Recent Articles

Oklahoma needs more primary care physicians, but we’re still putting up barriers (Guest post: JeVonna Caine)

JeVonna Caine, one of OK Policy’s 2013-14 Research Fellows, is pursuing a Masters of Public Health in Health Administration and Policy from the OU Health Sciences Center, while also working at the State Department of Health in the Health Planning… Read more [More...]

The debate on e-cigarettes lights up (Guest Post: Breanca Thomas)

Breanca Thomas is a PhD student in Health Promotion Sciences in the College of Public Health at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and a 2013-14 OK Policy Research Fellow. She intends to pursue a research career focusing on… Read more [More...]

A better way to understand and improve school performance (Guest Post: Ryan Miskell)

Ryan Miskell is an OK Policy Research Fellow and a research associate with the Oklahoma Center for Education Policy. He is working on his Ph.D. in Education Leadership and Policy Studies from The University of Oklahoma. Oklahoma, like most states,… Read more [More...]

Everyone contributes, everyone benefits (Guest post: Howard Koerth)

Howard Koerth is an artist and Professor of Art at Rose State College in Midwest City. An earlier version of this post appeared as a letter in the Oklahoma Gazette. Taxes in our society operate like a pot luck dinner;… Read more [More...]

Shedding some sunlight on Oklahoma’s new solar and wind energy law (Guest Post: David Ocamb and Whitney Pearson)

David Ocamb is the Sierra Club, Oklahoma Chapter Director and registered lobbyist.  Whitney Pearson is the Associate Organizing Representative for the Beyond Coal Campaign in Oklahoma.  Governor Fallin recently signed into law SB 1456, which repeals the prohibition against utilities… Read more [More...]

Education rallies, then and now (Guest Post: Steve Lewis)

Steve Lewis served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1989-1991 during the time of HB 1017. He currently practices law in Tulsa. I don’t know how much was accomplished by the education rally at the Capitol last week,… Read more [More...]

Let’s have full accountability for tax cuts (Guest Post: Kent Olson)

Kent Olson is Professor of Economics Emeritus at Oklahoma State University Over the past decade, the Oklahoma legislature enacted several measures that reduced the top bracket rate of the individual income tax from 7 percent to 5.25 percent, and more… Read more [More...]

Tax cut experiment leaves Kansans struggling (Guest post: Annie McKay)

Annie McKay is Executive Director of the Kansas Center for Economic Growth (KCEG). This post previously appeared on the KCEG blog. Ever since Kansas enacted substantial income tax cuts in 2012 and 2013, we have eagerly awaited the prosperity and… Read more [More...]

Virtual Symposium on Rural Health and Poverty

Some of the highest poverty rates and least access to health care  in Oklahoma can be found in the state’s rural counties. Recently, we asked a group of Oklahomans with longstanding expertise on rural issues to respond in 400 words… Read more [More...]

Do cuts in state income taxes boost economic growth? (Guest Post: Dan Rickman)

Dan Rickman is Regents Professor of Economics and Oklahoma Gas and Electric Services Chair in Regional Economic Analysis at Oklahoma State University. This is a revised version of a brief published by the Scholars Strategy Network, of which he is… Read more [More...]