Starting Thursday, Oklahoma will become the latest state to end its state tax on groceries.

It’s a move more states across the country are considering to ease the burden of inflation and grocery prices on families, and in Oklahoma, it’s expected to save families as much as $650 a year.

“I was so excited,” Oklahoma resident Debbie Reyn said. “You know that is really going to help us. We’re on fixed income, and you don’t think that’s gonna make much difference, but it does. It makes a big difference in the grocery bill.

Kansas became one of the first states to tackle its grocery tax in 2022, an added cost that goes to the state and is separate from local sales tax. It voted to phase out the 6.5% tax, so by next year, it will be gone. Now, more states are following suit.

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Illinois voted to do away with its grocery tax starting in 2026, and when Oklahoma’s 4.5% grocery tax goes away on Thursday, only 12 states will still have the tax. That number could decrease to only seven by 2026.

On November’s ballot, voters in Utah and South Dakota will decide the fate of their state grocery taxes, and Idaho will consider if it wants to eliminate its 6% grocery tax in a legislative session next year.

“Most of the benefit of a grocery exemption actually flows to the middle income and higher income,” said Jared Walczak, vice president of state projects at the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan non-profit. “It doesn’t actually do what it says on the label, but it’s very popular.”

Walczak says that while grocery taxes are a popular policy and do provide relief, they typically benefit higher-income earners since those who purchase groceries on SNAP and other subsidized benefits are tax-exempt. He says while Oklahoma’s grocery tax elimination will save taxpayers around $370 million, there is still the fine print.

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“Oklahomans need to recognize when they go to the grocery store, even after this takes effect, they’re still paying sales tax, partially because they’re still paying their local sales tax. That hasn’t been repealed,” Walczak said. “Also partially because much of what you buy at the grocery store isn’t actually classified as a grocery. Prepared foods aren’t, a lot of the other items you buy aren’t.”

It’s an important distinction: After Thursday, if you buy a rotisserie chicken in Oklahoma, you will still pay a 4.5% grocery tax, but if you buy raw chicken, you will not.

Even still, those who struggle know a little bit can go a long way, like Ivris Owens who spoke to Scripps News shortly after Kansas passed its bill in 2022

“Sometimes you’ll have to go without, you know?” Owens said. “There have been times where I’ve had to go without, and I never wanted my kids to feel that. I never want them to know of me struggling.”

On Wednesday Oklahoma coach Brent Venables spoke publicly for the first time since the NCAA announced the Sooners had self reported recruiting violations. 

“In situations like these despite the nuances and the particulars we have to take responsibility and move on,” Venables said on the weekly SEC Coaches Teleconference. “And that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

OU running backs coach DeMarco Murray was suspended for a game after he had impermissible contact with 17 recruits over a 16-month period. 

“I won’t really comment on whether or not this is the week or not,” Venables said of the timing of the suspension on Wednesday, though a source told Sooners on SI that Murray would serve his suspension this Friday in Oklahoma’s 2024 season opener against the Temple Owls.

The contact included 65 impermissible phone calls and 36 impermissible text messages, the NCAA said in a press release, and that Murray indicated he was “unaware that a COVID-19 waiver of recruiting rules had expired”. 

Per the release, Oklahoma maintained that there was proper training that the COVID-19 waiver had expired. 

Despite the Sooners putting the coaching staff through the training, Venables said the entire program can still learn from the situation. 

“It’s affirmation for despite all the education that you do, the constant monitoring and reinforcement of, ‘Hey man just follow the rules. These are what they are.’ People can still make mistakes,” Venables said. “And there’s no doubt that I’m incredibly disappointed in what took place. And I do know our staff works to be mindful of the rules and we have perimeters, very clear and strong perimeters that are in place.”

The program’s acceptance of the violation extended to Murray, as the running back coach accepted full responsibility for the mistake. 

“DeMarco knows,” Venables said. “He knows all of that and he’s accepted responsibility like I said. I know who he is but you’ve got to continue — things will still happen despite strong measures in place that try to protect you.”

The Sooners have already served a large portion of the penalties for the mistake after self-reporting and self-imposing violations. 

In addition to Murray’s one-game suspension, Oklahoma will be unable to host recruits on unofficial visits for the Temple contest and there will be a three-week ban on “recruiting phone and electronic correspondence for the football program from Dec. 8, 2024 to March 31, 2025,” the NCAA said in the release. 

There will be plenty of change for OU’s offense on full display come Friday. 

The No. 16-ranked Sooners will have an entirely new offensive line, it will mark the first home start for quarterback Jackson Arnold and it will be just the second game with co-offensive coordinators Seth Littrell and Joe Jon Finley at the helm, but there are known quantities to help smooth over the adversity at running back. 

Gavin Sawchuk and Jovantae Barnes were listed as co-starters on Oklahoma’s first depth chart of the year. 

Sawchuk took over down the stretch last year, closing the 2023 season with five straight games where he rushed for more than 100 yards, and by all accounts Barnes is ready to bounce back after injuries hampered him last year. 

Barnes and Sawchuk both rushed for 100 yards in the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl against Florida State, and have enough experience to keep the running game churning even without Murray on the sideline against Temple. 

NORMAN — Despite dealing with a foot injury over the offseason, Oklahoma wide receiver Jalil Farooq was able to make the most of his time away from the game.

Missing a portion of the team’s spring and summer workouts with a foot fracture, Farooq is healthy once again and is listed as a starter on the No. 16-ranked Sooners’ first depth chart of the year ahead of Friday’s 6 p.m. season opener against Temple.

Having Farooq back in the lineup early in the season will help the team’s offense get in rhythm through the non-conference slate as OU prepares for its first season in the SEC.

Despite not getting the full offseason to work with his teammates, Farooq said he was able to find ways to improve while dealing with his foot injury.

“Life is full of obstacles,” Farooq said. Monday after practice. “So me being able to be a better player off the field, a coach-player, not being able to practice as much and do a lot in the spring, dealing with a foot injury, made me a better man. I’d never been hurt in college, so that was the first time I had to really deal with that. So just getting better in that.”

Part of being a “coach-player” like Farooq said means growing into one of the team’s primary vocal leaders. Now in his fourth season with the program, the senior wideout has been in Norman since before Venables and his staff arrived and is able to teach the younger players in the locker room.

Being able to learn from Farooq, a veteran player, will help talented young receivers like Jaquaize Pettaway, Ivan Carreon, Zion Kearney develop into solid options who will be ready to make an impact when their opportunity comes.

“Being more of a vocal leader, leading by example,” Farooq said. “Making sure I’m setting an example for (the) younger guys. Just being everything I need to be for them, telling them, giving them great advice. I’ve been through the process, so just being able to give them the advice that they need.”

On the field, Farooq racked up a career-high 45 catches for 694 yards and two touchdowns as a junior in 2023.

Even coming off of the best statistical season of his collegiate career, Farooq served as one of the more underrated players on the Sooners’ roster after being the team’s third-leading receiver last season.

Despite being one of the most experienced wide receivers on OU’s roster, Farooq will likely be the team’s No. 3 option for the second consecutive year after Brent Venables and company added Deion Burks and brought back Nic Anderson over the offseason, and return Andrel Anthony from injury.

Still, Farooq earned a starting spot in Oklahoma’s first official depth chart of 2024 and will log plenty of snaps as an integral part of Seth Littrell’s offense. With vertical threats like Burks, Anderson and Brenen Thompson populating the Sooners’ wide receiver corps, defenses will be stretched down the field, which should help Farooq get open in short and intermediate areas.

“Brenen is a guy that brings intensity in practice every day,” Farooq said. “He is one of the guys that works consistently, he continuously makes plays 24/7. I take a lot from his game, he’s super fast and in our receivers room we have all (No. 1) receivers. So anybody can step up to the plate and play receiver right now, today. … We push each other all the time, we bring each other up. Not really bringing each other down, that’s our biggest thing. Really being positive in the room. If someone makes a mistake, bringing them up and even calling our brothers out. If somebody makes a mistake, nobody’s bigger than the team.”

Farooq was rated the No. 123 overall prospect by the 247 Sports Composite in the 2021 recruiting class, and was ranked No. 158 by Rivals.

While Farooq’s ball security was lackluster at times in 2023, the Lanham, MD, product had a few highlight performances as well. The former 4-star recruit topped 100 yards twice during his junior season, including a five-catch, 130-yard performance against Texas that helped lead OU to a huge victory in the Red River Rivalry.

Now that Jackson Arnold has taken over as the team’s starting quarterback after Farooq spent the past two seasons building chemistry with Dillon Gabriel, the senior wideout will need to get adjusted to playing with Arnold.

The former 5-star QB found Farooq four times for 57 yards in the Alamo Bowl against Arizona, but the veteran pass catcher seems very confident that Arnold will excel in his first year as a starter.

“I watched Jackson come in, he’s a great guy,” Farooq said. “He is a leader. He’s becoming more and more of a leader, day in and day out. He’s leading the team. He’s taken over and I can see him being a future Heisman candidate. … We’re just getting work continuously, getting work with each other. Just continue to build our relationship. We were getting film work while I was hurt.”

So far in his career, Farooq has started 23 of his 34 games and delivered 86 receptions for 1,229 yards and seven touchdowns, plus another 240 yards on 33 rushing attempts. He also led the team in kickoff returns each of his first two seasons, with 31 runbacks for 697 yards and a 22.5-yard average.

If Farooq is able to have another solid season as the Sooners’ third option, OU’s offense should have a successful passing attack.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and over 200 pounds, Farooq will also have a chance to play professionally if he has better ball security and puts forth another impressive statistical campaign.

“I’m truly excited. I can’t wait to get out there with my guys,” Farooq said. “We put a lot of hard work in in the summer and in the spring. We’re just ready to get out there and showcase what we’re really about. Really excited about that, just to have a good game with my brothers.”