Fact Briefs Archives - Oklahoma Watch https://oklahomawatch.org/category/fact-briefs/ No Favorites No Falsehoods No Fear Mon, 05 Jan 2026 16:51:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://oklahomawatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/okwatch-icon-100x100.png Fact Briefs Archives - Oklahoma Watch https://oklahomawatch.org/category/fact-briefs/ 32 32 168626729 Does the Bible say eliminating gender roles is ‘detrimental’ because it would put people ‘farther from God’s plan for humans’? https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/12/30/does-the-bible-say-eliminating-gender-roles-is-detrimental-because-it-would-put-people-farther-from-gods-plan-for-humans/ https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/12/30/does-the-bible-say-eliminating-gender-roles-is-detrimental-because-it-would-put-people-farther-from-gods-plan-for-humans/#respond Tue, 30 Dec 2025 15:36:38 +0000 https://oklahomawatch.org/?p=754131

No. While the Bible includes passages describing gendered roles within specific cultural and theological contexts, it does not explicitly say that eliminating gender roles is “detrimental” or that doing so is contrary to God.  Some, such as the University of Oklahoma student who recently received a zero on an essay in which she mentions the […]

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No. While the Bible includes passages describing gendered roles within specific cultural and theological contexts, it does not explicitly say that eliminating gender roles is “detrimental” or that doing so is contrary to God.  Some, such as the University of Oklahoma student who recently received a zero on an essay in which she mentions the [...]

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Are Oklahoma home insurance rates among the highest in the nation? https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/12/24/are-oklahoma-home-insurance-rates-among-the-highest-in-the-nation/ https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/12/24/are-oklahoma-home-insurance-rates-among-the-highest-in-the-nation/#respond Wed, 24 Dec 2025 16:00:00 +0000 https://oklahomawatch.org/?p=754033

Yes. Multiple sources consistently rank home insurance rates in Oklahoma as among the six most expensive, paying almost double the national average for $300,000 in dwelling coverage, according to a 2025 Bankrate report. Comparing the percentage of household income spent on homeowners insurance, Oklahoma’s 6.84% is significantly higher than both the averages of its neighboring […]

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Yes. Multiple sources consistently rank home insurance rates in Oklahoma as among the six most expensive, paying almost double the national average for $300,000 in dwelling coverage, according to a 2025 Bankrate report. Comparing the percentage of household income spent on homeowners insurance, Oklahoma’s 6.84% is significantly higher than both the averages of its neighboring [...]

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Are older men in the United States dying at higher rates of gun suicide? https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/12/17/are-older-men-in-the-united-states-dying-at-higher-rates-of-gun-suicide/ https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/12/17/are-older-men-in-the-united-states-dying-at-higher-rates-of-gun-suicide/#respond Wed, 17 Dec 2025 20:00:00 +0000 https://oklahomawatch.org/?p=753660

Yes. An analysis of CDC mortality data from 2009 to 2023 found that suicide rates for Americans 70 and older were higher than any other age group. These rates have been on the rise and were particularly high regarding gun suicide among older men, claiming more lives than car crashes.   From 2018 to 2023, American […]

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Yes. An analysis of CDC mortality data from 2009 to 2023 found that suicide rates for Americans 70 and older were higher than any other age group. These rates have been on the rise and were particularly high regarding gun suicide among older men, claiming more lives than car crashes.   From 2018 to 2023, American [...]

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Were grocery and convenience stores in Oklahoma prohibited from selling beverages above 3.2 percent alcohol content before 2016? https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/12/10/were-grocery-and-convenience-stores-in-oklahoma-prohibited-from-selling-beverages-above-3-2-percent-alcohol-content-before-2016/ https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/12/10/were-grocery-and-convenience-stores-in-oklahoma-prohibited-from-selling-beverages-above-3-2-percent-alcohol-content-before-2016/#respond Wed, 10 Dec 2025 20:00:00 +0000 https://oklahomawatch.org/?p=753652

Yes. State Question 792, passed in 2016 and effective since 2018, altered many of Oklahoma’s alcohol laws by allowing grocery and convenience stores to sell high-point beer and wine with alcohol beverage volumes up to 8.99% and 15%, respectively, among other adjustments.  Prior to SQ 792 and its companion, Senate Bill 383, grocery and convenience […]

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Yes. State Question 792, passed in 2016 and effective since 2018, altered many of Oklahoma’s alcohol laws by allowing grocery and convenience stores to sell high-point beer and wine with alcohol beverage volumes up to 8.99% and 15%, respectively, among other adjustments.  Prior to SQ 792 and its companion, Senate Bill 383, grocery and convenience [...]

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Did a Confederate flag fly on Oklahoma Capitol grounds until 1988? https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/12/02/did-a-confederate-flag-fly-on-oklahoma-capitol-grounds-until-1988/ https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/12/02/did-a-confederate-flag-fly-on-oklahoma-capitol-grounds-until-1988/#respond Wed, 03 Dec 2025 02:04:16 +0000 https://oklahomawatch.org/?p=753466

Yes. From 1966 to 1988, the Confederate flag was included in the 14 Flags Plaza at the south entrance of the Oklahoma Capitol, which exhibited the flags that had flown over the state from 1541 to 1925. The display also included the Choctaw flag, the Texas flag, and the flags of foreign nations including Spain, […]

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Yes. From 1966 to 1988, the Confederate flag was included in the 14 Flags Plaza at the south entrance of the Oklahoma Capitol, which exhibited the flags that had flown over the state from 1541 to 1925. The display also included the Choctaw flag, the Texas flag, and the flags of foreign nations including Spain, [...]

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Did fentanyl and drug overdoses claim more American lives in 2024 than the Vietnam War, as Sen. Mullin claimed? https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/11/28/did-fentanyl-and-drug-overdoses-claim-more-lives-in-2024-than-the-vietnam-war-as-sen-mullin-claimed/ https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/11/28/did-fentanyl-and-drug-overdoses-claim-more-lives-in-2024-than-the-vietnam-war-as-sen-mullin-claimed/#respond Fri, 28 Nov 2025 16:39:00 +0000 https://oklahomawatch.org/?p=753307

Yes. According to the CDC, the number of drug overdose deaths in the United States from January 2024 to January 2025 is almost 1.4 times greater than the 58,220 American military casualties during the Vietnam War, though the number of deaths caused by opioids such as fentanyl is comparable at 53,206.  When taking into account […]

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Yes. According to the CDC, the number of drug overdose deaths in the United States from January 2024 to January 2025 is almost 1.4 times greater than the 58,220 American military casualties during the Vietnam War, though the number of deaths caused by opioids such as fentanyl is comparable at 53,206.  When taking into account [...]

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Are Oklahoma lawmakers pursuing the criminalization of parents who travel out of state seeking gender-affirming care for their children? https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/11/17/are-oklahoma-lawmakers-pursuing-the-criminalization-of-parents-who-travel-out-of-state-seeking-gender-affirming-care-for-their-children/ https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/11/17/are-oklahoma-lawmakers-pursuing-the-criminalization-of-parents-who-travel-out-of-state-seeking-gender-affirming-care-for-their-children/#respond Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:12:11 +0000 https://oklahomawatch.org/?p=753027

No. While the 2023 signing of SB 613, recently upheld by a federal court, prohibits most forms of gender-affirming care for minors in Oklahoma, the law does not ban traveling out of state for gender-affirming care. Though Oklahoma lawmakers could propose such laws in the future, they would almost certainly face significant constitutional barriers, including […]

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No. While the 2023 signing of SB 613, recently upheld by a federal court, prohibits most forms of gender-affirming care for minors in Oklahoma, the law does not ban traveling out of state for gender-affirming care. Though Oklahoma lawmakers could propose such laws in the future, they would almost certainly face significant constitutional barriers, including [...]

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Was Oklahoma’s constitution the most socialist in America when it was ratified? https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/11/12/was-oklahomas-constitution-the-most-socialist-in-america-when-it-was-ratified/ https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/11/12/was-oklahomas-constitution-the-most-socialist-in-america-when-it-was-ratified/#respond Wed, 12 Nov 2025 17:22:20 +0000 https://oklahomawatch.org/?p=752866

No. Though not strictly socialist, Oklahoma’s 1907 constitution, which incorporated many progressive era reforms and used the 1905 Sequoyah Constitution as a framework, was considered to be the most progressive of its time The growth and distrust of large corporations and monopolies during the turn of the 20th century led to the rise of the […]

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No. Though not strictly socialist, Oklahoma’s 1907 constitution, which incorporated many progressive era reforms and used the 1905 Sequoyah Constitution as a framework, was considered to be the most progressive of its time The growth and distrust of large corporations and monopolies during the turn of the 20th century led to the rise of the [...]

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Has the Oklahoma state government been a Republican trifecta for the past fourteen years? https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/11/07/has-the-oklahoma-state-government-been-a-republican-trifecta-for-the-past-fourteen-years/ https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/11/07/has-the-oklahoma-state-government-been-a-republican-trifecta-for-the-past-fourteen-years/#respond Fri, 07 Nov 2025 15:36:07 +0000 https://oklahomawatch.org/?p=752660

Yes. The Republican Party has held control of the governorship and both branches of the legislature in Oklahoma since 2011, as well as in Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wyoming. Starting in 2011, more states had Republican trifectas than had Democratic trifectas or divided governments. That was a break from the prior trend, which […]

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Yes. The Republican Party has held control of the governorship and both branches of the legislature in Oklahoma since 2011, as well as in Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wyoming. Starting in 2011, more states had Republican trifectas than had Democratic trifectas or divided governments. That was a break from the prior trend, which [...]

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Is Tulsa among the most ozone-polluted metropolitan areas in the country? https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/11/04/is-tulsa-among-the-most-ozone-polluted-metropolitan-areas-in-the-country/ https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/11/04/is-tulsa-among-the-most-ozone-polluted-metropolitan-areas-in-the-country/#respond Tue, 04 Nov 2025 17:00:00 +0000 https://oklahomawatch.org/?p=752155

Yes. Using data from the EPA, the American Lung Association’s 2025 State of the Air report ranked the Tulsa-Bartlesville-Muskogee metropolitan area at No.19 out of 228 areas for high ozone, and among the top 40% for air particle pollution.   Both the Tulsa-Bartlesville-Muskogee and Oklahoma City-Shawnee areas received failing scores for high ozone days, as an […]

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Yes. Using data from the EPA, the American Lung Association’s 2025 State of the Air report ranked the Tulsa-Bartlesville-Muskogee metropolitan area at No.19 out of 228 areas for high ozone, and among the top 40% for air particle pollution.   Both the Tulsa-Bartlesville-Muskogee and Oklahoma City-Shawnee areas received failing scores for high ozone days, as an [...]

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