Category: Media

Oklahoma cut taxes. Now a squeeze on public services forces a rethink. (Christian Science Monitor)

By Simon Montlake As past president of the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association, an industry body that his father helped to create, Dewey Bartlett Jr. is a familiar voice in policy debates. So when he began calling this year for higher… Read more [More...]

Tulsans react to failed budget proposal (KTUL)

By Kimberly Jackson TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — Lawmakers are still deciding how to handle Oklahoma’s massive budget shortfall. Today a proposal that would have meant additional taxes on liquor, cigarettes, and fuel, failed in the House of Representatives. That left… Read more [More...]

“Cigarette Tax” passes committee, up for vote in House (KTUL)

By Ryan Braschler  TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — It’s a pretty familiar fight in Oklahoma City when budget discussions come around. Republicans in the statehouse have proposed a $1.50 per pack tax on cigarettes. The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled a cigarette… Read more [More...]

Signs of progress on licensing reform in Oklahoma (The Oklahoman)

By The Oklahoman Editorial Board We have written many times of the need to reform state occupational licensing laws to ensure regulations don’t unnecessarily reduce market competition by driving up the cost of entering a profession. Progress on this front… Read more [More...]

“Another waste of time,” Analyst says Republican state budget plan doomed to fail (Fox 25 News)

By Jordann Lucero OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — With no accommodations to Democrats’ suggestions, the state budget plan Oklahoma Republicans unveiled Monday will not have enough support, an analyst says. The plan Governor Mary Fallin announced Monday was only an agreement… Read more [More...]

Opposition is Swift and Strong to Budget Announcement (Public Radio Tulsa)

By John Durkee The head of the Oklahoma Policy Institute doubts the new budget plans will become reality. David Blatt says the cigarette tax hike would require a two-thirds majority and the Republicans don’t have it. David Blatt; “Oklahoma’s structural… Read more [More...]

Statement: Latest Republican budget plan ignores obvious solutions

Oklahoma Policy Institute issued the following statement on the new budget proposal announced by Governor Fallin and Republican legislative leaders: Since the beginning of special session four weeks ago, the bipartisan framework needed to end our budget emergency has been clear.… Read more [More...]

Protesters dressed as zombies march at Oklahoma Capitol (Fox 25 News)

By William Maetzold OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — You might have thought Halloween was a few days early or zombies were real if you near the Oklahoma State Capitol on Saturday. A group of protesters descended on the Capitol building to… Read more [More...]

Rehab work camps were about to be regulated. Then a friend stepped in (Reveal)

By Amy Julia Harris and Shoshana Walter For years, Christian Alcoholics & Addicts in Recovery proudly operated outside of state oversight in Oklahoma. The founders ran their Christian recovery program their way – with church, hard manual labor and little… Read more [More...]

Every Oklahoma child deserves a Miss Fieselmann (Tulsa World)

By Lyn Enzeroth Miss Clara Fieselmann changed my life. She taught high school English and in tenth grade, and she opened up the magical world of language and writing to me. As my teacher, she did far more than simply… Read more [More...]