Category: Media

Potential solutions to Oklahoma budget crisis struggling to find legislative support (OU Daily)

By Emma Keith Oklahoma’s state budget crisis and falling tax revenue are squeezing education at all levels, and ideas to raise revenue are struggling to gain traction in the legislature. Though countless other sources support education funding, state taxes are… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma leaders ponder ways to stabilize state’s shaky Medicaid program (Tulsa World)

By Barbara Hoberock  OKLAHOMA CITY — Officials unveiled on Thursday the framework of a proposal to provide subsidized medical insurance to more Oklahomans. The proposal also calls for moving thousands of people who are on Medicaid into the private market… Read more [More...]

Statement: Plan to accept federal funds for health care can be key piece to prevent budget disaster

Oklahoma Policy Institute released the following statement in response to news that the Oklahoma Health Care Authority has developed plans to accept federal funds for expanding health coverage: It is great news for Oklahoma that state officials have come up… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma gasoline taxes haven’t been raised in nearly three decades (Fox 25)

By Jordann Lucero  OKLAHOMA CITY — The amount of tax drivers pay at the pumps in Oklahoma hasn’t increased in nearly 30 years. A look at this tax by the Oklahoma Policy Institute show Oklahoma is losing out on millions… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma Health Care Authority Proposes Plan To Insure More Oklahomans (KGOU)

By Jacob McCleland A new plan from Oklahoma’s Medicaid agency would provide coverage for uninsured Oklahomans, and would tap into federal matching funds. Oklahoma Health Care Authority CEO Nico Gomez addressed Gov. Mary Fallin and legislative leaders on Thursday to… Read more [More...]

HomeNewsCapitol Report Bill to remove 111,000 Oklahomans from Medicaid dies in Senate committee (Tulsa World)

By Barbara Hoberock  OKLAHOMA CITY — A Senate panel killed a bill Monday that would have cut 111,000 Oklahomans, mostly women, from Medicaid. House Bill 2665, by Rep. Doug Cox, R-Grove, and Sen. Brian Crain, R-Tulsa, died in the Senate… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma City Public Schools District announces teacher layoffs (Reuters)

By Rory Carroll The Oklahoma City Public Schools District will eliminate 208 classroom teaching positions to help grapple with a $30 million revenue shortfall, the district’s top official said on Wednesday. The layoffs are the latest impact of the state’s… Read more [More...]

Justice reform supporters collecting signatures to get state questions on ballot (Tulsa Business & Legal News)

By Ralph Schaefer Supporters for criminal justice reform in Oklahoma have taken to the streets to collect signatures to reduce population in state prisons as proposed by State Questions 780 and 781. Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform officially started the… Read more [More...]

House Review: Criminal justice reform and jobs (Claremore Daily Progress)

By Rep. Mark Lepak Greetings from the state capitol! The House of Representatives and the Senate cleared the last of 399 and 434 bills, respectively, out of the 3,500 originally filed during a hectic deadline week. The late nights have… Read more [More...]

Senate Review by Senator J.J. Dossett (Skiatook Journal)

By Senator J.J. Dossett In 2014 thousands of Oklahoma teachers, parents, students and education advocates rallied at the state Capitol. I was one of those teachers who traveled to Oklahoma City, asking the governor and legislative leaders to make education… Read more [More...]