Aanahita Irani Ervin joined OK Policy Institute as a Fiscal Policy Analyst in May 2024. She calls Oklahoma City and Mumbai, India home having been raised in both cities. She earned her undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 2022 and her Master of Public Policy from the Sanford School at Duke University in 2024. She began her policy journey wanting to merge science with policy to help address climate change. She soon realized her wide array of interests in criminal justice reform to food insecurity and how they are inextricably linked to poverty. Fiscal policy undergirds all policies because without financial backing, policies have no power. Aanahita is excited to use her skills to positively transform Oklahoma’s fiscal policy landscape to better serve everyday Oklahomans. When not working, she enjoys admiring Oklahoma’s sunsets, cooking meals, and taking rejuvenating naps.
By: Aanahita Ervin
May 10, 2025 // Updated: May 10, 2025
Automatic triggered tax cuts provide little to no financial relief for low- and middle-income families, jeopardize the state's fiscal health, and limit investment in Oklahoma's already underfunded public services. [More...]
By: Aanahita Ervin
April 24, 2025 // Updated: April 24, 2025
For a deeper look at Oklahoma’s budget process, check out our 2022 report Focus on Transparency
Oklahoma historically has had one of the nation’s least transparent budget processes. In recent years, the handful of senior lawmakers assembling the budget bills… Read more [More...]
By: Aanahita Ervin
April 22, 2025 // Updated: April 22, 2025
• Contact your lawmaker now: Speak out against tax cuts that benefit the wealthy and risk critical services
Background: On Thursday, April 10, the Oklahoma State Senate rushed to pass House Bill 1539. HB 1539, authored by Rep. Mark Lepak,… Read more [More...]
By: Aanahita Ervin
March 24, 2025 // Updated: April 15, 2025
State-level budget and tax policy matters deeply for Oklahomans because it directly affects how the state can meet its obligations to our fellow residents. This includes shared services like public safety, education, transportation construction, workforce development, and other programs that… Read more [More...]
By: Aanahita Ervin
March 3, 2025 // Updated: March 3, 2025
Income tax is a necessary revenue source for Oklahoma’s fiscal health. Reducing or eliminating income taxes provides almost no relief for the segment of Oklahoma’s population who needs it most: low- and middle-class taxpayers. In fact, the elimination of income… Read more [More...]
By: Aanahita Ervin
February 14, 2025 // Updated: February 14, 2025
The Board of Equalization on Friday certified an $8.273 billion estimate in General Revenue collections for the Legislature to appropriate in Fiscal Year 2026. This is a decrease of $311 million, or about 3.6 percent, from last year’s February estimate, which sets the maximum amount the Legislature can appropriate for the upcoming fiscal year. [More...]
By: Aanahita Ervin
December 20, 2024 // Updated: December 20, 2024
Statement from Aanahita Ervin, OK Policy’s Fiscal Policy Analyst:
The Board of Equalization on Friday certified an $8.225 billion estimate of funds for the governor’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal. Given this is an early estimate, lawmakers should not view… Read more [More...]
By: Aanahita Ervin
October 25, 2024 // Updated: October 26, 2024
OK Policy’s Fiscal Policy Analyst Aanahita Ervin spoke with lawmakers about how modernizing the state’s Sales Tax Relief Credit can benefit low- and moderate-income families. Ervin spoke during an Oct. 23, 2024, interim study in the Oklahoma House focused on… Read more [More...]
OK Policy’s Fiscal Policy Analyst Aanahita Ervin spoke with lawmakers about the state’s Sales Tax Relief Credit, which provides targeted fiscal relief to low- and moderate-income families. The Sales Tax Relief Credit has been on the books since 1990, but… Read more [More...]
By: Aanahita Ervin
October 14, 2024 // Updated: October 15, 2024
Targeted tax credits can be used as a tool to fight poverty in Oklahoma. The tax system is a critical part of the safety net with more than a third of all public support for U.S. families delivered through tax provisions. Hence, tax credits can drastically decrease poverty. [More...]
OKPOLICY.ORG
Automatic triggered tax cuts provide little to no financial relief for low- and middle-income families, jeopardize the state's fiscal health, and limit investment in Oklahoma's already underfunded public services. [More...]
For a deeper look at Oklahoma’s budget process, check out our 2022 report Focus on Transparency
Oklahoma historically has had one of the nation’s least transparent budget processes. In recent years, the handful of senior lawmakers assembling the budget bills… Read more [More...]
• Contact your lawmaker now: Speak out against tax cuts that benefit the wealthy and risk critical services
Background: On Thursday, April 10, the Oklahoma State Senate rushed to pass House Bill 1539. HB 1539, authored by Rep. Mark Lepak,… Read more [More...]
State-level budget and tax policy matters deeply for Oklahomans because it directly affects how the state can meet its obligations to our fellow residents. This includes shared services like public safety, education, transportation construction, workforce development, and other programs that… Read more [More...]
Income tax is a necessary revenue source for Oklahoma’s fiscal health. Reducing or eliminating income taxes provides almost no relief for the segment of Oklahoma’s population who needs it most: low- and middle-class taxpayers. In fact, the elimination of income… Read more [More...]
The Board of Equalization on Friday certified an $8.273 billion estimate in General Revenue collections for the Legislature to appropriate in Fiscal Year 2026. This is a decrease of $311 million, or about 3.6 percent, from last year’s February estimate, which sets the maximum amount the Legislature can appropriate for the upcoming fiscal year. [More...]
OK Policy’s Fiscal Policy Analyst Aanahita Ervin spoke with lawmakers about how modernizing the state’s Sales Tax Relief Credit can benefit low- and moderate-income families. Ervin spoke during an Oct. 23, 2024, interim study in the Oklahoma House focused on… Read more [More...]
OK Policy’s Fiscal Policy Analyst Aanahita Ervin spoke with lawmakers about the state’s Sales Tax Relief Credit, which provides targeted fiscal relief to low- and moderate-income families. The Sales Tax Relief Credit has been on the books since 1990, but… Read more [More...]
