Author: Tyler Parette

Oklahoma’s Top Finance Official Expects ‘Revenue Failure’, $900M Shortfall (KGOU)

By Brian Hardzinski The hole in next year’s state budget will likely be just over $900 million, Oklahoma Finance Secretary Preston Doerflinger said Tuesday.   State agencies will also likely face mandatory mid-year budget cuts due to the declaration of what’s… Read more [More...]

Study: Oklahoma maintains streak of deepest state-aid cuts to schools since ’08 recession (Tulsa World)

By Andrea Eger A new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows Oklahoma’s cuts to per-pupil funding for public schools are nearing 25 percent, by far the deepest in the nation since the economic recession struck in… Read more [More...]

Energy slump, policies contribute to state’s budget shortfall (Examiner-Enterprise)

By Emily Droege Holiday cheer may be in the air, but the long-term forecast for the state’s budget looks bleak, according to David Blatt, executive director for the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Speaking to the Monday Rotary Club, Blatt explained Oklahoma’s… Read more [More...]

Once in Place, Sales Tax Breaks Nearly Impossible to Touch (Oklahoma Watch)

By Warren Vieth and Mark Lash Buried deep in the Oklahoma tax code is a sales tax exemption for railroad spikes. Once it got hammered into place, it never budged. The tax break was created in 1993 for the benefit… Read more [More...]

Group files challenge to Oklahoma education sales tax initiative (News OK)

By Rick Green The Oklahoma Supreme Court will examine the constitutionality of an effort to generate millions of dollars for schools through a one-cent increase in the state sales tax. Until the court resolves a challenge filed by an advocacy… Read more [More...]

Upcoming Event: Practice & Policy lecture series discusses early childhood education

On November 5, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) will host Dr. Naneida Lazarte for her lecture “Oklahoma School Readiness Reach-By-Risk Report 2015: Understanding Access to Quality Early Childhood Programs in the Context of Risk for Starting School Unprepared”… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma Medicaid (OETA)

Health Care for more than a million Oklahomans may become more difficult to access soon, as the state Medicaid agency waits for Federal budget cuts. Cuts that are coming because the state’s economy is seen as being so good but… Read more [More...]

Considering consolidation: Losing a school (Fox 25)

By Phil Cross At statehood, there were more than thousand school districts scattered across the state. Today that number is a little more than 500 and it could shrink more as more schools find it difficult to make ends meet.… Read more [More...]

Damario Solomon-Simmons to be honored with the Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Diversity Award

We’re happy to announce that OK Policy’s legislative liaison, Damario Solomon-Simmons, is receiving the Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Diversity Award from the Oklahoma Bar Association. The award will be presented during the annual Oklahoma Bar Association Diversity Dinner on Thursday,… Read more [More...]

OKC panhandling ordinance part of a disturbing trend of criminalizing poverty

[Update: During public comments on the ordinance, a large majority of those speaking said that passing it would be a mistake. A final vote is still scheduled for Oct. 13.] Today the Oklahoma City Council is holding a public hearing… Read more [More...]