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 18, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Giving Oklahoma’s teachers a pay raise has been proclaimed as one of the highest priorities of legislators and Governor Mary Fallin this session. Despite a $1.3 billion budget shortfall and the near certainty of cuts to all state agencies, including… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
February 11, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019
As part of her effort to close the state’s budget shortfall and avoid devastating cuts, Gov. Mary Fallin has proposed $910.5 million in additional revenues in her FY 2017 Executive Budget. The largest revenue item involves changes to the sales… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
February 8, 2016 // Updated: September 1, 2024
Managed Care is a health care delivery system organized to manage cost, utilization, and quality. Unlike a traditional fee-for-service system, in which a provider is paid directly by an insurer for every service delivered, under managed care, an insurance company,… Read more [More...]
Medicaid is a public insurance program that provides health coverage to low-income individuals. The program, which was created by Congress in 1965 as Title XIX of the Social Security Act, is operated by the states and funded jointly by the… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
February 4, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Over 1,700 bills and resolutions have been introduced for the 2016 legislative session, along with an equal number of measures from last session that remain alive and could still be considered this year. Despite the plethora of legislation, there is… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
January 26, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019
If we try to solve our budget crisis by doubling down on budget cuts and one-time revenues, we will only inflict greater damage to our economy and to the well-being of Oklahomans. We can solve this crisis through a more balanced approach that includes new recurring revenues... Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
January 21, 2016 // Updated: December 2, 2022
Woolly-booger (or woolly-bugger) is a colloquialism used in Oklahoma and Louisiana politics referring to a provision snuck into legislation, usually in the waning hours or days of session, that is likely to be overlooked by all but a small handful… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
January 14, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Oklahoma Policy Institute is pleased to announce that Ryan Gentzler has joined the organization in a new policy analyst position that will focus on criminal justice issues. The position is funded through a grant from the Center on Budget and… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
January 12, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019
A new report by OK Policy finds that the cost of state income tax cuts since the mid-2000s has grown to over $1 billion annually. Repeated tax cuts and shrinking state budgets have left state services severely weakened, even before… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
January 1, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019
An earlier version of this post appeared in the Journal Record
Today, as Oklahomans gather together to enjoy the first day of the new year by watching Bowl Games, feasting on black-eyed peas, and nursing hangovers, two significant and seemingly… Read more [More...]