Oklahoma Political News

Oklahoma Supreme Court justices on Tuesday questioned attorneys about the burdens of a new law that puts more restrictions on the process used to get issues on the ballot.

“At some point, the burdens pile up and it becomes an undue burden,” said Justice Noma Gurich.

People will not try to get things on the ballot with all of the additional burdens placed on the process by the new law, said Randall Yates, an attorney representing those who filed the lawsuit.

Last session, lawmakers passed and Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 1027, forcing initiative petition signature collectors to visit several Oklahoma counties rather than concentrate on high-population areas.

Read the full story at Oklahoma Voice.

As residents reel amid disruptions to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, local Edmond nonprofits are rising to meet increased demand in the community. Organizations such as Project 66 and Breakfast on Boulevard have been forced to increase food purchases to account for an influx of patrons seeking assistance.

...

In Oklahoma, one in six residents relies on SNAP, among the highest rates in the United States. Edmond resident Kaysie Billey is among those who supplement their food access with the federal program.

Read the full story at NonDoc.

Supporters of an effort to open the state’s primary voting system on Wednesday began gathering signatures.

They have until Jan. 28 to collect 172,993 signatures to get State Question 836 on the ballot.

Supporters are aiming to get the measure on the November 2026 ballot, said A.J. Griffin, a former Republican state senator who is volunteering.

If approved by voters, all candidates for an office would appear on a single primary ballot. Every voter, regardless of party registration, could participate.

The top two finishers, regardless of partisan affiliation, would advance to the general election.

Read the full story at Oklahoma Voice.

An initiative to clear homeless encampments that began in Tulsa, called Operation SAFE, has now spread to Oklahoma City, Gov. Kevin Stitt said in an announcement Monday afternoon.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation have begun cleanup efforts, this time, in partnership with Key to Home, Oklahoma City's public-private partnership to address homelessness.

Read the full story at KGOU

More than 1,000 people joined a No Kings protest Saturday outside City Hall in Oklahoma City, donning ponchos and inflatable costumes in the rain to rally against President Donald Trump.

The No Kings protests, which took place in hundreds of cities across all 50 states and in the nation’s capital, are intended to denounce the Trump administration and rally against “chaos, corruption, and cruelty.”

Many protest signs and speakers focused on anger with Trump’s deportation campaign using Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Congress’ failure to release the Epstein files and the conflict in Gaza.

Read the full story at Oklahoma Voice.

Citing a desire to target corruption and keep elected officials “in check,” former Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Coffey became the first Democratic candidate to launch a 2026 campaign for attorney general of Oklahoma today.

..."Oklahoma deserves an attorney general that will bring that same level of accountability to keeping politicians in check — I am ready to take on the role of Oklahoma’s top ranking law enforcement officer.”

Read the full story at NonDoc.

While announcing wholesale changes at the Oklahoma State Department of Education, Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed a retired CareerTech administrator to lead the agency along with a “turnaround team” of officials from across the state.

Lindel Fields is Stitt’s choice to lead that turnaround as state superintendent, replacing Ryan Walters who resigned from the position on Tuesday. Fields, of Tulsa, said he will step into the role with the aim of “steadying the ship” at the Education Department, which had a tumultuous 33 months with Walters in charge.

“We’ll lead with honesty and respect,” Fields said at a news conference at Eisenhower International School in Tulsa on Thursday. “I believe in the principle ‘Do what you say. Say what you mean. Don’t say it mean.’ That’s how we’ll operate as a state agency, and that’s how we’ll treat one another.”

Read the full story at Oklahoma Voice.

State Superintendent Ryan Walters will resign from office with more than a year left in his term for a new position leading a conservative teacher organization, he announced Wednesday night while speaking live on FOX News.

Walters said he will become the CEO of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, a newly formed group that markets itself as an alternative to teacher unions. He expects to resign in early October, his campaign manager and senior adviser Matt Langston told Oklahoma Voice.

His resignation means Gov. Kevin Stitt will have to appoint a candidate to lead the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the state Board of Education through the rest of Walters’ term, which ends in January 2027. Stitt has not yet said who he will choose.

Read the full story at Oklahoma Voice.

— State Question 836 would let all voters, regardless of party, vote in Oklahoma state election primaries

An initiative petition aiming to reform Oklahoma’s election system and open primaries can begin collecting signatures following a ruling from the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

The state’s high court on Tuesday ruled 8-0 that a challenge to State Question 836 was premature. Opponents, including the Oklahoma state Republican Party, argued in June the state question’s gist was misleading and the suggested reforms would burden Oklahomans’ right to associate with political parties.

Read the full story at Oklahoma City Free Press.

— Public calls for Oklahoma County Commissioner’s resignation grow as he steps down from board chair amid sexual assault allegations

Oklahoma County Commissioner Myles Davidson faced intense calls to resign as a county commissioner on Wednesday after court filings accused him of sexual assault and harassment.

Davidson denied the allegations made against him but announced late in the Wednesday meeting that he would give up the board chairmanship while keeping his District 3 seat.

And, as of a special meeting Thursday morning, he has stepped down as the Chair of the Board of County Commissioners as Brian Maughan steps into the role of Chair, which he previously held.

Read the full story at Oklahoma City Free Press.