There were numerous elections across 26 counties in Oklahoma, and here’s where you can find all the election results.

I hope that link works for you. On Tuesday morning, the links didn’t work at all in the ‘Oklahoma Memo’ newsletter for up to two hours, thanks to a global Cloudfare outage. Thank you to everybody who messaged me about it. You taking the time to do that was helpful and appreciated.

The big story today comes courtesy of Oklahoma Voice. A panel that had convened last week to consider salary hikes for elected officials did so again Tuesday, and this time approved those pay increases. One note, however: Instead of increasing the state superintendent’s salary to $250,000, the panel agreed on $175,000.

Oklahoma Watch has an investigation into the arrest of a pregnant woman from the Oklahoma Panhandle, which she maintains has always been a case of mistaken identity.

And then last but not least, my conversation with Timothy Lee from the Center for Individual Freedom (CFIF). We talked about their new poll showing that Oklahomans are still very much in favor of mandated vaccinations, which might counter some assumptions.

Have a wonderful Wednesday! Rain and storms are possible later tonight and overnight into Thursday.

**

By Emma Murphy, Oklahoma Voice
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OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s Statewide Official Compensation Commission voted on Tuesday to increase the salaries of 11 statewide elected officials. 

These salary increases total around $413,000 dollars per year. 

The commission previously voted Nov. 12 to increase salaries by more than $500,000, but rescinded this decision and approved different numbers.

The median household income in Oklahoma is just over $66,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 

Salary adjustments range from increases of 18% to over 40%.

Changes to salaries will not go into effect until after the next general election in November 2026.  

Salary increases include: 

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

By Maria Guinnip, Oklahoma Watch
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Brittany Sanchez gave birth to her firstborn while shackled to a Guymon hospital bed.

It was April of 2014, and two weeks prior, 22-year-old Sanchez had been arrested in the front yard of her longtime boyfriend, Rafael Alvarado’s house in Elkhart, Kansas, during her baby shower. Her friends and family watched as a young woman, nine months pregnant, was arrested for writing a series of bad checks an hour south, a crime Sanchez said she did not commit. 

When her contractions began two weeks later, an officer took her from her Guymon jail cell to Memorial Hospital of Texas County. Sanchez was told that she was on personal recognizance, meaning she was released from custody and on an order to appear at future court dates, yet she remained shackled and monitored by officers outside the door.

She was in labor for twelve hours, with only Alvarado and Sanchez’s grandmother permitted in the room. After delivery, she was given three days with her newborn infant.

Today, Sanchez recalls that when she was discharged, before she was returned to the Texas County jail, she pleaded with her grandmother to be there for the couple’s newborn daughter. 

The case against her, which she and a fellow inmate claim was a case of mistaken identity and an attempt by authorities to track down an unrelated suspect, highlights concerns about the familial conflicts of interest and lack of due process that residents say permeate the justice system in the Oklahoma panhandle.

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By Ryan Welton, Oklahoma Memo
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A new multi-state poll suggests that Oklahoma lawmakers may be misreading their voters. The Center for Individual Freedom (CFIF), working with Cygnal Research, surveyed residents in four conservative states — Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Kansas — about whether states should eliminate vaccine mandates.

The results weren’t close.

Across all four states, including Oklahoma, voters opposed ending vaccine requirements by margins approaching two-to-one, with even stronger support for mandates affecting children entering public school. In an interview with the Oklahoma Memo Podcast, CFIF Senior Vice President Timothy Lee said the findings run counter to assumptions often made during political debates.

The survey also tested views on accessibility, asking whether vaccines should be easier to obtain through insurance coverage and local pharmacies. Support for that level of access reached 89%.

Lee said the data matters as states consider following Florida’s recent decision to eliminate all vaccine mandates.

CFIF, founded in 1998, typically focuses on constitutional rights, intellectual property issues, and regulatory matters. Vaccine research is not a core focus, but Lee said this moment called for more clarity about what voters actually think.

Some of the findings may surprise people who associate skepticism of vaccine mandates with conservative politics. Lee said attitudes toward science became polarized during the pandemic, but long-term polling still shows strong support for children’s vaccines, even among voters right of center.

The full poll and methodology are available through CFIF. Lee encouraged Oklahomans to review the data directly or send questions about the survey.

If you watch the video on YouTube, please subscribe to the channel. If you listen on your podcast platform of choice, please follow ‘Oklahoma Memo’ and leave us a 5-star review to help our content be heard by others.

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

• Tulsa Public Schools unveiled its $600M bond package. Explore where the money would go. (Tulsa Flyer)

• Board reverses vote, doles out legislative pay hikes (Oklahoma Voice)

• Oklahoma mental health agency fined nearly $1 million for noncompliance with consent decree (KOSU)

• Police major's sex abuse of boys, men was common knowledge, multiple victims allege (Tulsa World)*

• Three tribal nations sue Gov. Kevin Stitt in hunting license dispute (Tulsa World)*

• PSO begins $30M transmission line project in Lawton (KSWO)

• As data centers eye Oklahoma communities, residents and officials weigh in on water concerns (KOSU)

• Paragon Industries CEO Derek Wachob arrested on wire fraud charges (News On 6)

• Oklahoma health officials urge parents to check ByHeart formula in botulism recall (News 9)

• Oklahoma lawmakers respond to end of federal shutdown, plan for next steps (KOSU)

• Is Oklahoma's new law on initiative petitions unconstitutional? (KOCO)

• Debate continues over Tulsa County's transparency strategy (Public Radio Tulsa)

• Mayor forms new coalition to improve Tulsans' health outcomes (Public Radio Tulsa)

• Edmond Police officer’s ‘stand your ground’ claim in brother’s killing sent back district court (NonDoc)

• OU communication professor resigns during class, alleges harassment disputed by department chair (OU Daily)

• Chunks of Interstate 44 are falling onto Peoria. ODOT plans to fix it in 2028. (Tulsa Flyer)

• ‘The house that Bike Club built’: New $8M cycling hub coming to west Tulsa (Tulsa Flyer)

• Kroger to end grocery delivery in central Oklahoma as part of updated eCommerce strategy (The Oklahoman)*

• Would-be Edmond Walmart developer's case stands alone after judge declines consolidation (The Oklahoman)*

• 2 men arrested for Norman robbery that ended with victim shot in head (KOCO)

• Kansas driver dies after striking vehicle carrying family in Midwest City (KOCO)

• Police release update on allegations at Coweta schools (2 News Oklahoma)

• Fatal train strike claims life in Mulhall (Guthrie News Page)

• Duncan holds groundbreaking ceremony for new fire station (KSWO)

• Winter benefit concerts raising volume, raising money in OKC (Oklahoma City Free Press)

• Sooners climb in latest College Football Playoff rankings (Sooners Wire)

Storm chances tonight and overnight.

🌡️ Wednesday's high in OKC 74°
🌡️ Wednesday’s high in Tulsa 71°

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