Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026 • Happy New Year! 🎉 Upper 50s, lower 60s. ☁️
Now booking 2026 newsletter sponsors.
One sponsor per month. Your logo, link, and message appear here daily.
Inquiries: [email protected]
In today’s Memo:
A judge ruled that Oklahoma law allows Attorney General Gentner Drummond to intervene in a homeowner hail-damage lawsuit against State Farm, a decision that could unlock court records after months of procedural delays and aggressive legal maneuvering.
GOP lawmakers say a universal free school meals policy pushed by former Superintendent Ryan Walters is effectively dead, citing tight state revenues and a lack of support from school districts that largely ignored the directive.
TOP STORY:
Judge allows attorney general to intervene in State Farm hail lawsuit
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond at his gubernatorial campaign kickoff event on January 13, 2025. (PHOTO by Ben Abrams, KWGS News)
By J.C. Hallman, Oklahoma Watch
Click here to support their newsroom.
On Dec. 30, in a hearing over Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s effort to intervene in a homeowner’s lawsuit against State Farm, Oklahoma District Court Judge Amy Palumbo wasted no time in announcing her belief that the maneuver was supported by Oklahoma law.
Drummond in a Dec. 4 court filing accused the insurance giant of racketeering. Tuesday’s proceeding kicked off with brief presentations that Palumbo interrupted with questions about what an intervention would look like and whether the homeowners objected to the attorney general’s maneuver.
Satisfied by the answers, Palumbo appeared ready to issue a ruling that may eventually enable release of documents in a case that has been mired in baroque legal shenanigans.
“I just fail to see how what State Farm has filed is anything other than irrelevant and disparaging material,” Palumbo said. “I understand what State Farm wanted me to get distracted by, but I do not find it to be on point or relevant. Having given it extensive thought, I believe the law does allow the attorney general to intervene. I do not think I require any further argument or explanation.”
Further argument is exactly what she got.
Walters’ free school meals policy not a GOP priority, lawmakers say
A student picks out an apple in the school cafeteria at Thelma R. Parks Elementary in Oklahoma City on Aug. 13. (PHOTO by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)
By Nuria Martinez-Keel, Oklahoma Voice
Click here to support their newsroom.
OKLAHOMA CITY — A mandate that public schools offer free meals to all students appears to have failed to capture widespread support in the GOP-controlled Oklahoma Legislature after being ignored by school districts.
Former state Superintendent Ryan Walters in July ordered all districts in the state to eliminate their cafeteria fees and provide breakfasts and lunches for free. Walters, who resigned from office a few months later to lead a nonprofit, contended public schools had plenty of funds already in their coffers to afford it.
But, state lawmakers have “turned the page and quit worrying about what he said,” Rep. Dick Lowe, R-Amber, told Oklahoma Voice.
Lowe, who leads the House Common Education Committee, said the state might be “tight on income” next year, and providing universal free meals would require a major expense.
Collections in the state’s General Revenue Fund have been lower over the first five months of the 2026 fiscal year than in the same span the year before, according to the Office of Management and Enterprise Services.
Quick national links:
Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.
New Year's Eve 2026 celebrations kick off as the new year dawns around the world (CBS News)
Trump says he's removing National Guard troops from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland (NBC News)
ACA subsidies that lower monthly insurance premiums for millions of Americans set to expire (ABC News)
Everything we know about Minnesota's massive fraud schemes (CBS News)
Body found confirmed to be missing 19-year-old Camila Mendoza Olmos, death ruled suicide (ABC News)
Richard Smallwood, Grammy-Nominated Gospel Singer and Pianist, Dies at 77 (Variety)
The Oklahoma Rundown 📰
Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.
A hand-curated list of the best journalism from across the state:
• Former Chesapeake Energy west campus sold; housing part of future mix (The Oklahoman)*
• ICE operation in southeast Oklahoma City leaves neighborhood in shock (KOCO)
• EOY: Several stories from 2025 will linger into 2026 (NonDoc)
• Meeker landlord shot after pointing gun at Lincoln County deputy (News 9)
• Harvey Pratt, well-known Native American OSBI forensic artist, has died (KOCO)
• Suspect dead after trooper-involved shooting near Wetumka (News On 6)
• Oklahoma Highway Patrol releases dash cam footage of trooper arrested, accused of sexual assault (KFOR)
• Motorcyclist injured after crashing while leading Yukon police on a chase (News 9)
• One killed in Choctaw County semi-truck crash (KXII)
• Truck crashes into Norman hair salon, injuring three (KOCO)
• Muskogee Co. deputies searching for missing man involved in crash (Fox 23)
• Remembering the Oklahoma musicians we lost in 2025 (KOSU)
• Connors State basketball coach and athletic director leaving program for rest of season, school announces (News On 6)
• "I just want to make people laugh': Green Country kid goes viral, appears in NBC New Year's Eve special (2 News Oklahoma)
• These Tulsa restaurants are open New Year’s Day (Tulsa Flyer)
• Here’s the latest on the waterside restaurant property in Norman (The Oklahoman)*
• OU QB Michael Hawkins Jr., CB Maliek Hawkins both to hit portal (On3)
Oklahoma Memo’s Mission
The ‘Oklahoma Memo’ mission is simple: Reignite the daily local news habit by connecting Oklahomans and those who love Oklahoma to quality sources of news and vetted information.
✅ Save you time.
✅ Make you smarter.
✅ Strengthen your community.
‘Oklahoma Memo’ is on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. There is also a YouTube channel — and it’s all growing day by day.
Message me anytime at [email protected].