Oklahoma
‘This will rehydrate us’: new sheriff operations bills to support Oklahoma departments
LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) – New legislation passed in May will give sheriff departments across the state a chance to apply for grant money which may be extremely beneficial for smaller departments.
Oklahoma lawmakers created House Bill 2914, otherwise known as the ‘Oklahoma Sheriff’s Office Funding Assistance Program’, which will offer state sheriff offices a grant to use for operational costs.
”I think this is a thumbs up,” said Jefferson County Sheriff Jeremie Wilson. “It’s a support. It’s kind of like when you’re dehydrated and you get an IV and they rehydrate you. This is gonna rehydrate us.”
Though the grant money can not go directly towards salary increases, the bill will offer departments the chance to rearrange funds with some of that money freeing up for salaries.
”Essentially will help some of the poorest counties in Oklahoma be able to properly compensate and pay sheriff deputies in those counties,” said one of the bill’s co-authors District 62 representative, Trey Caldwell. “We’ve seen time and time again in.. surrounding Lawton Counties where they couldn’t even pay a living wage to sheriff deputies.”
Representative Caldwell said in counties like Tillman, Sheriff Deputies make roughly $20,000 a year. Low pay is something Sheriff Wilson said his department also goes through.
”Right now we’re the fifth poorest county in Oklahoma. So, with that, the commissioners and I, we work close together. We try to obtain the best law enforcement presence that we can but funding drives everything.”
With a tight budget, Sheriff Wilson said he’s experienced problems with retention on an already small force. He hopes this bill will fix that, giving citizens a better peace of mind.
”At any one time there may be only one deputy on duty and covering that vast territory,” Rep. Caldwell said. “Just trying to make sure that we can kind of help them meet those needs, because those constituents deserve to have a safe and prosperous environment as well.”
Sheriff Wilson added the state’s support doesn’t go unnoticed.
“This is a way that the state is gonna help us. I took it as a ‘thank you’ and ‘keep up the good work’,” he said.
The bill will issue funds in a hierarchy system. There are three tiers, arranged to give poorer counties more money:
“$150,000 for a county in the lower 26 counties ranked by gross assessed total tangible property value,”
“250,000 for a county ranked higher than 26 but lower than 53…”
“300,000 for a county ranked equal to or greater than 53..”
In a statement sent to 7News, State Appropriations and Budget Chair, Kevin Wallace said in part quote:
“County sheriffs provide numerous services throughout the state, including ensuring our citizens’ safety. Helping counties with the means to recruit and retain sheriffs will provide better protection for all Oklahomans.”
You can read the rest of that statement at the bottom of this article.
The bill will become active on July 1.
FULL STATEMENT:
“County sheriffs provide numerous services throughout the state, including ensuring our citizens’ safety. Helping counties with the means to recruit and retain sheriffs will provide better protection for all Oklahomans. The current base salary for a county sheriff is $19,000, which is abysmally low in today’s economy. Raising the base to $44,000 better compensates these officials for the many services they provide and will also allow an increase in deputy pay. While I and many others would prefer the base to be higher, this is the amount we were able to negotiate with our Senate budget partners. This funding for sheriff’s pay could also help offset the costs of other areas of local government within counties.”
Copyright 2024 KSWO. All rights reserved.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KSWO) — Oklahoma lawmakers have voted to honor country music artist and Oklahoma native Toby Keith.
House Concurrent Resolution 1019 recognizes Keith’s lasting impact on music and proposes renaming a planned turnpike in his memory.
The concurrent resolution was authored by Rep. Jason Blair, R-Morgan, and Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman.
The planned route will extend from Interstate 44 east to Interstate 35, then continue east and north to I-40 at the Kickapoo Turnpike.
Copyright 2026 KSWO. All rights reserved.
Governor Kevin Stitt has said he wants the State Superintendent of Education to be a governor-elected position instead of an elected one. Political analyst Scott Mitchell examines what this would mean for the state.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is urging lawmakers to send a state question to voters that would make the state superintendent an appointed position, as he named Lindel Fields of Tulsa to the role and announced a turnaround team to help implement his education agenda.
Is the State Superintendent an elected role?
Yes, the State Superintendent of Education is still an elected role. Elections are scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
Cons of making the superintendent an appointed position
Mitchell said making this position appointed could cause distrust among some Oklahomans
“Over the years, we’ve seen that capture of regulatory sort of is easy to do when you have term limits, then lobbies become more powerful, and they have all the history. It’s very complicated.
He also said if the position were to be elected, they would likely have the same agenda as the governor.
“Yes, and I think the governor would be absolutely saying, ‘Yes, they’re going to do what I want them to do.’”
Changing how the superintendent is chosen changes what the founding fathers set.
“Voters are going to have to say yay or nay if it gets to them, is whether or not we want to change the way that the founding fathers set up the way that we make sure that power is not concentrated in Oklahoma,” he said.
Is Ryan Walters’ term the reason Stitt wants to make this position appointed?
Mitchell said he believes the former State Superintendent played a role in the government wanting to appoint this position.
During his time as superintendent, Walters was known to have multiple controversies. He resigned in 2025, allowing Stitt to appoint Lindel Fields.
“His impact on this, even though he’s gone, is certainly evident,” said Mitchell. “Walters left midstream, right? And so the governor had a chance to appoint someone. Well, it wasn’t just an appointment; it was chaos before and relative calm and competency after. And that has given the governor an opening for people to see with their own eyes. Yeah, you can put somebody in, we’re talking about Lindel Fields, that appears to get up every day, not trying to find some, get a click on social media, but rather to do his job. And across the board, for the most part, this guy’s getting thumbs up.
Stitt said electing Fields has already given him some leverage since he has been well perceived so far.
“That allows a governor to say, Look, I’ve got some standing, some leverage to go to the voters and say, let’s put expertise as the main reason that a person’s there, not because they were able to win an election because they had some sort of populist or dramatic ideas.”
Who is running for Oklahoma State Superintendent?
Republican Ballot
- Sen. Adam Pugh
- John Cox
- Rep. Toni Hasenbeck
- Ana Landsaw
Democrat Ballot
- Craig Mcvay
- Jennettie Marshall
Independent
To learn more about each candidate, click here.
A full breakdown of candidates in the 2026 Oklahoma State Superintendent race, including party affiliation, background and key education priorities.
An Oklahoma highway could soon be named after the late country superstar, Toby Keith, pending new legislation.
House Concurrent Resolution 1019 would rename a proposed turnpike project the “Toby Keith Expressway.” This roadway is set to be built from Interstate 44 East to Interstate-35, continuing East and North to Interstate 40. This road is a part of the ACCESS Oklahoma Long-Range Plan, which is meant to update and expand the state’s turnpike system.
This resolution was adopted by the House on Wednesday.
“Toby Keith was more than a country music star. He was a proud Oklahoman who never forgot where he came from,” said Rep. Jason Blair, R-Moore. “Naming this turnpike in his honor is a fitting way to recognize a man who represented our state with ultimate patriotism and generosity.”
Keith was born in Clinton, Oklahoma, raised in Moore and resided in Norman. He died on February 5, 2024, in a battle with cancer.
“Over the course of his legendary career, Toby Keith never forgot where he came from or what he stood for,” said Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman. “His Oklahoma roots shaped him, and his love of America defined him. He was a country music superstar and a true patriot. I can think of no better way to honor his memory than by naming this future stretch of Norman turnpike in his honor, creating a lasting tribute to the legacy he leaves behind.”
During his career, Keith sold over 40 million records and more than 20 number-one singles
Legislation authors believe this would commemorate the life and legacy of Toby Keith.
The bill will now head to the Senate.
To read the full House Resolution, click here.
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