Recent Articles

Report cites Oklahoma income tax-cut slash (Oklahoman)

By Ron Jenkins A think-tank that advocates for the poor says Oklahoma lawmakers would have had $400 million to $600 million more to spend on education and other programs the last two years if not for income tax cuts. The… Read more [More...]

Income Tax Cuts Have Dampened Oklahoma Revenues by $400-$600 Million; Top Rate Cut Primarily Benefits Wealthy

(Oklahoma City, Sept. 2, 2008) – Cuts in recent years to the individual income tax have decreased state revenues by several hundred million dollars, with most of the benefits going to the highest-income Oklahomans. These findings are contained in a… Read more [More...]

Fact Sheet: Oklahoma’s Tax Cuts: Who Benefits?

This fact sheet explores the distribution of benefits from the two largest tax cuts enacted in Oklahoma between 2004 and 2006, based on analysis conducted for OK Policy by the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy. Almost three-quarter of the… Read more [More...]

Fact Sheet: Income Tax Cuts Have Dampened Oklahoma Revenues by $400-$600 Million

Individual income tax collections over the last two state budget years grew by less than 1 percent. This miniscule growth, at a time of a strong state economy, reflects the impact of tax cuts enacted between 2004 and 2006. Analysis… Read more [More...]

Census Report Shows Progress on Poverty and Income, But Many Oklahomans “Left Off the Boat” of Prosperity

(Oklahoma City, August 26, 2008): Even while Oklahoma’s overall economy continued to prosper, 557,000 Oklahomans, or 15.9%, lived in poverty in 2007, according to newly-released figures from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. This is a decline from the… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma Poverty Profile 2007

New U.S. Census Bureau data revealed a drop in Oklahoma’s poverty rate in 2007 – from 17.0% to 15.9% – and a significant increase in median household income. While this showed that Oklahoma’s strong economy was finally providing benefits to… Read more [More...]

Fact Sheet: Transportation Funding Assured of Growth

Legislation passed on the final day of the 2008 session provides for major additional funding for state transportation projects over the coming years. This fact sheet looks at how the state’s transportation budget is projected to grow from $400 million… Read more [More...]

Forecast for State Funding Seems Cloudy (Tulsa World)

Original at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080529_16_A13_hMosta96503 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… Read more [More...]

Falling Flat: FY ’09 Budget Review

The 2008 Legislature approved a “maintenance-of-effort” budget that provides a mere 0.7% increase in appropriations for FY ’09 compared to FY ’08. However, as agencies grapple with rising operating costs and unfunded benefit increases, flat funding may fall short of… Read more [More...]

On the Brink: Oklahoma Families Are Already Facing Tough Times

Oklahoma’s economy continues to outperform the nation’s as a whole, yet many families are already caught in the financial pinch of stagnant wages and rising costs. This issue brief and the fact sheet explore the main factors contributing to the… Read more [More...]