By Ron Jenkins

Associated Press Writer

Oklahoma lawmakers left virtually no money on the table for emergencies as they spent $12 million on various projects and programs before adjourning the 2008 legislative session.

by: ANGEL RIGGS World Capitol Bureau

OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma's standstill budget for the upcoming fiscal year will likely impact the state's ability to fund services and programs, according to a study released Wednesday by the Oklahoma Policy Institute.

Most state agencies didn't receive any increase in state funding, despite increased fuel, utility and benefits costs, nor did they receive much direction from lawmakers on how to cope with the increases, according to the study.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A combination of a flat state budget and rising costs assures cuts in state services this year, according to a new report by the Oklahoma Policy Institute.

A $7.1 billion general appropriations bill adopted by the recently adjourned Legislature was billed as a "maintenance-of-effort" budget.

But the report says cuts in some services are inevitable because the budget did not include enough money for most agencies to cover steep rates of inflation for basic operations.

by: World Editorial Writers

State's poor face more suffering

Link to the Podcast of the Dr. Bruce Prescott's 5-11-08 "Religious Talk" radio interview with David Blatt, Director of Policy for the Oklahoma Policy Institute. The interview discusses OK Policy's first issue brief "On the Brink". (.pdf)

by: ANGEL RIGGS World Capitol Bureau

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Not all Oklahomans are benefiting from the state's strong economy, and some could face severe hardship should national trends emerge in the state, according to a study released Tuesday by the Oklahoma Policy Institute.

"If we do hit the downturn, there's going to be a segment of the population that really doesn't have notches left in their belts to tighten," said David Blatt, the institute's director of public policy.

By Michael McNutt
Capitol Bureau

The state's economy continues to be robust, but low- and middle-income households in the state aren't faring as well because of stagnant wages and rising fuel, food and health care costs, a study released Tuesday shows.

The benefits of Oklahoma's solid economic growth, fueled by the oil and gas industry, aren't reaching many low- and middle-income households, according to a report from the Oklahoma Policy Institute.

OKLAHOMA CITY - An increasing number of Oklahoma families are already suffering difficult economic times, with poverty rates rising as costs go up for necessities, a report said Tuesday.

Tough times many families are having come despite an Oklahoma economy that continues to perform much better than most of the rest of the county.

The Oklahoma Policy Institute's On the Brink report points to a 2-percent increase in Oklahoma's poverty rate for the period of 2005 and 2006.

By Don Mecoy
Business Writer

The average cost of Oklahoma families' insurance premiums jumped 50 percent from 2001 to 2005, while those families' median income rose just 5 percent over the same period.

Oklahoma registered the largest increase in health insurance costs among the 50 states during the four-year period, according to the report issued Tuesday by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation in conjunction with "Cover the Uninsured Week."

by: KIM ARCHER World Staff Writer

Oklahoma family insurance premiums increased a staggering 50 percent between 2001 and 2005, while income remained near flat during that period, according to a study being released Tuesday from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

"Families are being increasingly squeezed between stagnant incomes and rapidly rising costs," said David Blatt, director of policy for the Oklahoma Policy Institute.