The Thursday edition of Oklahoma Memo is brought to you by Bigbie Insurance & Benefits. Learn more about our sponsor at the bottom of today’s newsletter.

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There will be nothing beyond medical cannabis for Oklahoma, as the effort to make recreational marijuana the law of the state didn’t even get past the signature-gathering process. That’s today’s lead story from Oklahoma Voice. In another breaking news story from early Wednesday, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 to grant clemency to convicted killer Tremane Wood. The final decision as to whether to spare Wood’s life rests with Gov. Kevin Stitt.

Last but definitely not least, it’s another Oklahoma Memo podcast conversation, this time with the assistant chief of the Choctaw Nation, Jack Austin Jr. We discussed a recent Forbes list that ranked the tribe as the top Oklahoma-based employer. It’s a discussion about workplace culture you don’t want to miss.

It’ll be a beautiful warm day, but we only have a couple more days like this before a big cold front moves in. Make it a great Thursday!

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By Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice
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OKLAHOMA CITY – Supporters of an initiative petition drive that sought to legalize recreational marijuana have withdrawn it.

Supporters of State Question 837 were allowed to begin collecting signatures on Aug. 6. They needed 172,993 signatures by Monday to get it on the ballot.

Jed Green, a supporter of the citizen-led effort, on Monday notified the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s office that they were withdrawing the petition.

“While our effort has been extremely strong, it is apparent we will fall short of numerical sufficiency for a constitutional question,” Green wrote.

Green could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Supporters had hoped to become the first initiative petition to qualify for a ballot under a new more arduous process signed into law in May.

Senate Bill 1027 puts more restrictions on the process voters use to get issues on the ballot. Among other things, it puts caps on the number of signatures that can be collected by county.

The measure has drawn legal challenges.

In July, Green said he was confident the signature requirement could be met under the new law because his organization had statewide support.

In 2018, 57% of voters approved legalizing medical marijuana.

But less than five years later, they defeated a proposed state statute change to legalize recreational marijuana. The vote was nearly 62% against State Question 820.

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

By Sierra Pfeifer, KOSU
Click here to read the story.
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The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 on Wednesday to recommend clemency for Tremane Wood, who was sentenced to death for the 2002 stabbing of Ronnie Wipf during a robbery at an Oklahoma City motel.

The final decision about whether Wood will be executed this month now falls on the shoulders of Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt.

Tremane Wood’s older brother, Andre Wood, said he hopes Stitt will consider the case in full.

“I think that what the clemency board here showed today was that you need to know exactly what’s going on before you go to pass judgment,” he said following the clemency hearing. “And I’m hoping that Governor Stitt can see the same thing that the clemency board saw.”

Andre was one of many of Wood’s family members and supporters present for the hearing, wearing a green T-shirt with Tremane’s name printed across the front.

The victim’s family declined to be present for the proceedings.

Wipf’s mother, Barbara, and the surviving victim, Arnold Kleinsasser, have spoken out against Wood’s execution as recently as last weekend, Wood’s lawyers said.

“They have been publicly speaking up for the value of Tremane’s life, despite the pain that he has caused them,” said attorney Amanda Bass Castro Alves.

Castro Alves argued Wood should have never been given the death penalty, and prosecutorial misconduct and an ineffective trial attorney struggling with substance abuse led the jury to consider such a harsh penalty.

Click here to finish the story.

By Ryan Welton, Oklahoma Memo
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The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma has been named one of the top employers in the state, ranking No. 3 on Forbes’ 2025 list of America’s Best-In-State Employers — the highest-ranked employer in the government services sector, according to reporting from The Journal Record*. It places just behind IBM and Costco and ahead of every other Oklahoma-based organization on the list.

The recognition comes from a nationwide survey of more than 160,000 employees, conducted by Forbes and market research firm Statista. A total of 1,417 companies made the final cut across all 50 states, reflecting employee feedback on culture, benefits, professional development, and workplace satisfaction (Journal Record)*.

In this conversation with Oklahoma Memo founder and curator Ryan Welton, Choctaw Nation Assistant Chief Jack Austin Jr. discussed what it means for the tribal nation to be recognized as one of the best places to work in the state — not just among tribal employers, but among corporations, universities, and healthcare systems. Austin said the ranking reflects years of intentional investment in culture, leadership, and associate feedback, including employee-driven surveys that guide everything from benefits to work-life balance.

The Choctaw Nation has grown from 6,500 associates in 2014 to more than 13,000 today, making it one of the state’s largest and fastest-growing employers. Austin said retaining a strong internal culture during rapid expansion is a core focus, especially as workforce expectations change and remote work becomes more common.

Beyond employment, the tribe’s economic footprint extends across the state through business ventures, healthcare services, education support, infrastructure investments, tribal community programs, and partnerships with 88 school districts inside the reservation area.

The full podcast conversation explores what makes the Choctaw Nation’s workforce model unique, why culture is inseparable from mission, and what other employers — tribal or not — can learn from the organization’s approach to growth, employee voice, and servant-leadership values.

If your business or organization has a story to tell, I’d love to turn it into a podcast conversation for Oklahoma Memo. Message me at [email protected].

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

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

• Tulsa mayor launches Safe Move Tulsa plan to fix street homelessness (Tulsa Flyer)

• ‘Living in the shadows’: More than 5K Tulsa County students say they’re experiencing homelessness (Tulsa Flyer)

• Oklahoma restaurants offer free meals during government shutdown (KOCO)

• Hard Freezes coming with a weekend strong cold front, ending our growing season. (KFOR)

• Experts say nuclear energy would benefit Oklahoma, but these residents are worried (The Oklahoman)*

• Tulsa mayor, councilors clash on speed of sales tax vote proposal (Public Radio Tulsa)

• City councilors question timing, process behind Nichols' proposed sales tax increase (Tulsa World)*

• Workforce development among Tulsa Chamber's legislative priorities (Tulsa World)*

• Sand Springs students soar with hands-on aviation program at Charles Page High (News On 6)

• Oklahoma EPA employees among those affected by shutdown, union says (KGOU)

• Group hopes to restore Oklahoma in-state tuition for some immigrants (Oklahoma Voice)

• Rising costs delay ODOT projects across Green Country (Public Radio Tulsa)

• Broken promises and broken ceilings: Renters discover Oklahoma’s weak tenant protections (Oklahoma Watch)

• Cherokee elder events attract 2,000-plus (Cherokee Phoenix)

• Attempted break-in at Golden Pony shuts down operations, MCN Lighthorse and BIA investigates (Mvskoke Media)

• No rise in arrests due to NBA YoungBoy concert; Scobey says remarks misconstrued (The Oklahoman)*

• Case of teen rapist Jesse Butler draws protest from Stillwater community (The Oklahoman)*

• Hugo woman found dead near Council Hill, suspect named (KXII)

• New open container charges for medical marijuana are now in effect (KFOR)

• Two arrested in killing of geese at a Ponca City cemetery (Kay News Cow)

Sunny and warm. Cold front is on the way though!

🌡️ Thursday's high in OKC 75°
🌡️ Thursday’s high in Tulsa 76°

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