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2024 Census data: Oklahoma ranks as 8th poorest state

By: Dave Hamby
September 11, 2025 // Updated: September 12, 2025
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, released Sept. 11, show that Oklahoma’s poverty rate was 14.9 percent, which means that more than 1 in 7 state residents live in poverty. While the state’s overall poverty rate… Read more More...

Recent Posts

Weekly Wonk: Give where you live this holiday season | Oklahoma lawmakers file bills to help tackle Oklahoma’s teacher shortage | OK Policy’s work honored with national awards, lifetime achievement award for Angela Monson

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
December 7, 2025 // Updated: December 6, 2025
What’s up this week at Oklahoma Policy Institute? The Weekly Wonk shares our most recent publications and other resources to help you stay informed about Oklahoma. Numbers of the Day and Policy Notes are from our daily news briefing, In… Read more [More...]

OK Policy’s work honored with national awards, lifetime achievement award for Angela Monson

By: Dave Hamby
December 5, 2025 // Updated: December 5, 2025
The Oklahoma Policy Institute received five national awards for its work during the past year, and longtime Legislative and Outreach Director Angela Monson was honored with a lifetime achievement award during a Dec. 3 ceremony. OK Policy received five Graphies… Read more [More...]

Lawmakers file bills to help tackle Oklahoma’s teacher shortage (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
December 1, 2025 // Updated: December 2, 2025
A couple of bills prefiled for the next legislative session by the Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Education Committee are thoughtful efforts to meet the challenge of Oklahoma’s critical teacher shortage. The lack of certified teachers is most… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: SoonerCare “Work requirements” won’t work for Oklahoma | Will rising health costs force legislative action? | Fact Check: Is Walmart’s Thanksgiving meal really cheaper this year?

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
November 30, 2025 // Updated: November 26, 2025
What’s up this week at Oklahoma Policy Institute? The Weekly Wonk shares our most recent publications and other resources to help you stay informed about Oklahoma. Numbers of the Day and Policy Notes are from our daily news briefing, In… Read more [More...]

Fact Check: Is Walmart’s Thanksgiving meal really cheaper this year?

By: Kati Malicoate
November 25, 2025 // Updated: November 25, 2025
There’s a viral claim — being echoed by national and state politicians — that Walmart’s 2025 Thanksgiving meal is “cheaper than last year.” But there is only a savings because Walmart changed what’s in the meal — not because the… Read more [More...]

Will rising health costs force legislative action? (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
November 24, 2025 // Updated: November 24, 2025
With the legislative session set to begin in February, I’m wondering how or how much the upcoming health insurance crisis will affect the next legislative session. According to the American Hospital Association, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) passed… Read more [More...]

“Work requirements” won’t work for Oklahoma

By: Kati Malicoate
November 23, 2025 // Updated: November 23, 2025
Few policy ideas have proven as persistent — or misleading — as the notion that forcing people to work will lift them out of poverty. The Big Beautiful Bill, or House Resolution 1 (H.R. 1), revives that same flawed logic:… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Respecting Tribal sovereignty is the path to Oklahoma’s progress | Conflict over executive power halts Stitt’s executive order | More

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
// Updated: November 21, 2025
What’s up this week at Oklahoma Policy Institute? The Weekly Wonk shares our most recent publications and other resources to help you stay informed about Oklahoma. Numbers of the Day and Policy Notes are from our daily news briefing, In… Read more [More...]

Smarter Ways to Support OK Policy

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
November 21, 2025 // Updated: November 21, 2025
Qualified Charitable Distribution from your Individual Retirement Account A qualified charitable distribution (QCD) allows individuals with an annual required minimum distribution (RMD) to transfer funds from their Individual Retirement Account (IRA) to a charitable organization, such as OK Policy. This… Read more [More...]

In The Know: Data centers, bitcoin mining concern Oklahoma communities | State Ed Board seeks to reduce reliance on emergency certification | More

By: Dave Hamby
// Updated: November 21, 2025
In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. OK Policy encourages the support of Oklahoma’s state and local media, which are vital to an informed citizenry. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the… Read more [More...]

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