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Paul Monies

@pmonies.bsky.social
2.1K followers 1.5K following 703 posts

“Bluesky ain’t real life.” 🤷‍♂️ Native Scotsman. Honorary Texan and Okie. Reporting without fear or favor. #FOI Send me news tips: pmonies@oklahomawatch.org. oklahomawatch.org/author/paulmonies

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Reposted by Paul Monies
Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Sand Springs told Solos Extracts to shut down its marijuana processing booth in January. Eight months later, it exploded and killed two workers. The fire marshal had no reason to believe they were still operating. Brenna Witchey has the full investigation. ow.ly/Ktjp50ZSVhe
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Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
NEW: Organizers in Montana and Missouri have faced years of attacks against popular initiatives. So they're going on the offense—they've qualified 2 measures for November that would amend their state constitutions and significantly strengthen direct democracy. Fascinating pro-voter maneuver:
boltsmag.org
To Protect Direct Democracy, Two States Are Mulling a New Approach: Name It As a Right - Bolts
After years of attacks on voters’ power to take matters into their own hands, democracy advocates are going on the offensive in Montana and Missouri. They’ve placed constitutional amendments on... Rea...
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Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Missing guns, 17 vehicles, and even a meat slicer. 🚗🔫 Since 2021, state audits of Oklahoma sheriff’s departments have found over 3,000 unaccounted-for items during leadership handovers. Brenna Witchey breaks down what's missing and why 👇 ow.ly/Mglg50ZOMjn
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Okla City Free Press @freepressokc.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
NEW - A Starbucks store in Ponca City and another in south Norman have voted to unionize, citing OKC stores as inspiration as calls for boycott sweep the nation | Alex Gatley reports:
freepressokc.com
North OK Starbucks union wins election amid expansion, calls for boycott
A Starbucks store in Ponca City and another in south Norman have voted to unionize, citing OKC stores as inspiration as calls for boycott sweep the nation
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Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
The dam complaint is settled. Now the Coffee family is seeking permits to draw water from the same streams feeding Cedar Lake. Residents can protest once public notice goes out. ow.ly/1ASU50ZP5lI
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Paul Monies @pmonies.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
After a regulatory settlement over unpermitted dams, the water fight at Cedar Lake is shifting to who can draw water from streams feeding the lake — including permit applications from the family of former lawmaker Glenn Coffee. oklahomawatch.org/2026/09/18/c... #okwater #okgov
oklahomawatch.org
Cedar Lake Water Fight Deepens After State Approves Dam Settlement - Oklahoma Watch
The Oklahoma Water Resources Board approved a dam consent order Tuesday with companies connected to former state Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, fining them $2,500 and requiring compliance ...
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Reposted by Paul Monies
Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Tulsa's eviction rate is 13% and rising. More than 600 students were caught in eviction filings last school year. Linda Jacobson of The 74 examines what the district is doing about it. ow.ly/bpJ650ZOxzN
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NonDoc @nondocmedia.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
ICYMI — Oklahoma County confusion: Accounting errors, embezzlement inquiry spur audit calls nondoc.com/2026/09/16/oklahoma-coun…
nondoc.com
Oklahoma County confusion: Accounting errors, embezzlement inquiry spur audit calls
The Oklahoma County Board of Commissioners is set to vote whether to audit the county's financial ledger Sept. 18, 2026.
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Reposted by Paul Monies
Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The outgoing Osage County sheriff's last day was Dec. 31. Auditors showed up that morning. His deputies were on sick leave. The list of unaccounted items, 796 in total, fell to the new sheriff. ow.ly/e6Ul50ZNYfS
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Senator Julia Kirt @juliakirt.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
“Right now, we really are relying on cities and local developers to come up with these solutions,” Kirt said. Oklahoma needs state leadership to focus on our housing challenges across the state. This new federal law makes that even more obvious. oklahomawatch.org/2026/09/14/c...
oklahomawatch.org
Congress Passed the Biggest Housing Bill in Decades, but Oklahoma Advocates Say the State Still Has Work to Do - Oklahoma Watch
Congress passed the largest housing affordability bill in decades this summer, but Oklahoma advocates say the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is no magic bullet for the state's 84,125-unit affordable...
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Reposted by Paul Monies
Jessica Valenti @jessicavalenti.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The EPA will test America's drinking water for abortion medication & birth control—caving to a years-long pressure campaign from anti-abortion extremists.
jessica.substack.com
BREAKING: EPA Will Test Drinking Water for Abortion Pills & Contraception
The federal agency just caved to years of anti-abortion pressure
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CBS News @cbsnews.com · 14/09/2026
The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to repeal rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas.
cbsn.ws
EPA to eliminate limits on climate pollution from power plants
The rule, which is expected to face immediate legal challenges, also could prevent future administrations from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, sources said.
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Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Oklahoma advocates are praising the bill, but said state leaders need to act to address the affordable housing shortage and eviction rates. Jake Ramsey explains what comes next. ow.ly/uHXc50ZNcmt
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FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
#foioklahoman By Alex Gladden, oklahoman.com: Joey Senat, an expert in Oklahoma open records law and a recently retired professor at Oklahoma State University, disputed that any such calendar would not be subject to an open records request. www.oklahoman.com/story/news/p...
oklahoman.com
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt keeps copies of past calendars secret
An expert in Oklahoma open records law disputed that records of official business were not public.
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Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
What lies ahead for Oklahoma schools post-election? 🍎 Join us on Nov. 12 at OCCC for First Bell: Getting to Work for Oklahoma Students, featuring a panel with the newly elected State Superintendent. 🗓️ Nov 12 | 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM 📍 OKC 🎟️ Grab your tickets now: oklahomawatch.org/first-bell
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Paul Monies @pmonies.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
“Are we supposed to pause staircase development until we can be absolutely certain that staircases will never kill anybody? And let the Chinese win? No way.” www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/tec...
mcsweeneys.net
Technically, There Is a Non-Zero Chance That Anything Might Kill Off Humanity in the Next Decade: A Response from Anthropic’s Claude
“Human lives are fragile. A piano might fall on a person’s head. A person might get mistaken for a piñata at a birthday party and get beaten to death. An aut...
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Reposted by Paul Monies
Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
What lies ahead for Oklahoma schools post-election? 🍎 Join us on Nov. 12 at OCCC for First Bell: Getting to Work for Oklahoma Students, featuring a panel with the newly elected State Superintendent. 🗓️ Nov 12 | 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM 📍 OKC 🎟️ Grab your tickets now: oklahomawatch.org/first-bell
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Reposted by Paul Monies
KGOU | Your NPR Source @kgou.org · 11/09/2026
The Oklahoma Ethics Commission is inching closer to rules regulating the use of AI-generated political messaging. At a meeting on Thursday, they discussed the route they'll likely take to get it done. www.kgou.org/politics-and...
kgou.org
Oklahoma Ethics Commission inches toward disclosure rules around AI political messaging
The Oklahoma Ethics Commission is inching closer to rules regulating the use of AI-generated political messaging. At a meeting on Thursday, they discussed the route they'll likely take to get it done.
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Reposted by Paul Monies
Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Oklahoma's existing scholarship program has organizations that miss the 90% spending requirement, outdated audits and at least one group that probably shouldn't qualify at all. Now it's the model for a $24 billion federal program. ow.ly/P58i50ZM1LW
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KGOU | Your NPR Source @kgou.org · 10/09/2026
Residents at a private lake community near Hinton are watching their lake shrink and their wells dwindle. They blame unpermitted dams upstream, while state regulators point to a tangle of factors. www.kgou.org/science-tech...
kgou.org
Why are wells running dry at Cedar Lake? Residents, Oklahoma officials have different answers
Residents at a private lake community near Hinton are watching their lake shrink and their wells dwindle. They blame unpermitted dams upstream, while state regulators point to a tangle of factors.
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Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
USAO just hit a 20-year enrollment high of 1,100 students. Its faculty says proposed changes could undermine the small-school model that got them there. ow.ly/k9r650ZLInc
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Ana Marie Cox @anamariecox.com · 10/09/2026
"McClatchy, whose titles include The Miami Herald and The Sacramento Bee, executed its most severe layoffs in years on Thursday, cutting newsroom staff at some papers by upwards of 40%." I don't know if democracy can survive this death of this industry. www.poynter.org/business-wor...
poynter.org
McClatchy cuts more than 90 staff in its most severe layoffs in years - Poynter
At least 13 papers — including The Miami Herald, The Sacramento Bee and The Kansas City Star — lost reporters
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Reuters @reuters.com · 08/09/2026
IRS under Trump unlawfully shared taxpayer info with immigration authorities, court rules reut.rs/468D6y5
reut.rs
IRS under Trump unlawfully shared taxpayer info with immigration authorities, court rules
A U.S. appeals ​court on Tuesday upheld an injunction blocking an Internal Revenue Service policy that allowed ‌it to share thousands of taxpayers' addresses with immigration authorities, saying the Trump administration's practice violated federal law.
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KGOU | Your NPR Source @kgou.org · 08/09/2026
Oklahoma City is set to bring in water from Canton Lake to restore water levels in Lake Hefner, which stores about 40% of OKC's drinking water. www.kgou.org/oklahoma-new...
kgou.org
Oklahoma City to bring in water from Canton Lake
The release of water from Canton Lake to Oklahoma City is scheduled to begin in mid-September.
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Reposted by Paul Monies
Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Oklahoma passed a law requiring proxy advisors to justify votes against company management. A global advisory firm says that's unconstitutional. The law takes effect November 1 unless a judge stops it first. ow.ly/WCnP50ZJ1vF
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FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
#foioklahoma By Barbara Hoberock, oklahomavoice.com: Oklahoma Voice immediately requested a copy of the severance agreement under the Open Records Act but was denied. Editor Janelle Stecklein sued on behalf of Oklahoma Voice in May 2024 seeking the document’s release.
oklahomavoice.com
Oklahoma wildlife officials release severance agreement after two-year legal fight • Oklahoma Voice
OKLAHOMA CITY – After more than two years of litigation and tens of thousands in legal fees, a state agency Thursday released the severance agreement for its former executive director. The agreement b...
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Paul Monies @pmonies.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Tulsa PD among the agencies who ran searches on No Kings rallies, according to @404media.co.
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Reposted by Paul Monies
Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Oklahoma passed a law requiring proxy advisors to justify votes against company management. A global advisory firm says that's unconstitutional. The law takes effect November 1 unless a judge stops it first. ow.ly/WCnP50ZJ1vF
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Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
🎓Governor Kevin Stitt’s tenure policy is leaving regional Oklahoma universities, like East Central University, struggling to fill key faculty positions. Check out the video 📼👇 oklahomawatch.org/2026/09/02/eye-on…
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404 Media @404media.co · 01/09/2026
A city in Oklahoma tried to charge a farmer more than $17,000 to fulfill a public records request for information related to a proposed data center and the farmer’s arrest at a city council meeting. Now, the State’s AG has stepped in and told the city to drop the fees.
404media.co
Oklahoma Tells City It Can't Charge $17,125.44 for a Records Request Related to Data Center Arrest
The the city tried to charge a farmer more than $17,000 for bodycam footage and records related to his arrest at a city council meeting.
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Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
East Central University in Ada settled for a second-choice hire in computer science after its top candidate turned down the job. The reason: no tenure track. The tenure ban expires with Stitt in January unless the next governor renews it. ow.ly/Tuo950ZHZl7
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NBC News @nbcnews.com · 01/09/2026
BREAKING: House votes to pass 3-month government funding bill, preventing a shutdown before the midterm elections.
nbcnews.to
House votes to pass short-term funding bill and prevent a shutdown before the election
The legislation, which already passed the Senate, now goes to President Donald Trump to become law, checking off the main item on Congress’ to-do list ahead of the midterms.
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Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Oklahoma's teacher certification pass rates range from 15% to 100% depending on the institution. But data quality problems mean those numbers may not mean what you think. Brenna Witchey explains. ow.ly/4cx950ZHwXc
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Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Cathy Lamb spent more than 30 years in prison, got out at 74 in a wheelchair and was turned away from eight apartment complexes. She never wanted to depend on family. Oklahoma gave her $50 and a bus ticket. ow.ly/oZa750ZH4IF
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Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
The fight over ESG and Oklahoma’s state investments continues at the $2 billion tobacco settlement trust. A TSET investment board member is questioning why subjective “Oklahoma values” get twice the weight of operations and risk management in a new RFP. #okgov #ESG ow.ly/ntG650ZGevN
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Andy Carvin @acarv.in · 28/08/2026
More than 100 members of Congress signed an amicus brief supporting our PRA lawsuit alongside @historians.org against the Trump administration. A separate amicus brief featured John Brennan, Gen. Michael Hayden, Susan Rice, James Clapper, Avril Haines, and other former natsec officials.
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Dylan Goforth @dmgoforth.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
New today from @readfrontier.bsky.social Polston was released after 73 days in prison. A new law bars people convicted of DUI causing great bodily injury from early release on GPS monitoring, and Polston argues the state can’t use it to send her back to prison.
readfrontier.org
Oklahoma changed its early-release law after Sara Polston’s release. Now she’s fighting it in court.
A new law bars people convicted of DUI causing great bodily injury from early release on GPS monitoring, and Polston argues the state can’t use it to send her back to prison.
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Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Norman’s homeless support services are being further strained with the loss of A Better Way, a program that sought to be an alternative to panhandling. ow.ly/ZbaG50ZFVPu
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Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
The fight over ESG and Oklahoma’s state investments continues at the $2 billion tobacco settlement trust. A TSET investment board member is questioning why subjective “Oklahoma values” get twice the weight of operations and risk management in a new RFP. #okgov #ESG ow.ly/ntG650ZGevN
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NonDoc @nondocmedia.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Two wrongful jail death lawsuits and a #Hugo Public Schools District settlement regarding child abuse have residents of #ChoctawCounty facing massive increases to their property tax bills. nondoc.com/2026/08/28/no-winner-cho…
nondoc.com
‘No winner’: Choctaw County property owners face tax hikes after 3 costly lawsuits
Property owners in Choctaw County are expected to see a significant increase in their property taxes following multi-million dollar lawsuits.
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Paul Monies @pmonies.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
NEW: The fight over #ESG and Oklahoma’s state investments continues at the $2 billion tobacco settlement trust. A TSET investment board member questions why subjective “Oklahoma values” get twice the weight of operations and risk management in a new RFP. oklahomawatch.org/2026/08/28/t... #okgov
oklahomawatch.org
TSET Investment Policy on Oklahoma Values Draws Legal Questions - Oklahoma Watch
A TSET board member challenged a new investment policy that weighs “Oklahoma values” and ESG factors in hiring money managers. A former attorney general said the policy could create legal risks, but t...
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Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Brenna Witchey breaks down an initiative aimed at curbing child substance abuse. Andrea Eger details key takeaways from a fact-check of the final GOP state superintendent debate. Keaton Ross examines recent political ad campaigns circulating in the race for governor. ow.ly/xVwy50ZFIRN
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Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Bolstered by a Trump endorsement and $11.9 million in personal loans, former state senator and financial planner Mike Mazzei secured the Republican nomination for governor over Attorney General Gentner Drummond. ow.ly/t1uR50ZFyEy
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Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Bolstered by a Trump endorsement and $11.9 million in personal loans, former state senator and financial planner Mike Mazzei secured the Republican nomination for governor over Attorney General Gentner Drummond. ow.ly/t1uR50ZFyEy
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Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
🗳️ The polls are officially CLOSED in Oklahoma! Now, the counting begins. Who will advance in the high-stakes gubernatorial runoff? And where will Oklahomans land on State Question 844 and 846? We are tracking the numbers. Visit the link for real-time results! ow.ly/YGyS50ZF9U2
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
An incredible story. The Iranian Christian woman who wrote “help” on the glass on the hotel in Panama has finally found permanent safety; in Canada. The Trump admin deported her to Panama soon after taking office, rather than let her seek asylum. Read her story 👇 www.nytimes.com/2026/08/25/w...
nytimes.com
Christian Convert Who Fled Iran and Was Deported By Trump Finds New Home (Gift Article)
Artemis Ghasemzadeh, who had escaped religious persecution, was deported to Panama under Trump’s immigration crackdown. Now, Canada has given her asylum.
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McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 24/08/2026
"Such a radical shakeup in learning has never happened before, as far as I know. Is there even a way to learn about whether or not something has happened before? A method or tradition for studying prior events? No, that’s impossible. That’s not in the modules." buff.ly/AGaHs7b
mcsweeneys.net
Our University Does Not Require Books, Paper, or Human Knowledge
“Such a radical shakeup in learning has never happened before, as far as I know. Is there even a way to learn about whether or not something has happened bef...
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Brandy Zadrozny @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
New reporting on the would-be State Department Files, which only showed (again) the Censorship Industrial Complex isn't real. “In the end, it’s not the greatest consolation on earth to find out that the people who wrecked 10 years of your work and your career are a bunch of galaxy-level dipshits.”
ms.now
The State Department promised proof of a censorship conspiracy. The plan backfired.
The State Department leaked documents to prove that officials were censoring conservative Americans. It outed a secret Pentagon employee instead.
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Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Oklahoma's state auditor flagged $25 million in questionable federal spending — including daycares paid for children who hadn't been born yet and a $6 million mental health facility that was never proven feasible. Brenna Witchey has the story. ow.ly/8w4V50ZF0ZG
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Oklahoma Watch @oklahomawatch.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Oklahomans head back to the ballot box. 🗳️ Whether you are tracking the GOP race for Governor or SQ 844 and SQ 846, we have you covered. As the polls close at 7 PM, head to the Oklahoma Watch home page to view the live results! oklahomawatch.org
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