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In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. OK Policy encourages the support of Oklahoma’s state and local media, which are vital to an informed citizenry. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Some stories included here are behind paywall or require subscription. Subscribe to In The Know and see past editions.
New from OK Policy
Policy Matters: Oklahoma can bring dark money into the light: Oklahoma voters this election cycle have been bombarded with outrageous political mailers, turning elections into a contest of sensational attacks — and it’s time we demand something simple: if someone spends thousands to influence our votes, we deserve to know who’s paying for it. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record]
Oklahoma News
Oklahoma sees uptick in voter turnout for 2026 runoff elections: Major races for statewide offices, plus two state questions, attracted higher-than-usual voter turnout for Tuesday’s runoff elections. Nonpartisan state questions, open to voters of any party, received the greatest number of votes Tuesday. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Low turnout remains a staple for Oklahoma’s August elections. See how state and local races fared [Tulsa Flyer]
- Turnout for Tulsa City Council elections remains low [Tulsa World]
Citing 56-year delay, Stitt seeks April vote on Oklahoma constitutional convention: The Oklahoma Constitution specifies that voters should be asked every 20 years whether to hold a constitutional convention, a question that has not appeared on state ballots since 1970. After a proposal to comply with the requirement passed the House but stalled in the Senate this spring, Gov. Kevin Stitt issued an executive proclamation late Tuesday — before runoff polls closed — to set an April 6, 2027, election on the issue. [NonDoc]
- Stitt move creating Oklahoma ballot measure is illegal, critics say [Oklahoma Voice]
- Stitt calls on Oklahoma voters to decide if they want a constitutional convention [KOSU]
- Gov. Stitt calls special election for constitutional convention [KFOR]
- Opinion: Oklahomans deserve right to decide on constitutional convention [Caedmon Brooks / The Oklahoman]
State Government News
Oklahoma to receive $235 million in Meta teen safety settlement: In a case claiming the company knowingly exposed children to serious mental harm, Oklahoma and several other states have reached a settlement with social media giant Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. [The Oklahoman]
- Meta to pay 47 states up to $17.1B in landmark child safety settlement [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma to receive over $230 million in Meta settlement [KOSU]
- Meta agrees to $235 million settlement in Oklahoma to add child safety limits on Facebook, Instagram [KOCO]
Long Story Short: Youth Prevention, Debating Education and Governor Ad Blitz (podcast): Breaking down a new state initiative aimed at curbing childhood substance abuse, detailing key takeaways from a fact-check of the final GOP state superintendent runoff debate, and examining recent political ad campaigns circulating in the race for governor. [Oklahoma Watch]
Federal Government News
Active court order still blocking Trump effort to restrict vote-by-mail: The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed a procedural victory to President Donald Trump on an executive order to curb mail-in voting, but the administration is still fighting a separate ruling that limits a portion of the order and remains in effect — complicating the administration’s temporary win. [Oklahoma Voice]
The Trump administration is shifting funding for HIV prevention. Vulnerable Oklahomans could suffer: Direct funding to community-based organizations will not be renewed for the first time in several decades. Instead, the CDC has made supplemental funding for HIV prevention available to state and local health departments. Eligible applicants are encouraged to support community-based organizations, but it isn’t mandatory. [OPMX & StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
Tribal Nations News
How a Chickasaw composer is tackling language revitalization through classical music: Jerod Tate, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, began composing more than three decades ago. One of his latest works, Ko’koom’fena, is sung entirely in the Shawnee language. [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
Trump loomed in OK governor’s race, but voters largely swung moderate: While the night’s headline race was a squeaker, voters delivered decisive decisions up and down the ballot, including a rejection of more lawmaker control over school funding and nominating an experienced Republican educator to lead the state’s school system over a Ryan Walters-like challenger. Voters also booted far-right incumbents from a couple of state legislative seats. [The Oklahoman]
- ‘He needed all of it’: How Mike Mazzei’s millions helped deliver a narrow victory [The Frontier]
- Tense Oklahoma GOP governor race ends with Trump’s pick advancing [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma Senate could be less divided after Freedom Caucus losses [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma voters oust two incumbent Senate Republicans. Third lawmaker barely advances [Oklahoma Voice]
- Education Watch: Franklin Wins GOP Runoff for Superintendent [Oklahoma Watch]
Editorial: Let’s choose a governor for Oklahoma, not a political party: Most of us have experienced complicated and frustrating issues with one electronic device or another. At some point it’s just relaxing and refreshing to push the reset button. And after a long primary election process featuring a highly contentious battle between Republican candidates for governor, it is time to clear the screen for the general election ahead. [The Oklahoman Editorial Board]
Justice System News
Another pastor appointed to OK County Criminal Justice Authority: The nine-member Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority has nine members again, another northeast OKC pastor. [The Oklahoman]
Man sentenced to prison for fatal shooting in Tulsa: A man who shot two people in 2025 in Tulsa, killing one, has been sentenced to prison. [Tulsa World]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
“It Literally Saved My Life”: Norman’s A Better Way Program Will Be Shut Down: The city of Norman sought new funding from the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office to continue A Better Way, a project intended as an alternative to panhandling. The request was ultimately denied. The project is now being shut down at the end of August, further strangling Norman’s homeless support services as the crisis deepens. [Oklahoma Watch]
Local Headlines
- Voters approve funding measures in Creek, Ottawa counties and Bixby [Tulsa World]
- Tulsa City Council’s District 9 expects a lot. Pete Regan says he’s ready to listen [Tulsa Flyer]
- Norman City Council rejects resolution in support of OTA interchanges [KOSU]
- Large water leak creates headaches in El Reno [KOSU]
Quote of the Day
“Voting means equality for everybody. If you don’t vote, you don’t have no say.”
– Ora Lee Williams, a Tulsa voter, sharing why she makes a point to vote in every election. [Tulsa Flyer]
Number of the Day
535,545
The number of Oklahomans who voted on State Question 846 on Tuesday. About 7,000 fewer voted on SQ 844, even though both questions appeared on the same ballot. While the state questions drew the most votes on the ballot, turnout was nearly 100,000 lower than it was for State Question 832 in June, continuing the trend of lower participation in runoff elections. [Oklahoma State Election Board]
Policy Note
Low Turnout and High Cost in primary runoffs, 1994-2024: Primary runoffs are used in 10 states when no candidate meets a required vote threshold, but they consistently draw far fewer voters than the first round. Since 1994, 97 percent of congressional runoffs have had lower turnout, and 2024 saw the steepest decline yet, with a median 63 percent fewer voters participating. Runoffs also cost taxpayers millions, often produce winners who receive fewer votes than they did in the initial election, and can encourage more negative campaigning. Ranked-choice voting has been presented as an alternative that determines majority preferences in one higher-turnout election. [FairVote]
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