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
May 14, 2009 // Updated: October 17, 2012
In November, U.S. Senator David Vitter of Louisiana proposed that all applicants for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program be required to submit to a mandatory drug test as a condition of receiving assistance. His proposal was defeated… Read more [More...]
Numbers You Need is a monthly publication from OK Policy that presents key data on the state’s economy, work force, human services, and budget in one concise, easy-to-read fact sheet.
The forecasters may be predicting an economic turnaround ahead, but… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
May 13, 2009 // Updated: October 17, 2012
It’s taken me awhile, but I finally made it to the White House blog, which has been up and running since President Obama’s inauguration. For those interested in paying attention to what is going on in the White House, the… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
May 12, 2009 // Updated: October 17, 2012
This being the second Tuesday of the month, the Office of State Finance released the monthly revenue figures today. Unless you were the one who picked “down 21 percent” in the office betting pool, there was little to be happy… Read more [More...]
State Rainy Day Funds have one sole purpose: to be used during economic downturns to minimize the extent of cuts to public services and to avert tax increases. Prior to this downturn, Oklahoma has been able to build up our… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
May 11, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
There is no doubt about our commitment–as a nation and a state–to improving educational opportunities and outcomes. Sometimes we forget about the key role nutrition plays in helping kids get to school and be ready to learn. For many Oklahoma… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
May 8, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
The debate over SB 834, the bill that would lift various mandates currently binding on public schools and make it easier to terminate teachers, has been one of the most contentious this legislative session.The bill passed both the House and… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
May 7, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
This week, the New York Times magazine ran an extended interview with President Obama on his economic program, while The New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza profiled Obama’s budget director, Peter Orzsag. Both pieces devoted considerable attention to health care reform, and… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
May 6, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Spending from the $787 billion stimulus bill, formally known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA, is underway. Since passage of the bill in February, payroll withholding for most employees has been decreased thanks to the Making Work… Read more [More...]
By: David Blatt
May 4, 2009 // Updated: October 17, 2012
In spite of all the attention paid in Oklahoma in recent weeks to such urgent matters as the Ten Commandments, stem cells, and the Flaming Lips, the real work of the 2009 legislative session has been unfolding largely behind the… Read more [More...]
OKPOLICY.ORG
This being the second Tuesday of the month, the Office of State Finance released the monthly revenue figures today. Unless you were the one who picked “down 21 percent” in the office betting pool, there was little to be happy… Read more [More...]
There is no doubt about our commitment–as a nation and a state–to improving educational opportunities and outcomes. Sometimes we forget about the key role nutrition plays in helping kids get to school and be ready to learn. For many Oklahoma… Read more [More...]
