Oklahoma Political News

Megan Hornbeek Allen and Jason Lankford are first-time candidates with familiar names running for the Democratic nomination to represent House District 81.

At a recent forum, Lankford said people always ask if he is related to U.S. Sen. James Lankford, which he is not. Conversely, residents of HD 81 may recognize Hornbeek Allen’s name owing to the 2025 Edmond mayoral candidacy of David Hornbeek, who is her father.

Read the full story at NonDoc.

New laws targeting transgender Oklahomans will have a “devastating impact,” a group advocating for LGBTQ+ rights said.

Cole McAfee, executive director of Freedom Oklahoma, a group advocating for LGBTQ+ Oklahomans, said the Oklahoma Legislature’s targeting of transgender people has become normalized, and they are concerned that this session’s new laws will limit healthcare options and permit abusive behavior toward trans youth.

Read the full story at Oklahoma Voice.

An attempt to override a governor’s veto of the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority has failed, putting the state’s public broadcaster on track to close.

The state Senate fell short of the necessary 32 votes for a veto override on Thursday, the final day of the 2026 Legislative Session, with 18 Republicans voting against it. Without it first passing the Senate, the House didn’t have the opportunity to vote on the override.

Senate Bill 1461 would have extended OETA’s existence as a state-funded entity for another five years. Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed the bill on May 5 over objections to the public having to fund TV broadcasting.

Read the full story at KGOU.

Oklahoma is now the 17th state in the United States to ban child marriage.

Senate Bill 504 requires anyone getting married in Oklahoma to be at least 18 years old, with no exceptions.

Read the full story at KGOU.

Two bills requiring immigration checks when applying for various welfare programs will not advance in the Oklahoma Senate amid concerns they could negatively impact pregnant women.

House Bills 4422 and 4423 would require state agencies to verify the immigration status of applicants to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Medicaid. 

Read the full story at Oklahoma Voice.

Some educators are raising concerns about content in the newly approved, proposed 2026 academic standards for social studies — and the process by which the standards were revised.

The State Board of Education voted unanimously at its March 26 meeting to advance the standards to the Legislature. Academic standards are guidelines of topics teachers must teach, but they are not curriculum. Districts have the sole authority to decide which instructional materials will be used in the classroom.

Read the full story at KGOU.

Over 13,000 Oklahomans have changed their party affiliation this year ahead of the closed June primary elections, according to a state report.

Since Jan. 1, independent voters comprised the largest shift in party affiliation with more than 6,100 selecting a party, according to data from the State Election Board, which allows them to participate in Oklahoma’s partisan primaries in June and August.

Nearly 2,400 independent voters became registered Republicans while over 3,600 joined the Democratic party, an Election Board report shows.

Read the full story at Oklahoma Voice.

The proposed constitutional amendment, if approved by voters, would remove certain restrictions, including political affiliation and prohibitions that prevent certain members from being attorneys, on the 15-member Judicial Nominating Commission.

The JNC forwards the names of three judicial candidates to the governor for appointment to vacancies.

The measure would also allow members to serve consecutive terms.

Read the full story at Oklahoma Voice.

Lee Ann Kuhlman, a retired Central Middle School teacher who has represented District 1 on the Edmond Public Schools Board of Education since 2010, faces challenger Codie Tiffin, a financial advisor, in her pursuit of a fourth five-year term.

Oklahoma Republicans are moving a bill through the legislature that would allow residents to vote on altering the state constitution. But some lawmakers worry about who exactly would have a say in the process.

House Joint Resolution 1089 by House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, would give voters the chance to approve a constitutional convention meant to modernize and reform the Oklahoma Constitution by May 2028.

Read the full story at KGOU.