Oklahoma Watch

Oklahomans are reporting sticker shock at the mailbox when opening their electric bills this summer. While artificial intelligence and the data centers needed to support them have become major subjects of public discourse, state lawmakers and regulators say they are only one part of a much larger explanation.

Oklahoma passed a law last year allowing energy-hungry facilities to build their own power. But as data center announcements sprout up across Oklahoma, most include plans to work with local utilities.

Oklahoma Native American students ranked first in the nation in reading, math and combined achievement in 2024, a result researchers link to aggressive student identification practices and robust Johnson-O'Malley program support. But flat federal funding despite a growing number of eligible students is threatening the programs that helped drive that success.

There is no statewide standard for non-traffic offenses, leaving the price of pretrial freedom to depend largely on geography, individual judges and local politics.

Despite efforts to increase immunization rates by providing free and more accessible vaccinations, experts say Oklahoma's overall child vaccination rates are down amid skepticism about the efficacy of vaccines.

Oklahoma political candidates and outside groups are increasingly using texting, with its cheap cost and high open rate, as a campaign strategy.

Most Oklahoma legislative attempts to regulate artificial intelligence stalled this session, even as other states pushed ahead despite President Trump's executive order discouraging state AI regulation.

An eight-year-old girl lay undiscovered for six hours after a Guymon crash that killed her and her grandfather when a drug task force officer's vehicle, traveling 85 mph in a 70 mph zone, struck their car. Records show a haphazard investigation, no photos taken, no interviews conducted and an incomplete collision report.

A routine study near Lamont detected a synthetic industrial toxin never before detected in the atmosphere of North America.

Nearly 2,000 Oklahomans die from stroke-related complications annually. That burden is felt more in rural communities, where access to specialized care is limited.