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
February 8, 2017 // Updated: February 9, 2017
CONTACT: David Blatt, Executive Director, Oklahoma Policy Institute, 918-794-3944
Obscure, fast-track law would stop CFPB prepaid card rule, impacting more than 200,000 Oklahoma households.
Tulsa, OK – February 7, 2017 – Today, Oklahoma Policy Institute called on U.S. Senator James… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
February 6, 2017 // Updated: May 1, 2019
Today is the first day of the 2017 legislative session. Governor Mary Fallin will kick things off with her State of the State address in the House chambers beginning at noon. You can follow her speech online here. Governor Fallin… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
January 3, 2017 // Updated: May 1, 2019
In late December, the State Equalization Board met and approved a preliminary estimate of state revenues for the upcoming budget year, FY 2018. This estimate will be the basis of Governor Fallin’s Executive Budget, to be released on the first day… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
December 27, 2016 // Updated: December 27, 2016
At this time of year, lots of terrific organizations are offering you compelling reasons to donate to them. We have developed a contrarian tradition of trying to convince you why you should NOT donate to OK Policy. Here are five… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
December 21, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Oklahoma Policy Institute issued the following statement after the State Equalization Board certified $869 million less for next year’s budget than this year’s authorized budget:
As we enter the holiday season, Oklahomans today learned that the state faces a budget… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
December 13, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019
As Oklahoma’s 2017 legislative session approaches, the combination of continued budget shortfalls at the state level and a new national Administration and Congress committed to far-reaching changes to critical programs have created an unprecedented level of uncertainty and apprehension. OK… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
December 8, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019
This time last year, Oklahoma was in the middle of a massive budget crisis. As revenues came in below projections, the state twice made across-the-board budget cuts that hit our schools, health care, roads, and other key building blocks of our… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
November 18, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Download this fact sheet as a pdf.
The state continues to face a dire budget outlook
Through the first four months of the current fiscal year, General Revenue collections have come in 1.8 percent below the estimate and 8.7 percent… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
November 14, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019
While most of the attention in Oklahoma last week focused on the geological earthquake that shook the state and the political earthquake that shook the nation, the state election results got less detailed coverage. Here are a few of our… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
November 7, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019
With Election Day tomorrow, many of us are busily getting prepared to exercise one of our basic civic rights by attending candidate forums, poring over election guides, studying the seven state ballot measures, and reviewing sample ballots. But many Oklahomans… Read more [More...]