David Hamby has more than 25 years of experience as an award-winning communicator, including overseeing communication programs for Oklahoma higher education institutions and other organizations. Before joining OK Policy, he was director of public relations for Rogers State University where he managed the school’s external communication programs and served as a member of the president’s leadership team. He served in a similar communications role for five years at the University of Tulsa. He also has worked in communications roles at Oklahoma State University and the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce in Arkansas. He joined OK Policy in October 2019.
By: Dave Hamby
March 28, 2021 // Updated: March 28, 2021
SQ 640 continues limiting lawmakers, needs to be revisited; Happy Birthday ACA! And what federal COVID relief means for your health care; A SoonerCare success story; Policy Matters: Foot dragging over Medicaid expansion; Countdown to Care [More...]
By: Dave Hamby
March 24, 2021 // Updated: March 24, 2021
Oklahoma getting ‘a significant amount’ more in Medicaid money from federal relief bills; Oklahomans 16 and over will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine starting Monday; Chickasaw Nation’s COVID-19 response helped lower infection rates, tribal expert tells Congress; State Board of Education’s deadline for $11.2 million repayment by Epic Charter Schools passes with no payment. [More...]
By: Dave Hamby
March 21, 2021 // Updated: March 21, 2021
Want to reduce Oklahoma’s public services, hurt local business, and shrink our economy? Eliminate the corporate income tax; Policy Matters: State revenue cuts are not pro-business; Fixing Oklahoma’s court fines and fees problem (Capitol Update); Countdown to Medicaid Expansion [More...]
By: Dave Hamby
March 11, 2021 // Updated: March 12, 2021
It’s been just three years since Oklahoma lawmakers passed a historic $531 million in additional state revenue to support education. On Thursday, the Oklahoma House approved a sweeping set of corporate and individual tax cuts that undoes that historic achievement… Read more [More...]
By: Dave Hamby
March 7, 2021 // Updated: March 7, 2021
Improve our social insurance programs to encourage work and support working families; Legislators must protect Oklahomans’ health care; Policy Matters: Everything is bigger in Texas, including tax burdens; Oklahoma’s children need funding to recover from the COVID-19 crisis. [More...]
By: Dave Hamby
March 4, 2021 // Updated: March 4, 2021
Legislators must protect Oklahomans’ health care; Everything is bigger in Texas, including tax burdens; A bill to roll back aspects of Oklahoma criminal justice reform advances; Oklahoma virus deaths increased to conform with CDC count. [More...]
By: Dave Hamby
February 28, 2021 // Updated: February 28, 2021
SB 704 would be step towards reducing Oklahoma’s incarceration rate (Capitol Update); Together Oklahoma Talks Policy: Thriving Families; Policy Matters: State must recommit to higher education funding. [More...]
By: Dave Hamby
February 21, 2021 // Updated: February 20, 2021
Oklahoma among worst states for higher education cuts; Together Oklahoma Talks Policy: Healthy Oklahomans and Safe Communities; (Capitol Update) Lawsuit challenges OHCA’s managed care proposal; Policy Matters: Rethinking Oklahoma’s ‘tough on crime’ approach to justice; Virtual Day of Action, March 4 [More...]
By: Dave Hamby
February 18, 2021 // Updated: February 18, 2021
Even before COVID-19 brought new challenges to state education systems, a new report out this week shows that Oklahoma was one of 6 states that cut higher education funding by more than 30 percent between 2008 and 2019: Oklahoma cut higher education allocations by 35.3 percent, or $3,515, per student in 2019 when compared with a decade earlier. Oklahoma had the nation’s third largest percentage decrease in state higher education funding during that period, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities report released Feb. 17. [More...]
By: Dave Hamby
February 14, 2021 // Updated: February 14, 2021
Changes to Oklahoma’s drug laws reduce criminal charges and prison sentences; Together Oklahoma Talks Policy: Healthy Oklahomans & Health Care; (Capitol Update) Proposed bills again seek to undo will of the voters; Policy Matters: Breaking the cycle of political inequities [More...]