Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025 • Unusually warm with highs in the mid-70s. ☀️

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In today’s Memo:

By Lionel Ramos, KOSU
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The state Republican Party is fracturing from within. And the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus is using the internal division to campaign against moderate party-mates, hoping to replace them with far-right Christian Nationalists. But open Republican primaries in Oklahoma could ruin the plan.

Talking to Oklahoma Republicans these days, the mood is usually hopeful for the party’s future and its agenda. But it’s also urgent.

At a meeting in Sapulpa this summer, the state GOP chair, Charity Linch, spoke to a crowd of about 50 Republicans about party unity heading into future elections.

“I would just ask for you guys to come together and get on the same page and fight, because we're at war,” Linch said.

The war she speaks of is multifaceted. She called out the constant threat of liberalism and the Democratic Party.

But also looming is the possibility of open primaries in Oklahoma via State Question 836, during a time when the Republican Party is fracturing, and far-right Christian Nationalists hope to seize political control in the state while their party is divided.

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By Beth Wallis, StateImpact Oklahoma
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After Mississippi students climbed from 49th to ninth nationally in literacy, some Oklahoma lawmakers want to replicate Mississippi’s strategy.

Rep. Rob Hall (R-Tulsa) and Sen. Michael Bergstrom (R-Adair) announced Friday the filing of House Bill 2944 and mirror legislation, Senate Bill 1271, titled the Oklahoma READS (Reading Excellence through Accountability, Development and Standards) Act.

Only 27% of Oklahoma third graders scored advanced or proficient on last year’s state reading test.

A key provision in the bill is restoring the practice of holding back third graders who do not pass literacy tests. Oklahoma used to require third grade literacy-based retention through 2011’s Reading Sufficiency Act, but the legislature whittled down its enforcement, fully repealing the policy during the last legislative session through the Strong Readers Act.

The practice has been found to promote higher sixth grade English Language Arts scores with no significant impact on absences. However, critics say the policy is punitive, removes students from their social cohorts and creates a bottleneck between third and fourth grade.

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By Ryan Welton, Oklahoma Memo
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A dispute over hail damage claims in eastern Oklahoma has grown into a sprawling legal fight that could have implications far beyond the state.

In a wide-ranging conversation on the Oklahoma Memo podcast, investigative reporter J.C. Hallman detailed his ongoing reporting for Oklahoma Watch into State Farm and allegations that the insurer systematically reduced or denied certain hail and wind damage claims.

Hallman traced the story back to an anonymous tip last summer that led him to court hearings, internal documents, and a growing number of lawsuits. Attorneys allege State Farm implemented practices designed to cut payouts — sometimes by as much as 50% — while avoiding broader disclosure.

The stakes escalated when Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond moved to intervene, citing concerns that extend beyond individual lawsuits. Hallman said the attorney general’s involvement could unlock subpoena power not available to private litigants.

The reporting also draws parallels to a past State Farm case in Illinois, where the company was accused of influencing a judicial election to reduce liability — a history Hallman says helps explain why Oklahoma officials are taking the allegations seriously.

While the legal process could stretch on for years, Hallman says the response to his reporting has already been national, with policyholders and attorneys from multiple states reaching out.

“This is no longer just an Oklahoma story,” he said. “It’s about how insurance claims are handled across the country.”

🔗 Full reporting is available at Oklahoma Watch

• State Farm dodged billions in 2018 settlement, now faces fresh RICO charges in Oklahoma (Dec. 18)

• AG intervenes in State Farm lawsuit (Dec. 4)

• “It Made Me Feel Like a Sucker”: Long-Running Lawsuits Accuse State Farm of Billion-Dollar Hail Scheme (Dec. 1)

Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.

Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.

A hand-curated list of the best journalism from across the state:

• Held without bail in Oklahoma’s ICE facilities, immigrants turn to federal courts for release (The Frontier)

• OU grad assistant to no longer have instructional duties after grade dispute with student (Fox 25)

• Lead prosecutor at Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh's trial has died (The Oklahoman)*

• Driver dead after crashing into OHP trooper (News 9)

• Sand Springs police: Shooting suspect in custody after dispute with neighbors (2 News Oklahoma)

• From crisis to model: Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office regains full accreditation (News 9)

• Starbucks workers strike, shut down OKC store over contract (Oklahoma City Free Press)

• Governor pushed for Oklahoma ethics board to act on issues with election reporting system (Oklahoma Voice)

• Arkansas regulator asks Tulsa wastewater permit challenge be thrown out (Oklahoma Voice)

• Oklahoma adult, childhood obesity rates are trending downward, per CDC data (StateImpact Oklahoma)

• Greenwood park sets sights on new $10M facility exploring Black and Indigenous history (Tulsa Flyer)

• Black Wall Street license plates supporting Juneteenth festival now available for motorcyclists (The Oklahoma Eagle)

• ‘People notice’: Chickasha leg lamp spurs economy as Warner Bros. complaint lingers (NonDoc)

• Officials decry judge’s ruling against poultry companies in Oklahoma and Arkansas (Oklahoma Voice)

• How proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act could impact Oklahoma wildlife (StateImpact Oklahoma)

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