incoming governor Mike Mazzei offers Oklahoma tribes path to renewed partnership [KOCO] From OK Policy: Tribal-State Policy 101: What is Tribal sovereignty? Cherokee Nation expands elder utility, nutrition programs: Cherokee Nation announced an increase in eligibility for the tribe’s low-income elder utility assistance program and new nutrition sites to be built. [Public Radio Tulsa]   Cherokee Nation launches North Tulsa housing addition: Cherokee Nation announced the opening of several new affordable rental homes in North Tulsa last week. [Public Radio Tulsa]   Voting and Election News   How Oklahoma’s red wall led to a Republican sweep in statewide elections: While Democrats flipped seats across the country to gain control of the U.S. House and Senate, that blue wave met an Oklahoma red wall as Republicans won every statewide and federal seat. Some of that success was simple math — Republicans outnumber Democrats two-to-one in Oklahoma. Also, with nearly half of voters identifying as evangelical, many remain entrenched on cultural issues, such as abortion. [The Oklahoman]   Mazzei faces tax, education battles after closest GOP win in 20 years: In his first appearance as governor-elect, Republican Mike Mazzei pledged to represent all Oklahomans. His victory came during a midterm election that marked huge losses for Republicans across the U.S. [The Oklahoman]   Education News   New Oklahoma schools chief preparing for ‘behemoth’ challenge of education turnaround: The work of Oklahoma’s top education official has already begun for state Superintendent-elect Robert Franklin. [Oklahoma Voice]   Justice System News   Oklahoma County judge promises changes to bail system after concerns of constitutional violations: Oklahoma County Presiding Judge Sheila Stinson told state lawmakers she will issue orders to mandate reforms to bail hearings that keep many poor people in jail. Stinson spoke during an interim study at the Oklahoma Capitol on Oct. 29, where attorneys, court staff and advocates urged the state to step in and fix the county’s court system to avoid costly lawsuits. [KOSU & The Frontier]   Missing Guns, Uninvestigated Burglaries, a Blood Sample in a Refrigerator: What Oklahoma Watch Found in Beggs: Former Beggs Police Chief John Palacio couldn’t believe the condition of the police department he inherited. Unsolved burglaries, a subpar radio system, alleged mishandling of a blood sample, missing guns and more awaited him when he started as the assistant chief and later replaced the interim chief. [Oklahoma Watch]   Race Massacre graves search finds 19 bodies buried all or partially outside cemetery: Nineteen sets of remains buried partially or entirely outside the present southwest boundary of Oaklawn Cemetery have been exhumed in recent weeks, State Archeologist Kary Stackelbeck said Thursday. [Tulsa World]   Economy & Business News   Are Oklahoma cities powerless to pass their own rules regulating oil and gas company operations and municipal groundwater pollution?: Yes. Oklahoma state law has substantially limited municipalities’ ability to enact local oil and gas regulations, so cities often cannot impose rules on oil operations or related groundwater pollution, though some nuances remain. [Oklahoma Watch]   Local Headlines Hard-fought campaign leaves Tulsa city councilor determined as ever and wiser for the experience [Tulsa World] Downtown Tulsa promotes free safety escorts as earlier nightfall raises concerns [The Oklahoma Eagle] 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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