Former Executive Director David Blatt joined OK Policy in 2008 and served as its Executive Director from 2010 to 2019. He previously served as Director of Public Policy for Community Action Project of Tulsa County and as a budget analyst for the Oklahoma State Senate. He has a Ph.D. in political science from Cornell University and a B.A. from the University of Alberta. David has been selected as Political Scientist of the Year by the Oklahoma Political Science Association, Local Social Justice Champion by the Dan Allen Center for Social Justice, and Public Citizen of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers.
By: David Blatt
April 27, 2015 // Updated: May 2, 2019
In today’s economy, a college education is more important for finding a good job and earning a decent income. Yet for children of low- and moderate-income families, the cost of higher education can be a substantial barrier to enrolling in… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
April 22, 2015 // Updated: May 2, 2019
One year ago, parents and educators organized a powerful campaign to amend a state law that would have automatically retained thousands of 3rd-grade children who failed a standardized reading test. In response, the Legislature passed a bill temporarily revising the… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
April 16, 2015 // Updated: May 2, 2019
It’s rare that Congress finds bipartisan consensus on important issues, but that happened last month when the House approved health care legislation that includes an extension of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Last night the bill was overwhelmingly… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
April 7, 2015 // Updated: May 2, 2019
As the Oklahoma Legislature enters the final months of session, state agencies and the populations they serve are bracing for another round of painful budget cuts. A stark example of the high stakes involved in this year’s budget shortfall is… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
March 30, 2015 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Note: This is an updated and expanded version of a column that ran in the Journal Record.
Faced with a $611 million budget shortfall, elected leaders have many tough decisions to make. But one decision should be easy: halting a… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
March 23, 2015 // Updated: May 2, 2019
There’s lots of talk at the Capitol this year about the need for greater scrutiny and control of tax incentives. As we’ve discussed, bills authored by the House Speaker and Senate Pro Tem would evaluate all incentives on a regular… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
March 10, 2015 // Updated: May 2, 2019
As Oklahoma faces a more than $600 million budget hole, state leaders have consistently said that “all options should be on the table.” With state services already straining from years of repeated cuts and flat funding, a balanced approach to… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
March 4, 2015 // Updated: May 2, 2019
How do you boost support for education in a year when the state faces a massive budget shortfall? Several bills to provide teacher pay raises have gained initial committee approval, but these bills are unlikely to make it into law… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
March 2, 2015 // Updated: September 15, 2024
Oklahoma levies excise taxes on gasoline and diesel of $0.20 per gallon. HB 1010xx in 2018 raised the fuel tax on gasoline by $0.03 per gallon and on diesel by $0.06. Fuel used by governments and Indian tribes is exempt… Read more [More...]
The Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety (ROADS) Fund is a fund of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) that was created by the Legislature in 2005 to ensure dedicated revenue for the maintenance and repair of state highway and… Read more [More...]
OKPOLICY.ORG
In today’s economy, a college education is more important for finding a good job and earning a decent income. Yet for children of low- and moderate-income families, the cost of higher education can be a substantial barrier to enrolling in… Read more [More...]
One year ago, parents and educators organized a powerful campaign to amend a state law that would have automatically retained thousands of 3rd-grade children who failed a standardized reading test. In response, the Legislature passed a bill temporarily revising the… Read more [More...]
It’s rare that Congress finds bipartisan consensus on important issues, but that happened last month when the House approved health care legislation that includes an extension of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Last night the bill was overwhelmingly… Read more [More...]
As the Oklahoma Legislature enters the final months of session, state agencies and the populations they serve are bracing for another round of painful budget cuts. A stark example of the high stakes involved in this year’s budget shortfall is… Read more [More...]
Note: This is an updated and expanded version of a column that ran in the Journal Record.
Faced with a $611 million budget shortfall, elected leaders have many tough decisions to make. But one decision should be easy: halting a… Read more [More...]
There’s lots of talk at the Capitol this year about the need for greater scrutiny and control of tax incentives. As we’ve discussed, bills authored by the House Speaker and Senate Pro Tem would evaluate all incentives on a regular… Read more [More...]
As Oklahoma faces a more than $600 million budget hole, state leaders have consistently said that “all options should be on the table.” With state services already straining from years of repeated cuts and flat funding, a balanced approach to… Read more [More...]
How do you boost support for education in a year when the state faces a massive budget shortfall? Several bills to provide teacher pay raises have gained initial committee approval, but these bills are unlikely to make it into law… Read more [More...]
