Recent Articles

Too Far from Top Ten: Oklahoma Ranks 46th in 2024 KIDS COUNT® Data Book as OK Policy Urges Legislators to Invest in Children

For the 2024 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, Oklahoma ranked 46th overall for child well-being. The data show Oklahoma leaders must do more to position Oklahoma children and families for success. [More...]

2024 Legislative Wrap-ups

Welcome to the Oklahoma Policy Institute’s annual legislative session wrap-up. Each year, we provide comprehensive summaries for each of our key policy areas. Learn about the major legislation introduced during the 2024 regular session with clear insights into the latest… Read more [More...]

We’re hiring for two positions: Development Associate and Administrative & Office Coordinator (May 2024)

OK Policy is now hiring for a Development Associate and an Administrative and Office Coordinator. Deadline to apply is May 20, 2024. [More...]

Lengthening the eviction timeline will increase access to justice for Oklahoma renters (SB 1575)

Extending the eviction timeline in Oklahoma will help tenants exercise their legal rights and prevent housing instability and homelessness. [More...]

Nex Benedict’s death shows policy failures, harms from inaction (Commentary)

The recent death of Nex Benedict — a nonbinary student from Owasso High School who died a day after a confrontation with bullies — has garnered worldwide attention because advocates have been warning that the recent uptick in hateful anti-2SLQBTQ+ laws would create an atmosphere where people could be hurt or killed. Year over year, bills targeting transgender individuals have surged across the country, particularly in Oklahoma which leads the nation in such measures. [More...]

Statement: Elimination of grocery sales tax is far too little support for low- and middle-income families

While elimination of the state portion of the grocery sales tax provides a measure of financial relief to some Oklahomans, it’s far too little support for our low - and middle-income families and seniors who need it most.  [More...]

Statement: Eliminating the state portion of grocery sales tax isn’t the most effective way to deliver fiscal relief

Given available options, eliminating the state portion of the sales tax on groceries is neither fiscally responsible nor the most effective way to put money back in pockets of everyday Oklahomans. [More...]

Statement regarding the governor’s latest call for special session (Jan 2024)

On Tuesday, the governor issued a call for a special session on Jan. 29, asking lawmakers to pass a .25-percent cut to the state’s personal income tax.   Statement from the Oklahoma Policy Institute:  Instead of grandstanding with yet another… Read more [More...]

New national study shows Oklahoma’s tax system worsens inequality, among the nation’s most unfair

Oklahoma’s tax system is upside-down, with everyday Oklahomans paying a far greater share of their income in taxes than wealthy residents. Proposals to eliminate the state’s income tax would widen this disparity, according to the latest edition of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy’s Who Pays?, the only distributional analysis of tax systems in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. [More...]

Join our team as a Senior Policy Analyst for Fiscal Policy

UPDATE: This search has closed. # # # The Oklahoma Policy Institute is currently hiring for:  Senior Policy Analyst, Fiscal Policy Our Senior Policy Analyst supports OK Policy through policy staff supervision and development, and nonpartisan research and analysis. This… Read more [More...]