Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025 • Warmer. Low-to-mid 50s. ☀️

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In today’s Memo:

By Paul Monies, Oklahoma Watch
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A freshman Oklahoma lawmaker who upset a powerful House Republican incumbent last year is trying to turn grassroots energy into a broader policy movement, rolling out a seven-point conservative agenda that has already drawn support from several statewide candidates ahead of the 2026 elections. 

Rep. Jim Shaw, R-Chandler, said the Save Oklahoma Plan grew out of frustrations he encountered both as a candidate and during his first session at the Capitol, where he said some popular conservative priorities are routinely blocked by lobbyists and legislative leadership. 

“I got into politics because of issues directly impacting my family, my home, my property and my community,” Shaw said in a recent interview. “And on those issues, we were losing every single time at the Capitol. The mainstream lobby and special interests are openly fighting every single one of those items.” 

The seven-point plan, which Shaw released in the summer, focuses on eliminating taxpayer-funded lobbying, anti-renewable energy policies, investigating turnpikes and opposing vaccine mandates. Shaw said he tested the ideas through a statewide poll of Republican primary voters, finding all seven items “overwhelmingly favorable” with the base. 

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By Shauneen Miranda, Oklahoma Voice
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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration unveiled Monday hundreds of millions of dollars each state will receive this fiscal year as part of a massive $50 billion rural health fund baked into Republicans’ “big, beautiful” law. 

The five-year Rural Health Transformation Program — authorized under GOP lawmakers’ mega tax and spending cut package Trump signed into law in July — is designed to offset the budget impacts on rural areas due to sweeping Medicaid cuts. 

Half of the $50 billion will be distributed equally among each state between fiscal years 2026 and 2030, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The agency under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the remaining $25 billion, doled out over the same time period, is being allocated to states based on several factors, such as steps states are taking to improve access to care in rural communities. 

Texas will get the highest first-year award at $281.3 million, followed by Alaska at $272.2 million, California at $233.6 million, Montana at $233.5 million and Oklahoma, at $223.5 million. 

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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:

• Former death row inmate Richard Glossip seeks release over health issues (The Oklahoman)*

• Lawmakers to consider funding options for mental health help line (Oklahoma Voice)

• Muscogee Nation, Tulsa County jointly ask to close case after injunction rejection (Tulsa World)*

• Fact Check: Are claims about Oklahoma data centers holding up? (The Frontier)

• Roundup: Budget numbers, website blunders, a surprise funder and ‘actual innocence’ (NonDoc)

• 10-year-old boy fighting to survive after Christmas Day crash involving semi (News On 6)

• WATCH: Oklahoma trooper performs TVI on sleepy driver to prevent crash on Will Rogers Turnpike (KOCO)

• Grady County man arrested on drug trafficking charges after traffic stop (KSWO)

• Gilcrease Museum Road closes for construction between Edison, Pine (Tulsa World)*

• City councilors say they won’t speak with Tulsa’s newspaper of record after inflammatory op ed (Public Radio Tulsa)

• TCC gave $500K to students beyond Tulsa County lines this fall through new scholarship (Tulsa Flyer)

• 'The best is yet to come': Sapulpa developer plans housing near BTW rec enter (2 News Oklahoma)

• FBI investigates homicide near Bowlegs post office (Fox 25)

• Center of Family Love planning big expansion with job training center (The Oklahoman)*

• Oklahoma City Police seek suspects in $3,000 shoplifting case (News 9)

• Why director of LeBron James' podcast 'Mind the Game' relocated to OKC (The Oklahoman)*

• These 5 stories were the most read by KOSU fans in 2025 (KOSU)

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