Oklahoma Watch reporters covered six important stories over the holidays. Here are the summaries and links.

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Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a racketeering petition against State Farm on Dec. 4, alleging the insurer systematically pre-denies legitimate hail and wind damage claims. The case mirrors a 2012 Illinois scandal where State Farm settled for $250 million after being accused of funneling $4 million to influence a Supreme Court justice.

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Oklahoma legislators are proposing new eviction reforms after witnessing families churned through court without representation, driven by data showing pre-K and kindergarten students face the highest eviction rates and resulting educational harm.

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Out-of-state investor Jordan Lee imposed 40% rent increases on Talala mobile home residents through questionable lease-to-own contracts for units with mold, broken electricity and propane leaks. Legal experts say the leases likely violate Oklahoma law.

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More than 70 municipalities across 22 states are lobbying Congress for their own ZIP codes after the Postal Service denied their requests. Two House bills passed in July but have stalled in the Senate, with USPS claiming the changes would cost at least $800 million.

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The Oklahoma Department of Corrections spent over $2 million on body cameras to promote transparency but refuses to release any recordings to the public, claiming security concerns. Other law enforcement agencies routinely share footage under the Open Records Act.

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Governor Kevin Stitt publicly criticized President Trump's cancellation of wind energy projects, calling it political weaponization. A federal judge ruled Trump's executive order halting wind development unlawful. Oklahoma ranks third nationally in wind energy production, making the dispute particularly significant for the state's economy.

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Cuts to federal child care subsidies and SNAP benefits during a government shutdown are driving Oklahoma families into eviction court. A survey found 73% of those facing eviction believe lost SNAP benefits directly caused their housing crisis, with single mothers, disabled, and elderly residents hardest hit.

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A data center developer canceled its lease for state land near Lawton after Oklahoma land commissioners repeatedly delayed approval, costing the education trust fund potential revenue and highlighting tensions over development projects.

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Rural Oklahoma's homeless population is vastly undercounted due to challenges with the federal Point-In-Time census. Advocates say the count, designed for urban areas, fails to capture homelessness spread across thousands of rural square miles, affecting funding and community awareness even as demand for housing assistance grows.

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