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
January 31, 2011 // Updated: May 1, 2019
With the state anticipating large budget shortfalls – estimated by Republican legislative leaders as in the vicinity of $600 million – for the upcoming fiscal year, there is renewed talk from state leaders about the need to protect “core public… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
January 28, 2011 // Updated: October 17, 2012
**Mother Nature said ‘not so fast’. Due to the inclement weather, we will be hunkered down in Tulsa this week. We look forward to rescheduling this gathering sometime soon.
On Thursday, February 3rd, OK Policy is hosting an informal meet… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
January 27, 2011 // Updated: October 17, 2012
Two years ago this month, the Oklahoman and Tulsa World announced a content-sharing agreement in which each paper would carry some stories created by the other. The papers also said they would “focus on reducing some areas of duplication, such… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
January 21, 2011 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Donna Coffey is the McCurtain County Drug Court Administrator in Oklahoma. She has been with the program since its implementation in June 2003, under the direction of District Judge Willard L. Driesel.
Oklahoma Drug Courts – hope for a brighter… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
January 19, 2011 // Updated: October 17, 2012
As I wrote in this year-end blog post, 2010 was a very good year for OK Policy. We continued to establish ourselves as a respected, credible voice and information source on state policy issue while managing major transitions and putting… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
January 18, 2011 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Saving money for college can have wide-ranging benefits for young people and families. Savings help pay for college expenses, which assists students stay in college and complete their education. Just as importantly, savings can have an important motivational effect in… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
January 13, 2011 // Updated: May 2, 2019
John Thompson is an Oklahoma City teacher with 18 years of urban high school experience and an education blogger at thisweekineducation.com. He contributes regularly to our blog on education issues.
The Oklahoma City Public Schools faced breathtaking educational changes in… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
January 11, 2011 // Updated: May 1, 2019
On his first full day on the job, new State Treasurer Ken Miller got to announce relatively good news on the state revenue front. December General Revenue (GR) collections were up 13.0 percent from one year ago and were 4.3… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
January 10, 2011 // Updated: May 1, 2019
By now, it is well known that the state budget has been under severe duress over the past two years. Overall, as we show in the latest version of our Budget Trends and Highlights fact sheet, this year’s state appropriations… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
January 6, 2011 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Any Oklahoman with an interest in mental health issues would do well to read the article titled “Asylum” that appeared in the December issue of This Land, a new Tulsa-based monthly magazine. The article is a vivid first-hand account by… Read more [More...]