What a weekend if you’re an Oklahoma Sooners fan! OU beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa 23-21 to cement its position in the upcoming College Football Playoff, should the Sooners beat Missouri and LSU to close the regular season. (Boomer!)

You may have caught the new Saturday newsletter with longer-form reads and conversations via the Oklahoma Memo video and podcast network. Would love to hear what you thought of it and my weekly conversation with podcaster (and former Oklahoma City reporter) Grant Hermes.

We’ll get this week started with an education story from Oklahoma Voice about the social studies textbooks that former State Superintendent Ryan Walters had insisted teachers use.

Then, there is a story from KGOU about energy regulators not allowing OG&E to charge customers for the cost of their construction — a story that likely impacts your pocketbook.

Headlines from across the state, and a peek at the weather — and you’re off to start your week! Thank you for subscribing to the ‘Oklahoma Memo’ newsletter.

It means a lot to me.

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By Nuria Martinez-Keel, Oklahoma Voice
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OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma public schools won’t be able to adopt new social studies textbooks next year with academic standards for the subject still in flux. 

The State Textbook Committee voted Friday to suspend indefinitely the social studies textbook adoption cycle while the state Supreme Court and the Oklahoma State Department of Education consider what to do with the academic standards. 

A September Court order paused implementation of the new social studies standards, which became highly controversial for including Bible teachings and dubious claims about the 2020 presidential election and COVID-19. Public records show 12 textbook publishers chose not to return to Oklahoma after the new standards were approved.

Those 12 companies, including major publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, are currently on the state’s approved list but didn’t submit a bid this year for reapproval. Companies have withdrawn from Oklahoma before during a math adoption cycle in 2023.

Some of those companies informed the Education Department they had concerns about new content included in the social studies standards, said Sharon Morgan, program director for the agency’s Office of Standards and Learning.

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

By Chloe Bennett-Steele, StateImpact Oklahoma
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The utility company was granted preapproval to construct natural gas combustion turbines, but customers won’t be billed for them right away.

After a series of meetings spanning multiple weeks, Oklahoma Corporation Commissioners voted Thursday to deny Oklahoma Gas and Electric’s request to use a cost-recovery measure called “construction work in progress,” or CWIP.

The state’s largest utility company sought to use the procedure to help finance the construction of two new natural gas turbines at its Horseshoe Lake Power Plant in eastern Oklahoma County. While OG&E received preapproval to build them and eventually charge customers for the cost, regulators specifically denied the use of CWIP.

Commissioners deliberated whether they were obligated to approve the mechanism under a new law requiring the Corporation Commission to allow CWIP for new or expanded natural gas infrastructure. But the law wasn’t applicable in this case, the regulators said, because OG&E filed its application before Senate Bill 998 went into effect.

Click here to finish the story.

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

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

• Saying 'outcomes will outlive us," new education secretary aims to work to effect change (The Oklahoman)*

• Deputy raped female inmate, then handed her a stack of napkins. Is it a bigger pattern? (Tulsa World)*

• Affordability, federal reopening and Oklahoma bureaucracy (News 9)

• Tulsa's proposed city sales tax vote is a no-go. Now what? (Tulsa World)*

• Oklahoma panels that hiked pay to meet again after ineligible member voted (Oklahoma Voice)

• Agency again distributing full food stamp benefits to Oklahomans (Oklahoma Voice)

• Drummond warns wildlife officials not to charge Indigenous hunters on reservations without license (KOSU)

• Trump administration removes report on Missing and Murdered Native Americans, calling it DEI content (Oklahoma Watch)

• Promenade Mall is expected to change hands soon. Here’s what we know. (Tulsa Flyer)

• Coweta data center meeting postponed at developer’s request (Tulsa Flyer)

• Hoskin reports on emergency food measures with council (Cherokee Phoenix)

• Leading role: Mixed reactions pour in as Oklahoma archbishop takes on influential leadership role (The Oklahoman)*

• Police investigate apparent murder suicide at home in Sand Springs, 2 killed (News On 6)

• Wrong-way collision leaves 2 dead near Blanchard (KOCO)

• OU student, instructor forced to make emergency landing due to plane's engine issues (KOCO)

• Broken Arrow Trader Joe’s opening date announced (News On 6)

• Tishomingo Public School teacher under investigation, placed on leave (KXII)

• Proposed bond would ease cramped Inola school buildings (2 News Oklahoma)

• Where does OU stand in AP Top 25 after win over Alabama? (KOCO)

• A sellout crowd and conference title. Now FC Tulsa is a game away from winning it all. (Tulsa Flyer)

• Oklahoma State wrestling shows resilience to take third at National Duals Invitational (The Oklahoman)*

Still warm as we inch closer to Thanksgiving — but a cool down is coming!

🌡️ Monday's high in OKC 80°
🌡️ Monday’s high in Tulsa 78°

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