OK Policy Blog

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2023 Census data: Oklahoma ranks as sixth poorest state

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
September 12, 2024 // Updated: September 12, 2024
Lawmakers have options to improve Oklahomans’ well-being, access to prosperity Data from the Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey released Sept. 12 show that Oklahoma’s poverty rate was 15.9 percent, which was the nation’s sixth highest. The national poverty rate… Read more More...

Recent Posts

State Senate names committee chairs (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
December 9, 2024 // Updated: December 9, 2024
Another step toward the beginning of the 60th Legislature occurred last week when Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, named committee chairs and rounded out the remaining members of the Senate leadership team that had not been announced. Committee… Read more [More...]

Passing Dental Therapy Legislation in Oklahoma: Offering Essential Services in Underserved Areas (Guest Article)

By: Guest
// Updated: December 9, 2024
Lawmakers should consider dental therapy legislation to expand needed essential dental services for the state's rural, Tribal, and underserved communities. [More...]

The Weekly Wonk: Leaders shouldn’t ask nonprofits to do government’s job | A look at the proposed settlement for federal mental health competency lawsuit | Is Oklahoma really pro-family?

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
December 7, 2024 // Updated: December 7, 2024
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...]

A look at the proposed settlement for federal mental health competency lawsuit (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
December 2, 2024 // Updated: December 2, 2024
The settlement appears to reflect the best in government and in private citizenship. The attorneys took on an unpopular cause, the AG cut through politics and resolved to settle the case, the governor and commissioner came to the table and made reasonable concessions while protecting the state's interests as they saw them, and a former federal magistrate lent his skills for the public good. [More...]

The Weekly Wonk: Increasing Oklahoma’s minimum wage creates positive impacts for everyone, especially American Indians | Three things needed for Oklahoma education reform | Elections are for the people, not parties

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
November 30, 2024 // Updated: November 30, 2024
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...]

Increasing Oklahoma’s minimum wage creates positive impacts for all Oklahomans, especially American Indians

By: Vivian Morris
November 26, 2024 // Updated: November 26, 2024
The state's minimum wage is a contributing factor to our long-standing poverty. Wage compensation has significant consequences for Oklahoma and especially rural Oklahomans of color. [More...]

Three things needed to reform education in Oklahoma (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
// Updated: November 26, 2024
A group of education leaders and others from across the state are organizing an effort to improve Oklahoma’s schools under the name Advance Oklahoma’s Kids. They are gathering input through a short online survey, community forums, and listening sessions to… Read more [More...]

The Weekly Wonk: Respecting Tribal sovereignty is vital to our state’s success | Naming committee chairs is important decision before the upcoming session | More

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
November 24, 2024 // Updated: November 22, 2024
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...]

Naming committee chairs is important decision before the upcoming session (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
November 19, 2024 // Updated: November 19, 2024
The 60th Oklahoma Legislature is marching toward its constitutional organizational date on Jan. 7, 2025. The organizational day is a formality to officially elect the leadership, make appointments, adopt legislative rules and do the paperwork to begin the first session… Read more [More...]

The Weekly Wonk: Incoming class of legislators | We can’t normalize hate | Oklahoma children in underserved communities deserve to thrive

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
November 16, 2024 // Updated: November 16, 2024
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...]

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