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
November 6, 2022 // Updated: September 1, 2024
The Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Act, passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Brad Henry in 2010, provides public funds for eligible children with disabilities to attend private schools.
Students are eligible to receive the scholarship… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
February 7, 2022 // Updated: July 25, 2023
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was a major piece of legislation passed by the U.S. Congress in March 2021 intended to provide support for families, businesses, and governments to help address the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The… Read more [More...]
The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) is an alternative measure of poverty, developed and reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, that is intended to provide a more thorough and accurate assessment of how much income a household needs to get by.… Read more [More...]
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the main measure of inflation in the United States and is used to assess price changes associated with the cost of living. The CPI, which is calculated and reported monthly by the U.S. Bureau… Read more [More...]
A health savings account, or HSA, is a type of savings account that lets enrollees set aside money on a pre-tax basis to pay for qualified medical expenses, including deductibles, copayments, coinsurance and some other expenses.
You may contribute to… Read more [More...]
The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, known as the DREAM Act, is federal legislation that would, if passed, provide a path to legal permanent residency and eventually citizenship for certain categories of currently undocumented immigrants who were… Read more [More...]
No Child Left Behind was a major piece of education legislation passed by the U.S. Congress in 2001 and signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2002. The Act, which reauthorized and amended the Elementary and Secondary Education… Read more [More...]
The minimum wage is the lowest wage per hour that may be paid by law to most employees in most jobs. The U.S. federal government first adopted a national minimum wage in 1938 as part of the Fair Labor Standards… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
February 26, 2021 // Updated: August 29, 2024
The Incentive Evaluation Commission was created by legislation passed in 2015 “to produce objective evaluations of the State of Oklahoma’s wide array of economic incentives.” The Commission is made up of five members appointed by the Governor, House Speaker, and… Read more [More...]
In Oklahoma, any registered voter may vote by absentee ballot. Absentee ballots may be cast either by mail or in-person at their county election board office or other approved locations in the days prior to the election (early voting). It… Read more [More...]
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The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) is an alternative measure of poverty, developed and reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, that is intended to provide a more thorough and accurate assessment of how much income a household needs to get by.… Read more [More...]
