What’s happening, Oklahoma? It is Friday, July 25, and have you been reading Oklahoma Watch this week?

I have, and it’s been impressive.

When I start my Oklahoma Memo process, I begin with the publications that I know are OK with me republishing at least partly. Those entities include Oklahoma Voice, The Frontier, KOSU, KGOU, KWGS, and Oklahoma Watch.

Note: If you’re a newsroom that wouldn’t mind some amplification in exchange for me republishing some (not all) of your stories with photos, message me.

However, as I go through the news selection process, I first think only of importance. Which stories are on these sites that are really important to Oklahomans? Today’s lead from Oklahoma Watch about SNAP benefits, I believe, is really important.

It’s important for those on SNAP benefits because they may soon be without those benefits. They might not be able to eat.

But it’s also important for the rest of us, too. The folks on SNAP benefits are our neighbors, our friends, schoolmates of our children, the people we say howdy to at church, etc.

Some folks might only be a downsize, an injury, a diagnosis away from a path that leads to the need for SNAP benefits. Access to food is an important societal issue, period.

And I point to Oklahoma Watch this week because they’ve hit doubles, triples and homers all week — and it started with a grand slam of a piece on Monday from JC Hallman. He’s been looking into the goings on in the Oklahoma Panhandle with the Texas County district attorney’s office and the Guymon Police Department.

I texted a friend of mine who coincidentally works at Oklahoma Watch and said (paraphrasing) that this was the kind of story that’ll win you a Pulitzer.

Not kidding. I see the Pulitzer awards come out each year.

Those honors go to newsrooms that do deep, important investigations into topics we the public otherwise would never have known about. They go to journalists who shed light on darkness, news organizations that operate with no fear.

And if you look atop the Oklahoma Watch digital masthead, you’ll see their slogan: “No Favorites. No Falsehoods. No Fear.”

Have a great weekend. Thank you so much for subscribing to Oklahoma Memo. It’s my earnest hope that it makes the “staying informed” process a bit easier, and that along the way it’s introducing you to wonderful newsrooms like Oklahoma Watch.

You can message me anytime at [email protected].

Weather Update ☀️⛈️

Sunny and hot. Again there will be storm chances, but those chances are relatively low.

🌡️ Friday's high in OKC 94°
🌡️ Friday’s high in Tulsa 95°

Oklahoma Watch: Historic cuts to SNAP put 131,000 Oklahomans at risk of losing benefits

By Valerie Scott, Oklahoma Watch
Click to read the story.
Donate to Oklahoma Watch.

President Donald Trump’s budget bill brings stricter rules to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the federal food assistance program, and shifts costs to states, putting an estimated 131,000 Oklahomans at risk of losing food benefits.

That’s about one-sixth of the 686,800 SNAP users in Oklahoma, which includes 255,000 children and 68,000 seniors.

One estimate showed Oklahoma could lose $628 million in 2029, a 39.3% reduction.

The bill requires states to assume a greater share of costs previously covered by the federal government. The share is based on the error rates within the SNAP program. Beginning in 2028, states that pass a 6% error rate must pay 5% to 15% of the cost for food benefits.

As of fiscal year 2024, Oklahoma’s error rate was at 10.87%, requiring tax money to pay the highest bracket of cost-sharing at 15%. With 17% of Oklahoma residents on SNAP, the state spent $1.51 billion on benefits in fiscal 2024. 

It is unclear where Oklahoma will source the funding and whether the state has the resources to fill in the growing gaps.

Click to finish the story.

The Frontier: We fact-checked Oklahoma schools chief Ryan Walters’ claims about school lunch

By Frontier Staff
Click to read the story.
Donate to The Frontier.

After Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters said he will require every district in the state to offer all students free lunch using existing funding, school officials pushed back.

Walters claims schools are flush with cash and the new requirement “will force districts to cut the fat.” 

But the districts have called Walters’ decree an unfunded mandate and say they don’t have the money to feed every student.

We fact-checked claims on school funding using interviews and public records and found several false and half-true statements about school finances.

Click to read the claims.

The Oklahoma Rundown 📰

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

• Oklahoma City police to use AI for investigations amid concerns over wrongful arrests (KOCO)

• Woman stabbed in the face while jogging at Turkey Mountain, suspect in custody (KJRH)

• Oklahoma Sen. Mullin blocks Epstein file release from DOJ, proposes limited court document unsealing (KOSU)

• Delay in murder case of Oklahoma County Sheriff's Deputy Swartz as arguments erupt in court (News 9)

• US News ranks Oklahoma City the best big city to live in U.S. (The Oklahoman)

• ICE agents surface in OKC leasing offices (News 9)

• Walters reiterates pushes for school meal mandate, teacher ideology tests, private school partnership (KGOU)

• Two more Republicans enter Oklahoma 2026 governor’s race (Oklahoma Voice)

• Oklahoma Education Board asks to hold special meeting regarding its duties (Oklahoma Voice)

• Board questions why it didn’t receive resignation letter from former Oklahoma education employee (Oklahoma Voice)

• Oklahoma congressman advances bill to end penny production (KOCO)

• Man jailed after fatal shooting at 11th and Utica late Wednesday (Tulsa World)

• Potential victims sought in computer hacking botnet scheme (Tulsa World)

• Woman Dies in Southwest OKC House Fire (News 9)

• Popular Oklahoma camp to reopen in 2026 (KFOR)

• State senator hopes to adjust new Oklahoma vehicle title law (Oklahoma Voice)

• Black Creek Coalition to host info day after landmark citizenship decision (KTUL)

• More parking, more gates. What else is in OKC airport's master plan? (The Oklahoman)

• Osage Nation to build solutions for ‘housing crisis’ (Osage News)

• This luxury grocer is the first Oklahoma-based business to open in OAK (The Oklahoman)

• City of Tahlequah releases second public feedback survey for a new capital project (Fox 23)

• Wichita Mountains restricting hiking times because of heat (The Lawton Constitution)

• Friends of Oklahoma City's Metropolitan Library plans summer edition book sale (KOSU)

• Oklahoma offers bounty for black carp fish (KTEN)

• Chickasaw Cultural Center celebrates 15 years (KTEN)

• Durant Animal Shelter adoption event set for Saturday (KXII)

• Marlow councilman submits resignation; council approves multiple purchases (Duncan Banner)

• Rep. Tom Cole to be in Purcell next Wednesday (Purcell Register)

• Oklahoma photographer hopes to shoot at higher level (KSWO)

• Cycle 66 Pedals Through on Sunday (The Luther Register)

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