What’s been happening in Oklahoma over the month? Read on …
In what’s considered a controversial move by some in conservation organizations and the science community, a pen-raised whitetail deer was released into the wild somewhere in northeast Oklahoma earlier this year. This was permitted under a new state law to combat chronic wasting disease (CWD) through release of commercially bred, genetically engineered whitetails into the native deer population.
A bill being considered would allow for the release of more pen-raised whitetail deer without oversight by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The ODWC opposes this bill and stated that it would undermine a key tenet of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation: “that wildlife shall be managed by trained professionals in the public trust,” and not commercialized or privatized.
The theory behind introducing pen-raised whitetail deer into the wild population is that they would be selectively bred for “genetic durability” to make them less susceptible to CWD. Over time, the genetically durable, pen-raised deer would breed with wild deer, theoretically spreading the more durable genes throughout the wild population and slowing or stopping CWD.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 1778 which means stricter educational requirements beginning in the 2026-27 academic year. Public schools will be required to intervene when students fall behind grade-level expectations in reading. Third graders who score below a basic level on state reading tests and fail a second state-approved literacy assessment would be held back from advancing to fourth grade, unless they meet limited criteria for an exemption.
Read more here.
Construction is underway in Tulsa by Meta Platforms on a data center that will have a footprint of 2 million square feet. The $1 billion+ project is part of the company’s commitment to securing computing power for the AI infrastructure it is building.
In the short-term, the project is expected to generate 1,000 construction jobs. Once the facility is operational, it’s expected to generate 100 jobs. This is Meta’s first data center in Oklahoma.
Read more here.
Through 2026, a moratorium on construction and expansion of data centers in Oklahoma City has been imposed by the city council.
The moratorium prohibits rezoning requests intended for data centers and creates an appeals process for those who believe their projects should be exempt from the moratorium.
Data centers have become controversial for a variety of reasons, including their high energy and water usage.
More here.
On April 23, a powerful EF4 tornado hit Enid, with winds estimated between 170 and 175 mph. The tornado destroyed or severely damaged 40 homes, as well as commercial buildings. Vance Air Force Base also was closed due to damage and loss of power. There were no fatalities.
Across northern Oklahoma on the evening of April 23, there were at least 15 tornadoes, part of a larger tornado outbreak across the Plains from Iowa to Oklahoma.
More here.
On April 7, Norman voters approved constructing a new homeless shelter to replace the existing temporary facility.
The new 20,000 square foot facility will include a women’s dorm and a men’s dorm, as well as family apartments. The capacity of the facility, which will include two buildings, is 120 people. Additionally, the shelter will include a laundry room, respite rooms, dog kennels and multi-use spaces.
Construction is expected to take two years, with costs funded by a 20-year, $8 million bond. Annual operational expenses are estimated to be about $930,000, which will be covered by the city’s general fund and operator City Care’s fundraising and grant efforts.
Property tax rates are expected to increase approximately $3.26 for homes valued at $100,000, with higher amounts for homes with higher valuations.
Read more here.
Rankings from U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Graduate Schools list several OU graduate programs among the best in the nation. These include programs in the OU College of Pharmacy, the OU College of Allied Health and the Michael F. Price College of Business.
More here.
A revived version of a measure that initially advanced in 2025 on sports betting is back on the table, with buy-in on the new iteration from Indian tribes, OKC Thunder, public universities and the lawmakers pushing the bill.
But the bill may stall at Governor Kevin Stitt’s desk. Stitt has indicated he is not interested in expanding the current state-tribal gaming compact.
More here.
The number of unsheltered Oklahoma families is increasing. In 2020, 86 people in unsheltered families were counted. That number was 238 by last year.
Read article here.
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