OKPOLICY.ORG
What’s up this week at Oklahoma Policy Institute? The Weekly Wonk is dedicated to this week’s events, publications, and blog posts.
This week Oklahoma Policy Institute Director David Blatt released a statement in response to Governor Fallin’s plan to eliminate the income tax. Our work on the income tax proposal was cited by KRMG, The Edmond Sun, StateImpact OK, and The Associated Press. The Oklahoma Gazette featured OK Policy in a cover story about the income tax debate in Oklahoma. The OK Policy Blog pointed out that Gov. Fallin’s state of the state address acknowledged our urgent unmet needs but was ambivalent about how to pay for them.
Also this week, we released our updated 2012 Legislative Primer explaining how state government and the legislative process works. We explained how the Affordable Care Act will reduce the number of uninsured in Oklahoma by 57 percent and reduce uncompensated care by 69 percent. In search of comic relief, we highlighted the bills filed this session that deserve a spot on the blooper reel. Lastly, we provided details on an upcoming event that will bring to light some of the challenges facing children whose mothers are incarcerated as well as share an innovative model for keeping families connected.
- 40th – Oklahoma’s national rank for state and local taxes paid as a percentage of personal income.
- $525.39 – Average savings on Rx drugs per Oklahoma Medicare beneficiary in 2011 because of changes made by the new health care law.
- 3.3 percent – Number of births in Oklahoma attended by nurse-midwives, 1,827 babies in 2007
- 117 – Number of Oklahomans killed to date by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- $5.22 – Amount of money the state saves over five years for every $1 it invests in public health prevention programs to curb obesity, inactivity, and smoking.
In The Know, Policy Notes
- President Obama is proposing performance-based funding for colleges and universities to rewards schools that keep tuition low.
- Governing Magazine discusses the crucial choice states face over essential health benefits as the Affordable Care Act is implemented.
- The Fact Checker blog explains why an anti-union claim made in a Super Bowl was total nonsense.
- PolicyLink looks at the disproportionate impact of foreclosures on low-income people and communities of color and lifts up innovative local approaches to assist homeowners.
- The National Academy of State Health Policy (NASHP) spotlighted an Oklahoma program that uses cutting edge technology to improve care coordination for children with or at risk for developmental delays.
