Category: Media Coverage

Plan to raise Oklahoma’s sales tax has supporters, detractors (The Oklahoman)

By Ben Felder Oklahoma’s two largest cities would have some of the highest sales tax rates in the nation if a one-cent increase were approved by voters in November. The average sales tax rate across the state also would become… Read more [More...]

Superintendent goes over key issues facing local schools (Woodward News)

By Elise Solloway Superintendent Kyle Reynolds gathered with local residents in Woodward High School’s media center to go over several topics on Wednesday. Reynolds shared photographs showing the progress on each of the ongoing construction projects taking place in the… Read more [More...]

Oil Battles Wind on the Great Plains (The American Prospect)

By Caroline Preston  The wind industry’s rising success in Oklahoma has kicked off a high-dollar lobbying fight by fossil fuels executives determined to regain ground. PinItInstapaperEmail AP Photo/David Crenshaw, File Wind turbines sit idle at the Oklahoma Wind Energy Center… Read more [More...]

Budget Crisis Clips Credit For Working Poor (Oklahoma Watch)

By Warren Vieth and Mark Lash In their final rush to contend with Oklahoma’s budget crisis, state lawmakers have voted to curtail a tax credit described by advocates as one of the best programs ever devised to help the working… Read more [More...]

Obamacare gets an OK? A bastion of Republican ACA opposition might be crumbling (Salon)

By Simon Maloy   (Credit: Reuters/Carlos Barria) If one were to forced to choose which state has demonstrated the most political hostility towards the Affordable Care Act, you could definitely build a strong case for Oklahoma. The state is about a… Read more [More...]

When the oil boom went bust, Oklahoma protected drillers and squeezed schools (Reuters)

By Luc Cohen and Joshua Schneyer Oilmen won a big victory when legislators made permanent one of the juiciest tax breaks in the United States. Schools, meanwhile, are having to cut classes, administrators and teachers to make up a growing… Read more [More...]

Are Oklahoma tax dollars being wasted on too many tax breaks for oil, gas companies? (KFOR)

By Abby Broyles OKLAHOMA CITY – State lawmakers have less than two weeks now to figure out the budget. Many experts blame the $1.3 billion budget shortfall on the plummeting prices of crude oil. Other experts say there’s more to… Read more [More...]

Protecting vital services while balancing the budget (Journal Record)

By Arnold Hamilton Barring an upset of biblical proportions, Oklahoma’s Legislature will balance the 2016-17 budget on the backs of the middle class and the working poor. If lawmakers can even bring themselves to raise new revenue, it most likely… Read more [More...]

Faith leaders, nonprofit groups lobby to protect tax credits for low-income families, seniors (Tulsa World)

By Barbara Hoberock OKLAHOMA CITY — Ministers and nonprofit groups urged state lawmakers Wednesday not to reduce or eliminate tax credits that benefit low-income Oklahomans. David Blatt, executive director of the Tulsa-based Oklahoma Policy Institute, said at a Capitol news… Read more [More...]

Mind Your Own Business: Yay Google, for dumping payday loan ads (News OK)

By Paula Burkes Like numerous consumer advocacy groups, I applaud Google’s announcement this morningthat they’re banning ads for payday loans and other predatory lending. It’s been 11 years ago, but I’ll never forgot the story I wrote on one Oklahoman… Read more [More...]