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
March 12, 2014 // Updated: May 2, 2019
In 2011, the Oklahoma legislature approved major amendments to the Reading Sufficiency Act, a law originally enacted in 1997 to improve Oklahoma children’s reading skills. As of this year, the law requires third-grade students who score “unsatisfactory” on a state… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
March 6, 2014 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Recently, Treasurer Ken Miller shared data from the Council of Governments showing that Oklahoma ranked 7th in the percentage of state expenditures from federal funds, with more than two-fifths (43 percent) of all dollars spent by the state spending coming… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
March 4, 2014 // Updated: May 2, 2019
The Oklahoma Senate and House of Representatives are both considering bills to cut Oklahoma’s top income tax rate in future years based on revenue targets, or triggers. Pushing tax cuts into the future and making them conditional on triggers is… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
February 25, 2014 // Updated: May 1, 2019
During this year’s State of the State address, Gov. Mary Fallin expressed strong support for doing away with traditional defined benefit pension plans for new hires within the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) in favor of 401k-style defined contribution… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
February 19, 2014 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Once again this session, proponents of cuts to Oklahoma’s top income tax rate are arguing that cutting taxes will lead to higher tax revenues, basing their position on the notion that Oklahoma’s tax collections rose after the state cut taxes… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
February 13, 2014 // Updated: May 2, 2019
The average Oklahoman would get just $29 from Governor Mary Fallin’s proposed income tax cut, while one-quarter of the total benefit would go to the wealthiest 1 percent of households, according to a new analysis prepared by the Institute for… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
February 5, 2014 // Updated: May 2, 2019
With state agencies and schools still struggling to climb out of deep budget holes from the last recession, Governor Mary Fallin’s FY 2015 Executive Budget proposes even deeper cuts that could seriously harm our families and our economy.
With initial… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
February 4, 2014 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Beth is a home renovator and woodworker who lives north of Edmond. For the last 18 years, she has operated her own small business. For 18 years, she also went without health insurance. This finally changed January 1st, when the… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
January 29, 2014 // Updated: May 2, 2019
A budget committee hearing last week laid out in stark terms what’s at stake in the coming legislative session and made clear that in preparing next year’s budget, bold measures will be needed to avoid potentially devastating cuts.
On the… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
January 24, 2014 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Breanca Thomas is a PhD student in Health Promotion Sciences in the College of Public Health at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and a 2013-14 OK Policy Research Fellow. She intends to pursue a research career focusing on… Read more [More...]
OKPOLICY.ORG
In 2011, the Oklahoma legislature approved major amendments to the Reading Sufficiency Act, a law originally enacted in 1997 to improve Oklahoma children’s reading skills. As of this year, the law requires third-grade students who score “unsatisfactory” on a state… Read more [More...]
Recently, Treasurer Ken Miller shared data from the Council of Governments showing that Oklahoma ranked 7th in the percentage of state expenditures from federal funds, with more than two-fifths (43 percent) of all dollars spent by the state spending coming… Read more [More...]
The Oklahoma Senate and House of Representatives are both considering bills to cut Oklahoma’s top income tax rate in future years based on revenue targets, or triggers. Pushing tax cuts into the future and making them conditional on triggers is… Read more [More...]
During this year’s State of the State address, Gov. Mary Fallin expressed strong support for doing away with traditional defined benefit pension plans for new hires within the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) in favor of 401k-style defined contribution… Read more [More...]
Once again this session, proponents of cuts to Oklahoma’s top income tax rate are arguing that cutting taxes will lead to higher tax revenues, basing their position on the notion that Oklahoma’s tax collections rose after the state cut taxes… Read more [More...]
The average Oklahoman would get just $29 from Governor Mary Fallin’s proposed income tax cut, while one-quarter of the total benefit would go to the wealthiest 1 percent of households, according to a new analysis prepared by the Institute for… Read more [More...]
With state agencies and schools still struggling to climb out of deep budget holes from the last recession, Governor Mary Fallin’s FY 2015 Executive Budget proposes even deeper cuts that could seriously harm our families and our economy.
With initial… Read more [More...]
Beth is a home renovator and woodworker who lives north of Edmond. For the last 18 years, she has operated her own small business. For 18 years, she also went without health insurance. This finally changed January 1st, when the… Read more [More...]
A budget committee hearing last week laid out in stark terms what’s at stake in the coming legislative session and made clear that in preparing next year’s budget, bold measures will be needed to avoid potentially devastating cuts.
On the… Read more [More...]
Breanca Thomas is a PhD student in Health Promotion Sciences in the College of Public Health at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and a 2013-14 OK Policy Research Fellow. She intends to pursue a research career focusing on… Read more [More...]
