For Immediate Release: January 11, 2011

Contact:
Michelle Lee 202-232-1616 x 210 or mlee@goodjobsfirst.org
Gene Perry 918-794-3944 or gperry@okpolicy.org

December 14, 2011--States are spending billions of dollars per year on corporate tax credits, cash grants and other economic development subsidies that often require little if any job creation and lack wage and benefit standards covering workers at subsidized companies.

For Immediate Release: December 7, 2011

Contact:
Anne Singer, 202-299-1066, ext. 27, anne@ctj.org
David Blatt, (918) 794-3944, dblatt@okpolicy.org

A comprehensive new study finds that many consistently profitable companies are paying little to no corporate income taxes on those profits. Out of 265 Fortune 500 companies examined, 68 managed to pay no state income tax in at least one out of the last three years, despite making almost $117 billion in pretax profits in those no-tax years.

Contact: David Blatt, Director

Office: (918) 794-3944; Cell: (918) 859-8747

OK Policy Forecasts Show Continued Tough Budget Times Ahead;

"Incomplete Recovery" Calls for Fresh Perspectives and New Strategies

Contact: David Blatt, Director

Office: (918) 794-3944; Cell: (918) 859-8747

New Report Finds State Costs Under Health Care Reform Are Likely to be Modest

Oklahoma Policy Institute released the following statement in response to Governor Fallin's announcement of her plan for repairing Oklahoma bridges:

We welcome Governor Fallin's focus on fixing Oklahoma's crumbling bridges. However, we must note that her proposal would be paid for entirely by diverting more income tax revenues from an already cash-strapped state budget. At the same time, Governor Fallin and other state leaders are promoting further cuts or outright abolition of the income tax. This should remind us that the income tax remains vital for funding Oklahoma's needs and that we cannot meet our obligations to pay our bills while undermining our revenue base.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- September 28, 2011

Contact: David Blatt, dblatt@okpolicy.org, (918) 859-8747

Oklahoma Policy Institute finds that task force's income tax proposal would do lasting damage to state's prosperity 

A new report on economic development prepared for Governor Fallin includes some worthwhile ideas, but its suggestions on tax policy would do serious harm to the state's economy, according to the Oklahoma Policy Institute, a state policy think-tank.  The report calls for doing away with the state income tax in favor of heavier sales and property taxes and funding cuts.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 25, 2011
Contact:

• David Blatt, dblatt@okpolicy.org, (918) 794-3944
• Shannon Moriarty, smoriarty@faireconomy.org, (617) 824-0069

United for a Fair Economy Releases Flip It to Fix It: An Immediate, Fair Solution to State Budget Shortfalls, Documents Current Regressive State Tax Structures
 
A new study has found that inverting state tax structures—whereby the highest income earners would be taxed at the current percentage of income for the lowest income earners, and vice versa—would raise more than $4 billion in new revenue for Oklahoma (a 35 percent increase), immediately eliminating state budget shortfalls and avoiding the serious consequences of budget cuts.

Oklahoma’s Economy Grows, Spending on Public Services Lags

(Tulsa, March 1, 2011): A new fact sheet released today by Oklahoma Policy Institute reveals that the state appropriated budget in relation to the size of the state's economy has been in long-term decline and this decline has accelerated sharply in recent years.  2011 marks the lowest percentage of state appropriated spending as a share of personal earnings in thirty years.  {C}

Contact: David Blatt, Director

Office: (918) 794-3944

dblatt@okpolicy.org

New Issue Brief Calls for Fixing Oklahoma's Sales Tax;

Exemptions and Loopholes Are Distorting Economy, Starving Public Services 

 (Tulsa, February 22):  Reform of Oklahoma's sales tax is needed to support state and local services and to ensure fairness for Oklahoma businesses, according to a new issue brief from Oklahoma Policy Institute.