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Thursday, July 16, 2026 • Chance of storms. Upper 80s. ⛈️
(Editor’s note: This is a vacation week for Oklahoma Memo. The newsletter will be in your inbox every day, but it might be a little lighter on the links. Follow the Memo’s social channels for highlights from the vacay.)
First full day at Orange Beach. We got almost a full afternoon of beach time, which meant I dove into a book recommended to a colleague of mine who is also a lifelong White Sox fan. Love a good baseball beach read — and the weather was perfect.
If only England had won. Almost a perfect afternoon.
This is the second book I’ve read heavily involving the Chicago White Sox. The first is one of my favorites: “Chicago” by Brian Doyle. Who has a good Texas Rangers book recommendation!?
Poll results:
We received 46 votes on the Wednesday poll, “When do you typically start your back-to-school shopping?”
• 7 said, “We already have it done.”
• 13 said, “We wait until the tax-free holiday.”
• 19 said, “We do it a couple of weeks before school starts.”
• 7 said, “We’ll probably wait until the day before, lol!”
New poll question at the bottom of today’s newsletter. (You can also suggest a poll question by emailing me at [email protected].)
Oklahoma’s insurance commissioner may not even need to live in Oklahoma. The law is “a little bit goofy.”
Marty Quinn, a candidate for insurance commissioner, is shown speaking to journalists at the Oklahoma Press Association convention in Norman on June 6, 2026. (Ted Streuli/Oklahoma Watch)
By J.C. Hallman, Oklahoma Watch
👉 Click here to support this newsroom
On April 1, declaring his candidacy for Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner, Marty Quinn signed an oath attesting that he had been a resident of Oklahoma for five years.
Surprisingly, that statement is highly controversial.
Quinn, an Arkansas native and a former Oklahoma legislator, left Oklahoma after losing a congressional bid and moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas, to care for ailing parents, he has said. He returned to Oklahoma, renting a residence in Owasso to run for insurance commissioner.
In other words, Quinn has not lived in Oklahoma consistently for five years. But that may not matter.
The controversy stems from the fact that the Oklahoma Constitution and statutes read differently than the oath that Quinn signed. Controlling law remains vague on a requirement of five years’ residency.
Which five years — immediately prior to the election, or at any point in a candidate’s life — is where the rules get confusing. And to boot, a strict reading of Oklahoma law casts doubt on whether the insurance commissioner must be a state resident at all.
Every headline satisfies an opinion. Except ours.
Remember when the news was about what happened, not how to feel about it? 1440's Daily Digest is bringing that back. Every morning, they sift through 100+ sources to deliver a concise, unbiased briefing — no pundits, no paywalls, no politics. Just the facts, all in five minutes. For free.
The Oklahoma Rundown 📰
Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.
Here’s what’s happening in Oklahoma today:
State Farm asks judge to drop defense of Jesse Butler accused of strangling teen (Fox 25)
Mayor Holt unveils vision for new OKC commuter rail at annual speech (The Oklahoman)*
Oklahoma City's new pro soccer team officially unveils its name, logo (The Oklahoman)*
Oklahoma confirms spike in cases of cyclosporiasis as U.S. outbreak spreads (Oklahoma Voice)
Tulsa, Cherokee Nation partner to increase healthcare access, lung cancer screening (The Oklahoma Eagle)
2026 Farm Bill raises more concerns for farmers than aid (Gaylord News)
Audit finds former Oklahoma town clerk used city funds for mortgage, dog and credit cards (KOCO)
Lawsuit over Tulsa city jail death alleges officials ignored years of warnings about medical care (The Frontier)
New Grocery Box mural pays homage to north Tulsa’s past with a nod to the present and future (The Oklahoma Eagle)
'I'm thanking God': Moore boys knock on stranger's door after creek flood traps 2 in rushing water (KOCO)
Madill man facing murder charge in connection with fatal 2019 shooting of father (KXII)
State CFO tapped to run Oklahoma Health Care Authority (Oklahoma Voice)
Oklahoma ends ‘orphan tax’ amid pressure from the Trump administration (Oklahoma Voice)
Thursday Poll
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