Author: Guest

Virtual public meetings protect health, allow democratic representation during pandemic (Guest Post)

Despite the rise in COVID-19 cases nationwide and in Oklahoma, as well as the increased risk associated with indoor gatherings, both the Governor and the Legislature have so far refused to convene a brief special session to allow governmental agencies… Read more [More...]

Choose healthy news over junk (Guest Post: Jeff Berrong, OK Policy Board Member)

It is vitally important that consumers be able to distinguish substantive “healthy news” produced by legitimate journalists from sugary “junk news” spread by partisan or self-interested organizations. [More...]

School meals are a lifeline for Oklahoma families. P-EBT extends that lifeline to ensure children get the food they need. (Guest Post)

Food insecurity is a major issue in Oklahoma. Prior to the pandemic, 1 in 5 children lived in households where access to food wasn’t always reliable. Now, due to the broad economic impact of COVID-19, it is projected that in… Read more [More...]

Broadband is more important than ever — here is how Oklahoma can respond (Guest Post: Dr. Brian Whitacre)

Broadband connectivity will be an important part of our society both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Oklahoma Legislature should take advantage of the attention drawn to this issue and develop policies that will set us up for the increasingly digital future. [More...]

‘Safe at Home’ slows virus outbreak, but endangers domestic violence survivors (Guest Post: Molly Bryant)

As Oklahoma families hunker down in their homes because of the COVID-19 outbreak, many domestic violence advocates are bracing for the increase in family violence. While essential for public health, the so-called “safe at home” policies have isolated domestic violence survivors with their abusers under tense conditions making them, ironically, less safe at home. [More...]

More of the Same: Corporate tax avoidance hasn’t changed much under 2017 tax law (Guest Post: Matthew Gardner)

A new report from ITEP shows that, based on the first year of financial reports released by companies operating under the new tax law, tax avoidance appears to be every bit as much of a problem under the new tax system as it was before the 2017 tax law took effect. [More...]

Oklahoma college students are hungry, and there’s more we can do to help

About a third of university students and nearly two out of three community college students nationwide are food insecure, meaning they are uncertain where their next meal will come from. [More...]

Medicaid expansion could help address Oklahoma’s surging meth crisis

In 2017, methamphetamine (also known as speed or ice) was one of the main contributors to Oklahoma’s overdose deaths. It’s difficult to recover from methamphetamine addiction — most individuals relapse within their first year of treatment. Medicaid expansion would allow the state to serve lower-income populations that are affected by meth use by making addiction treatment available to a greater portion of the state. [More...]

Trump Administration reaches right decision for wrong reasons on partial Medicaid expansion (Guest Post: Jessica Schubel)

The Administration’s decision to deny enhanced federal funding for partial expansion will protect coverage for millions of people who have it. It should also spur more states that have been considering partial expansion or other alternatives, such as Georgia and Oklahoma, to move forward with full expansion instead. [More...]

Hurry Up and Wait: For thousands of families, critical services can be a decade away (Guest Post: Erin Taylor)

There is a certain amount of hustle commonly involved in raising a child with a developmental disability.  As parents, we’re managing special education plans, medical appointments, and specialty therapies. But there is one experience where endurance, and not hustle, is called for: The Waiting List. [More...]