Recent Articles

With immigration bills, lawmakers are playing politics with people’s lives

Instead of meaningfully addressing problems that Oklahomans face, lawmakers are once again choosing to target and criminalize our immigrant friends and neighbors for political gain. So far this session, legislators filed a flurry of anti-immigrant bills, such as House Bill… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma’s families face the nation’s 6th highest poverty rate. Raising the minimum wage will help change that.

More from OK Policy: • What you need to know about the minimum wage in Oklahoma • SQ 832: Minimum Wage Increase | Information and Resources Almost one in six Oklahomans live in poverty, yet for 15 years, Oklahoma lawmakers… Read more [More...]

SQ 834: Citizenship Requirement for Voting Amendment

State Question 834 would amend the Oklahoma Constitution to clarify that only citizens of the United States are qualified to vote in the state. [More...]

National study: Undocumented immigrants contribute $227M in Oklahoma taxes a year

In Oklahoma, undocumented immigrants contributed $227.5 million in state and local taxes in 2022. Undocumented immigrants pay higher state and local tax rates (8.9%) than the top 1 percent of Oklahoma households (6.4%). [More...]

SQ 832: Minimum Wage Increase | Information and Resources

Oklahoma voters will be asked to consider State Question 832 to increase the state's minimum wage. This page provides up-to-date information and resources on SQ 832. [More...]

Anti-immigrant laws punish families and children. Oklahoma lawmakers pass them anyway. (2024 Legislative Wrap-up)

Immigration is a complex issue, and gridlock in Congress has resulted in states venturing deeper into a legal area reserved solely for the federal government. In a state like Oklahoma, this means that lawmakers introduce punitive immigration policies meant to… Read more [More...]

Economic Projections for Asylum Seekers and New Immigrants in Oklahoma

Authored by Anthony Capote, Senior Policy Analyst at Immigration Research Initiative; David Dyssegaard Kallick, Director of Immigration Research Initiative; and Gabriela Ramirez-Perez, Immigration Policy Analyst for the Oklahoma Policy Institute. # # # Immigration is hardly a new social trend… Read more [More...]

One simple trick that will help Oklahoma’s small businesses and the economy

In a time of rising costs and inflation, there is one key policy change that lawmakers can pass to help small businesses, working Oklahomans, and our economy: Raise the minimum wage. Research shows that raising the minimum wage is good policy. A minimum wage is intended to act as a baseline to ensure that employers compensate their workers fairly for their hard work by providing a wage that can cover basic living expenses. [More...]

Progress made on evidence-based immigration policy reforms, but more work is needed

Sensible policy reforms related to immigration can benefit all Oklahomans by making us safer, healthier, and saving Oklahomans money. Two such measures were Senate Bill 669 and House Bill 2351. These two bills addressed different concerns around public safety and… Read more [More...]

Undocumented immigrants pay taxes: The $133.7 million elephant in the room

One of the most deeply ingrained myths about immigrants who are undocumented is that they don’t pay taxes. In reality, immigrants without documentation pay taxes in multiple ways and contribute more to the U.S. and state economy than they receive… Read more [More...]