Category: Media

With three days left, lawmakers pushing budget through Oklahoma Capitol (News OK)

By Dale Denwalt Gov. Mary Fallin said the budget agreement lawmakers are considering this week avoids the kind of significant cuts she warned about when threatening a veto earlier this year. In a late-night session that spanned Tuesday night and… Read more [More...]

Budget bills advance, legality questioned (Journal Record)

By Catherine Sweeney OKLAHOMA CITY – After weeks of relative quiet on the new revenue front, lawmakers finally started getting some measures out of committee, but there’s one problem: They could all be illegal. The Oklahoma Constitution states that the… Read more [More...]

House limits itemized deductions (The Norman Transcript)

By Janelle Stecklein OKLAHOMA CITY — Despite complaints that it could harm working families trying to deduct mortgage, childcare and student loan expenses from their taxes, Republican House members Monday pushed through a measure capping how much Oklahomans can claim.… Read more [More...]

Republican budget could draw court’s attention (KTUL News)

By David Norris OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KTUL) — Governor Mary Fallin wants more money in the budget. Trouble is, lawmakers can’t do that. At least not in a tax increase kind of way. Last week was the deadline. But Gene… Read more [More...]

SOS Coalition Responds to Call for Budget Compromise

Note to Editors: The SOS Coalition released the following statement in response to an earlier held press conference calling on the Legislature to accept a revenue package to plug the FY18 budget shortfall that is short by more than $600… Read more [More...]

Republican States Make the Case Against Trump’s Drug Policy (NBC News)

By Jon Schuppe The Trump administration’s get-tough drug enforcement policy aims to set the tone for the rest of country by projecting a distaste for leniency and an embrace of mandatory minimum prison sentences. But that outlook is becoming more… Read more [More...]

Big Oil is set to make a lot more money in Oklahoma, why can’t it pay more taxes? (Tulsa World)

By Wayne Greene The critical issue behind all of the recent turmoil at the state Capitol — and one of the keys to a revenue solution for Oklahoma — is the gross production tax. That’s the tax the state applies… Read more [More...]

Democratic Norms Are Under Attack, and Not Just by Trump (Governing)

By Alan Greenblatt Like the president, state politicians are playing by new rules and openly trying to undermine critics who threaten their power — whether they’re lawmakers, reporters or voters. In February, a plane flew a protest banner above the… Read more [More...]

Bill now requires cross-state insurers cover Oklahoma mandates (News OK)

By Dale Denwalt The latest version of a bill that lets insurance companies sell policies across state lines requires those plans to include Oklahoma mandates. Senate Bill 478 would free up out-of-state insurers to market here to individual buyers. The… Read more [More...]

Statement: Republican budget proposal ignores popular solutions

Oklahoma Policy Institute released the following statement in response to Republican leaders’ new budget proposal: The proposal announced today by Republican leadership does not address the hundreds of millions Oklahoma is giving away each year to the oil and gas… Read more [More...]