We Need Your Help to End Child Marriage

Each summer, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) holds its annual Heroes Ball to celebrate champions for children. The gala event – set for Saturday, July 25 at Oklahoma City’s Farmers Public Market – is also the nonprofit organization’s most important fundraiser. The theme for this year’s Heroes Ball is to honor America’s 250th Birthday while celebrating individuals and groups who have made profoundly positive impacts on Oklahoma’s children, according to Joe Dorman, OICA’s CEO. “There are so many Oklahomans who work and struggle every day to improve the lives of Oklahoma’s children,” he said. “The Heroes Ball honors these champions who, in some cases, literally change the world.” This year’s Kate Barnard Lifetime Achievement Award winners fall into that category. OICA will honor Clara Luper posthumously and the Katz Drug Store sit-in youth. The Katz Drug Store sit in took place in August 1958, when a group of Black youth and their teacher, Clara Luper, held peaceful sit-ins at the drug store to protest segregation. That event began a chain of non-violent sit-ins across six years until Oklahoma City was no longer segregated. Several of those brave individuals who as teens conducted the sit-in will participate in a panel discussion that will serve as the Heroes Ball’s keynote. Kate Barnard, for whom the award is named, was Oklahoma’s first female statewide elected official, serving as the Commissioner of Charities and Corrections. She is regarded as the foremost child advocate of her time, working to protect young Oklahomans from corrupt systems which abused and took advantage of them. The Jay Scott Brown Individual Advocate Award will go to Carmelita Skeeter, the CEO of Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa. The award’s namesake, Jay Scott Brown, was a previous OICA Board Chairman who passed in 2022 following a career of service to the organization and other youth programs, including the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth. The Organization Advocate Award will go to Pivot, A Turning Point for Youth for their work on behalf of children who are homeless, disconnected or otherwise at risk. The Henry Bellmon Public Servant Award will go to Oklahoma Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn. Commissioner Osborn previously served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives for 10 years, reaching the position of chair of the powerful Appropriations and Budget Committee. As Labor Commissioner, she worked to protect child labor laws in Oklahoma and elevated social issues important to youth. The Laura Boyd Public Servant Award will be presented to former Oklahoma U.S. Senator, the late Fred Harris. Senator Harris had a distinguished career in the state Senate, served in the U.S. Senate, and ran for President of the United States in both 1972 and 1976. A strong leader in the civil rights movement, Harris publicly supported busing desegregation and the rights of Indigenous Americans, most notably the residents of Taos Pueblo and the Comanche Nation. Harris served as a board member for New Mexico Voices for Children, a counterpart organization to OICA, up until his death in 2024. The organization will also present two awards determined by public nomination and vote, The Anne Roberts People’s Choice Awards for Child Advocacy to an individual and an organization. The awards are named in honor of Anne Roberts, OICA’s longest serving CEO; it recognizes outstanding service to Oklahoma’s children by an individual and an organization, as nominated and voted on by the public. Nominations are currently open until 5 p.m., Friday, May 15 at https://qrco.de/26ARPCAHB . In addition, OICA staff and Board members are seeking donations for silent auction items. For more information on how you can contribute, contact OICA Program Director Licia Walters at lwalters@oica.org or at (405) 236-KIDS (5437), extension 5. Dorman concluded by noting that the Heroes Ball Committee and members of the OICA Board of Directors and staff are already hard at work to make this year’s event a huge success. “We encourage everyone to get their tickets early and when you join us, you are welcome to dress as your favorite superhero,” Dorman said. “The night is great fun for a great cause, and we cannot wait to see you there!” Sponsorships, tickets, and table sponsorships are available. They can be purchased at https://qrco.de/OICAHB26 .

We at the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy appreciate the diligent work of lawmakers regarding children’s policies this year. It has been a tough year with impending federal budget changes, shifting more burden to states. Here are a few of the children-related bills remaining for consideration. House Bill 1082, which creates a rebuttable presumption of equal time for shared parenting custody, is eligible to be heard by the Oklahoma State Senate. The bill would need to go back to the Oklahoma House of Representatives prior to adjournment for this to reach the governor’s desk. Thank you to Rep. Mark Tedford, R-Jenks, and Sen. Jonathan Wingard, R-Ada, for writing this bill and to the other lawmakers who authored similar bills. House Bill 1979, by Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater, and Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry, creates an Early Childhood Task Force to work towards creating a framework for a more efficient and effective governance for early childhood by possibly shifting current youth services to a single state agency. This bill is eligible to be heard in the Oklahoma House of Representatives this week. We also appreciate Sen. Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, for his work in this area. UPDATE - THIS BILL IS ON ITS WAY TO THE GOVERNOR; PLEASE CALL THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AT (405) 521-2342 AND ASK THAT HE SIGN IT. House Bill 4454 by Rep. Carl Newton, R-Cherokee, and Senator Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher, would enact per package THC limitations on edible medical marijuana products, require labeling to not resemble candy packaging, and not be attractive to children. Oklahoma has seen an issue with children mistakenly thinking these items were candy, leading to a dramatic increase in emergency room visits. This bill is eligible for consideration in the Senate. UPDATE - THIS BILL IS ON ITS WAY TO THE GOVERNOR; PLEASE CALL THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AT (405) 521-2342 AND ASK THAT HE SIGN IT. House Bill 3298 by Rep. Aletia Timmons, D-Oklahoma City, and Sen. Mary Boren, D-Norman, creates the Uniform Judicial Interview of Children Act to modernize how the court allows for child testimony and the conduct of interviews with minors, making practices age appropriate. This bill awaits a vote on Senate amendments in the House of Representatives. House Bill 3755 by Rep. Danny Sterling, R-Tecumseh, and Sen. Brenda Stanley, R-Oklahoma City, would require the Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA) to provide to the operator of a youth detention facility all medication prescribed for a juvenile at the time of placement. It would also allow for OJA to provide funds directly to the facility for the purpose of acquiring prescribed medication if not available at the time of placement. This ties into a national issue on which OICA is working to see streamlined medical care services available for youth in detention facilities. The House has the Senate Amendments, and the bill is awaiting a final vote. UPDATE - THIS BILL IS ON ITS WAY TO THE GOVERNOR; PLEASE CALL THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AT (405) 521-2342 AND ASK THAT HE SIGN IT. Senate Bill 1379, by Senator Aaron Reinhardt, R-Jenks, and Rep. Mark Lawson, R-Sapulpa, would require the Office of Attorney General to establish a two-year pilot program to support victims of sex and labor trafficking. Grants could also be provided to partner organizations who support efforts to assist victims. House amendments to the bill are awaiting a vote in the Senate. UPDATE - THIS BILL IS ON ITS WAY TO THE GOVERNOR; PLEASE CALL THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AT (405) 521-2342 AND ASK THAT HE SIGN IT. There are, of course, many other bills which will be considered in the remaining days of the session. We encourage you to reach out to your lawmakers to share your ideas on these bills and others. Citizen input is vital, and a few calls can truly make a difference. Many lawmakers will also work on ideas over the interim. That is when legislative committees consider ideas for the next session. These studies are an opportunity to raise awareness on bills for next year or issues needing attention. If you have a good idea for lawmakers regarding a youth issue, please send us those ideas at https://tinyurl.com/2026InterimStudySuggest . We will forward those thoughts to policymakers before the deadline to request these studies and look forward to working with them as they examine the issues. By hearing your ideas, this will help them create better laws for children in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma’s Kid Governor® for 2025-2026, Katelyn Talley (center) of Valliant Elementary in southeastern Oklahoma, is sworn in by Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Noma Gurich during a ceremony at the Oklahoma State Capitol on Feb. 2, 2026. Katelyn is flanked by her parents, Jessica Fulgham and Brandon Talley. Oklahoma’s Kid Governor® is a program administered by the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) designed to teach fifth grade students about the importance of civic engagement. Teaching materials are provided, and the annual Kid Governor® election is conducted on ballots that resemble real ballots. Registration for the 2026-2027 school year is now open to all Oklahoma fifth-grade classrooms. (Courtesy Photo) Registration is now open for Oklahoma’s fifth grade teachers to sign up for their class to participate in the award-winning Kid Governor® program during the next school year. Teachers can register at the following website: https://tinyurl.com/KG2627Register and parents of children who will be entering the fifth grade are encouraged to share this information with those teachers in public, private, and charter school classrooms. Home school families are also allowed to use these materials to help educate students. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) ran its own Kid Governor for six years in partnership with Sunbeam Family Services prior to working with the national Kid Governor® program in 2022, a program originated in Connecticut and has expanded to other states through a licensing agreement. The purpose of Kid Governor® is to educate students about elections and the role of elected officials, along with the importance of voting once the students reach age 18. “Every Oklahoma fifth grader in a classroom has the opportunity to learn about government through this project so long as their teachers sign up for the program,” said Joe Dorman, OICA’s CEO. “Oklahoma’s teachers will have access to an array of materials to help students learn the importance of democracy and our republic and the role they can play in it.” Dorman went on to emphasize there in no indoctrination in the Kid Governor® curriculum regarding any policy issue; these are only lesson plans describing the process of elections and duties of government officials. With this, students can be better prepared to be fully involved citizens as they age into adulthood and hopefully become active voters. Dorman said since 2026 is a gubernatorial election year, he expects even more excitement among the Kid Governor® classrooms and candidates as they get to mirror what is happening in the real world. More than 1,000 students participated in classrooms across the state in 2025. As of May 1, 2026, 120 students are registered for Kid Governor in the 2026/2027 school year. Those fifth-grade classrooms which are participating can also take part in the enhanced program which allows them to enter one student candidate into a statewide election based upon results from a local classroom election. Each student candidate will pick an issue important to them on which to run, and the classroom will vote for their favorite candidate. The classroom winners will then make two-minute campaign videos for the statewide competition, where a panel comprised of Oklahoma’s former governors – David Walters, Frank Keating, Brad Henry, and Mary Fallin – and OICA board members will narrow the finalists down to seven candidates. The campaign videos for the top seven selected will be shared with each participating classroom. The students will cast their vote on ballots that resemble the actual Oklahoma ballots. The candidate receiving the most votes will serve as the next Oklahoma Kid Governor® with the others serving in cabinet roles. The seven finalists serve a one-year term promoting their platform issue, leadership and advocacy, working with OICA to deliver speeches around the state. Each will have the opportunity to fulfill their campaign platform when they visit with lawmakers, while also mobilizing students to take action and make a difference on youth issues. “We appreciate each of these incredible adult leaders who give of their time to review the submissions, and that includes the teachers who help support this program to ensure it is in classrooms,” Dorman said. “Any Oklahoman who wishes to join in support of this program to ensure funding is sufficient can learn more at https://oica.org or by contacting our office.” Toolkits consisting of free, custom-designed lesson plans will guide classroom teachers through the program and teach students about state government in their state, the history and process of voting, and the importance of active participation in civic life. OICA is underwriting the cost of the program entirely through donations. Additionally, each student is provided with an educational comic book Mighty Mia and Dyna-Bit Save Democracy to have that was written by Dorman and partners with Literati Press in Oklahoma City. “The Kid Governor® program inspires students to be involved in the process and hopefully become lifelong agents of change for the better, maybe even running for Governor of Oklahoma someday,” Dorman said. “If young people are given an opportunity to learn these lessons at an early age, they will grow into the leaders that will shape our tomorrow, and at the least, become active voters.” Oklahoma consistently ranks nationally as one of the worst states in the nation for voter turnout of eligible adults who choose to cast a ballot. For more information about how you can help the Kid Governor® program, contact OICA at info@oica.org or call OICA Program Director Licia Walters at (405) 236-KIDS (5437), extension 5.

Over the past few years, a national movement has taken off in many states to establish a hardened rule in the law that 50/50 custody is in the best interest of the children of divorce. Such laws have passed recently in Arizona, Kentucky. Florida, Arkansas, Missouri, and West Virginia, with many other states – including Oklahoma – considering equal custodial time for parents, unless a proven reason is established which would dictate the split is not in the best interest of the child. Every child deserves a happy and safe youth filled with love from their parents, and children are statistically shown to be happier and well-adjusted when they grow up with both parents active in their lives, as long as the parents uphold their responsibility to raise their children in loving homes. In a perfect world, when children are involved, separated parents will find a way to co-parent and not allow the children to see any animosity between them. Unfortunately, far too many separated parents, men and women alike, use the court system to weaponize divorce. They drag the other parent through the costly legal system by using the child and custody issues to bankrupt the other. This is one of the issues we frequently receive calls about at the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA): a parent desperate to find free or pro bono counsel to help with their battle to maintain a certain level of custody with the children involved. Unfortunately, there are very few resources out there to aid these mothers and fathers when the opposing parent has the financial ability to continually file challenges to modify the child custody time established by the family court. While we acknowledge equal custody is not a situation which is best with every case of divorce, and sometimes one parent might abdicate their responsibility, the data clearly shows that children statistically thrive better when parents are both involved in their upbringing. In fact, under the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study, separation from a parent is one of the assessed points of toxic trauma which hurts children long-term. Over the past three years, OICA has worked with lawmakers to see support for such a policy to become law in Oklahoma. House Bill 1082 would create a rebuttable presumption that joint legal custody, joint physical custody, and shared parenting time is most often in the best interest of the child. The measure also would specify that if clear and convincing evidence shows child abuse, domestic violence, stalking, or harassment has occurred, this would nullify equal custody. The measure would also direct courts to issue written findings if it is determined enough evidence has been presented to rebut the presumption. Courts would appoint guardians ad litem (GAL) to assist in constructing parenting time schedules which are consistent with the best interest of the children while maximizing the optimal time parents have with their children. Of course, if one parent opts for less time, that will be considered. More than one dozen lawmakers have signed in support of this legislation as authors or coauthors. The bill passed with bipartisan support from the House of Representatives by a 92-1 vote and the Senate Judiciary Committee with a 7-0 vote. We thank Sen. Brent Howard, R-Altus, for proposing solid amendments to the legislation which would strengthen protections for children, including the GAL language.  Senate Majority Leader Julie Daniels will hopefully schedule HB1082 for consideration by the full Oklahoma Senate before the May 7 deadline; the bill will also need one more House vote for final passage before the Legislature adjourns this year, or the bill will die. The calls OICA has received are truly heartbreaking when parents want shared time with their children. If you have a lived experience that relates to this legislation, I strongly encourage you to contact state senators to share your story if you feel this law would help children. You can find senators’ contact information at https://oksenate.gov/senators

Last week, journalist Connie Chung returned to Oklahoma City for an event at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. While she was welcomed by those in attendance this time, such was not the case 31 years ago. “Can you handle this? Can this fire department handle this? I know you’re doing a great job, but it’s extraordinarily difficult,” Chung asked my friend, Assistant OKC Fire Chief Jon Hansen. The question was met with anger by those who felt she had insulted our firefighters and first responders. She quickly issued an apology, but it was not well met, leading to her dismissal as a newscaster. The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum invited her to speak at their “Better Conversations” series. The program fosters civil dialog on sensitive topics, using the 1995 bombing legacy of resilience to bridge community divides. This was the case with Ms. Chung, who said she felt forgiven and welcomed. This overall effort led the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) to honor the Memorial with our Organizational Advocate of the Year Award in 2025 as they involve young people in their many projects encouraging civility in our society. “The Oklahoma Standard” is an ideal grown in the aftermath of the bombing; we even watermark the term on our state’s driver license. The Memorial established a statewide initiative under this banner, preserving and promoting a culture of caring citizens by encouraging “Acts of Service, Honor, and Kindness.” Those running for office across Oklahoma should bear this in mind. We are less than two months from the Primary Election on June 16, and the candidates are putting on quite a show. Unfortunately, rhetoric is not corresponding with the ideals “The Oklahoma Standard” represents, especially for children. The so-called culture wars get more attention in primaries – especially closed primaries like we have in Oklahoma – than actual solutions to real challenges. For example, a recent report in Oklahoma Watch noted that “53% of likely Republican primary voters said cultural issues such as banning Sharia law and transgender surgeries for youth would be vital when deciding which candidate to support.” Of all Republicans polled, only 39% put day-to-day government functions ahead of culture war issues. Similarly, Democrats primary voters have their own culture war issues and, like Republican primary voters, tend to skew more extreme than General Election voters. Nationally, 48% of Democratic voters are either “progressive” (37%) or “woke” (11%), according to a study by the Manhattan Institute. Only 47% of the Democratic primary voters put more stock in a functioning government than culture issues and less than half of them have shown a willingness to vote for a candidate rather than a party. Primary voters who are frustrated that their candidate lost often do not return to the polls to vote in the November General Election, leading to low turnout, and Oklahoma was among the lowest turnout of any state in 2024. Unfortunately, if this year follows past elections, Oklahoma will rank last in voters showing up to the polls in November. With what people are hearing from candidates, can you really blame them? It might be too late to call upon candidates to run on ideas which will build the economy, increase opportunities for Oklahomans, and create a better state for our children, but I hope you will join me in elevating “The Oklahoma Standard” by voting based on those issues that truly matter. Will it be service, honor and kindness, or will voters instead gravitate towards propaganda that divides communities and instigates fear? For Oklahoma’s children, the issues that matter are the childcare crisis, children’s health insurance, hunger in general, and whether candidates support policies which reduce childhood trauma. I certainly hope we see candidates change their focus to issues which truly elevate The Oklahoma Standard.

While lawmakers addressed many children’s policy issues this year, one which still needs support is childcare services. Other states have taken this on as a top priority. Through an expansion of their Child Care Assistance program, New Mexico became the first state in the nation to offer no-cost Universal Child Care beginning November 1, 2025. In Oklahoma, we have conflicting reports about the closures of daycares across the state. In March, Oklahoma Human Services reported 166 childcare programs have closed statewide since November, but 78 new programs have opened during the same period. In contrast, News 9 reported in January that more than 400 childcare centers in Oklahoma have closed their doors since November. Oklahoma received national attention as The New York Times reported this week on the impact on families from the closure of one childcare center. Additionally, many workplace-operated care centers, provided as an incentive for employees, have closed as those businesses could not afford to maintain that important employee benefit. Worsening the problem, as of April 6, day care centers across the state lost COVID-19-era funding, according to the Licensed Child Care Association of Oklahoma, with providers seeing a reduction of about $5 per child per day. While this funding was never meant to be a permanent allocation for these businesses, and each was advised this would eventually be eliminated, the timing was certainly not good. Subsidized childcare depends on financial assistance for eligible low-income working families, paid directly to providers, often requiring co-payments based on income. Unsubsidized care is paid fully out-of-pocket by the family, often costing significantly more. In Oklahoma, federal and state early learning subsidized opportunities have served more than 80,169 children and families, or 27% of children ages 5 and under. What is the price tag? TOOTRiS, a nationwide childcare network, reports that the average cost for infants in a childcare center breaks down to $901 monthly, or $10,809 annually per child; for toddlers, which is $838 per month, or $10,060 annually. For four-year-olds, the cost dips to $785 monthly, or $9,415 annually, which is likely due to children also being in four-year-old public-school programs for a portion of the day. It is not just money impacting families. It’s been noted that many families have older children who stay home from school to watch their younger siblings while the parents are at work, which contributes to learning loss for both age groups. Young children benefit academically from childcare programs, and the older youth should not miss classroom time. Despite the bad news, Oklahoma has made strides to address the problem. House Bill 1847 was authored by Rep. Suzanne Schreiber, D-Tulsa, and Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, and became law last year. The new law exempts at-home childcare centers from specific regulation, saving small home childcares those expenses. Other ideas have not advanced. House Bill 1849, also authored by Representative Schreiber and Sen. Todd Gollihare, R-Kellyville, would have allowed childcare providers at licensed facilities to exempt their household’s income from consideration when applying for the Child Care Subsidy Program as an attempt to incentivize new industry workers and retain current employees. While this bill remains in committee, it is not expected to move due to the $11 million estimated cost. HB 3552, authored by Rep. Cody Maynard and Sen. David Bullard, both Durant Republicans, would have allowed licensed childcare providers to charge parents receiving childcare subsidies the “differential” rate, the difference between the state subsidy reimbursement and the provider’s standard private tuition. Another, HB 4201, authored by Representative Schreiber and Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, would set the master teacher ratio required for two-, three-, four-, and five-star centers be one full-time master teacher for every 60 children enrolled at the licensed childcare facility. With the remaining time left in the legislative session, I have hope that lawmakers will address this critical need in a way which helps provide families with much needed childcare resources. 

Gov. Kevin Stitt and Republican leaders from the state Legislature announced a budget agreement last week. The Fiscal Year 27 (FY27) budget proposal totals $12.8 billion, an increase of 1.52% or nearly $200 million over the current fiscal year's budget. This amount is a fraction of total spending, much of which comes from federal matching dollars and “off the top” funding that is dedicated to specific programs and not left up to lawmakers to allocate. No across-the-board cuts happened to state agencies, a fear many had this year. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy is especially pleased that an additional $5 million is going toward a plan to allow foster children to receive state benefits until the age of 21, raising that age from the current age of 18 years old. This is an effort we have long supported. Special thanks go to Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton for leading this initiative. The state will see increased funding to the state Department of Education by $208.7 million, which includes almost $80 million for reading and math programs, and a $2,000 across-the-board teacher pay raise, totaling $85 million, along with $27.3 million to fund health insurance increases for teachers. Support personnel are not included in this pay raise; school districts would need to find the money if they choose to give raises to all school employees. Also, there is no additional funding budgeted to add days to the public-school year calendar, a proposal which might occur for the upcoming school year. There is also a $25 million increase to the Parental Choice Tax Credit, going from $250 million to $275 million, to pay private school tuition for those who qualify. For childcare teacher recruitment and retention, $4.56 million was included, but this still leaves a large gap for anticipated need. The state is faced with closures of private facilities due to unsubsidized coverage being too costly and the loss of federal subsidies starting this month will hurt many. I hope this can further be addressed prior to adjournment. The budget allocates $15 million to the Department of Commerce for the 2028 Olympics as Oklahoma City will host softball and canoe slalom and kayak events, making it the only city outside California to host events. Further, $6.75 million will fund an Oklahoma Highway Trooper Academy class; $200 million will go to the Taxpayer’s Endowment Fund Trust, reportedly to allow the state to invest in “unspecified future projects”; $12.5 million for “DREAM” savings accounts for Oklahoma children; and more than $3 million to expand Dolly Parton Imagination Libraries across the state and to implement the Just Right Readers phonics education program. Additionally, $3.7 million will be allocated to the Oklahoma Conservation Commission for “critical dam repairs” across the state, a life-saving move. Other increases in the proposed budget include $38.9 million to the Department of Human Services for its Advantage Waiver Program, and $25.5 million to Human Services for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP). The budget increases funding for the Department of Mental Health, with $49 million coming to stabilize the current budget and an additional $49 million for FY27, along with $30.1 million to implement a court-ordered competency restoration agreement. The Oklahoma Healthcare Authority gets an additional $250 million support for increased Medicaid utilization. For state employees, lawmakers will allocate $15.2 million to increase longevity pay – a bonus provided based on years of service – in hopes of keeping up with competition with the private sector. Those enrolled in public pension systems would also receive cost of living adjustments ranging from 3% to 6% depending on a retiree’s time spent working, including teachers, firefighters, law enforcement personnel, and state employees. Retirees’ monthly payments would increase 3% if they have been retired between 10 and 19 years or 6 percent if they have been retired at least 20 years The complete budget proposal will be carried through the process by the two budget chairmen, Sen. Chuck Hall and Rep. Trey Caldwell this week. We will keep you posted regarding what happens.

New statewide polling released today by the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA), in partnership with independent pollsters Amber Integrated, shows overwhelming support among likely Republican primary voters for action to address the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) generated sexually explicit images involving minors. The Oklahoma survey – conducted March 6–8 among 603 likely Republican primary voters – found near-universal concern about the issue and strong backing for legislative and enforcement action. According to the poll, 93% of likely GOP voters say they are concerned about AI-generated sexually explicit images involving minors, including 81% who say they are “very concerned.” At the same time, 94% say it is important for state lawmakers and state attorneys general to take action to stop the creation and distribution of this material. Support for policy solutions is similarly strong. More than 9 in 10 voters (91%) support legislation that would give state attorneys general and individuals the authority to bring enforcement actions against companies that knowingly allow these tools to be used to create sexually explicit images involving minors. Notably, 81% of voters say they “strongly support” such legislation. Further, an additional national survey commissioned by Americans on AI Guardrails & Child Safety shows a majority of voters say risks of AI outweigh its benefits, with 77% of voters in both parties responding they prefer candidates who support AI safeguards for kids. In a recent national NBC News survey conducted Feb. 27-March 3, 57% of registered voters said they believe the risks of AI outweigh its benefits. The respondents also noted that both parties need to do more to protect against the rapidly advancing technology. A second national poll, this one commissioned by the Alliance for a Better Future and conducted by OnMessage Public Strategies, showed that more than 77% of voters in both political parties prefer candidates who support safeguards to protect the public and minors from harm from AI. “This data makes clear that Oklahoma voters see this as a serious public safety issue and expect action,” said Joe Dorman, OICA CEO. “There is broad agreement across the Republican electorate that these types of images, especially when they involve minors, should not be allowed to spread without consequences. “Beyond that, voters in both parties across the nation have grave concerns about the potential harm of AI.” The polls show consistent support across key demographic groups, and the Oklahoma poll shows particularly strong intensity among women and rural voters. Women voters report higher levels of concern and support across all measures, while small-town and rural voters, who make up a majority of the primary electorate, show especially strong backing for action. Importantly, even among moderate voters, strong majorities express concern and support legislative action, suggesting that lawmakers face little political risk in advancing solutions and incur risk by not seeking solutions. The findings come amid growing national attention on AI tools capable of generating realistic, non-consensual images using publicly available photos. Some platforms, including xAI’s Grok, have faced scrutiny for how easily this type of content can be produced and for the potential risks posed to minors. “Oklahoma families want to know that there are clear rules in place and that bad actors will be held accountable,” Dorman added. “This is an issue where the public is not divided – conservatives, liberals, Republicans, and Democrats – they are all aligned and ready for action.” Survey Methodology: The Oklahoma survey was conducted March 6–8, 2026, among 603 likely Republican primary voters in the state. The margin of error is ±3.99%.

There is no question that artificial intelligence (AI) is helping improve many areas of our lives. Researchers use it to analyze medical data, businesses rely on it to streamline logistics and operations, and educators are even beginning to explore how it might support learning in the classroom. However, as with any powerful technology, there are also risks, particularly when children are involved. Over the past several years, it has become clear that the digital world our children are growing up in is changing faster than many families can keep up. When social media first became widespread, many parents worried about screen time, online bullying, predators, and whether their child’s posts might affect future college or job prospects. Those dangers still exist today, but technology has continued to evolve, introducing entirely new threats. One of the newest developments involves AI, which can generate images, videos, and conversations almost instantly, often with no direct human involvement or controls in place. Recently, there has been a lot of attention in the news involving an AI tool called Grok, a part of the social media platform X. Users can interact with Grok directly on X or through the standalone app, making it accessible for even young children. Unfortunately, while the intentions behind the technology may have been well-meaning, reporting has shown that this technology is being used to create sexually explicit images of individuals without their consent, including child pornography. This intersects with a troubling trend that child safety advocates have been raising alarms about across the country – the rise of AI-generated deepfake pornography involving children and teenagers. A report from THORN in mid-2024 found that 1 in 10 minors have friends or classmates who have created deep-fake images of other children using generative AI tools. Nearly two years later, as AI tools have only expanded and become more accessible, that number has likely grown. In many cases, these deep-fake images can be created using ordinary photos pulled from social media accounts. A picture shared online can be manipulated by another user into something degrading in a matter of seconds. For families, this means that a child’s reputation can be damaged quickly if manipulated images begin circulating among classmates or online communities. Victims may face embarrassment, harassment, or even coercion from individuals who threaten to distribute the images further. Meanwhile, parents often find themselves in an impossible position, trying to track down and remove images that may already have spread across multiple platforms. Law enforcement agencies are also grappling with how to address this rapidly evolving technology. Many of our existing laws governing exploitation and harassment were written before artificial intelligence tools made it possible to generate this type of material at scale. That is why policymakers across the country, including here in Oklahoma, are beginning to consider how these technologies should be addressed. Laws have been passed to punish the action of creating AI pornography involving children, but little has been done to get to the root of the problem of preventing platforms from allowing the images of children to be used. While lawmakers may debate the best approach, the underlying concern is widely shared: our children should not be exposed to technologies that can easily be used to exploit or harm them. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) has long worked with policymakers to ensure that laws keep pace with the realities facing children and families in our state, including on recent Internet safety legislation. As technology continues to evolve, those conversations must continue and adapt with the times. While artificial intelligence will undoubtedly play a major role in shaping the future, the challenge before us is ensuring that innovation, and in turn legislation, move forward in a way that keeps children safe. While the digital world may look different than it once did, our responsibility to protect Oklahoma’s children remains the same. Parents, educators, lawmakers, and community leaders all have a role to play in this effort.