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

We’re hiring for two positions: Development Associate and Administrative & Office Coordinator (May 2024)

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
April 30, 2024 // Updated: May 20, 2024
OK Policy is now hiring for a Development Associate and an Administrative and Office Coordinator. Deadline to apply is May 20, 2024. [More...]

Bill seeking to change State Dept. of Ed. board likely no longer a threat to status quo (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
April 29, 2024 // Updated: April 29, 2024
It looked for a while as though the state school board and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction were going to get their wings clipped a bit. But after recent changes to a bill intended to change the state Board of Education membership. HB 2562 is not a threat to the status quo at the State Department of Education. [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Finding hope in college students, new professionals | Competing budget transparency efforts may have process more confusing than ever | More

By: Dave Hamby
April 27, 2024 // Updated: April 27, 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...]

Competing budget transparency efforts may have made process more confusing than ever (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
April 23, 2024 // Updated: April 23, 2024
The House last week revealed its position on the Fiscal Year 2025 budget that begins on July 1 and upstaged the Senate’s transparency gambit with a new “transparency portal” that can be accessed on the House of Representatives website. Even with the talk of — and effort toward — transparency, the budget process this year seems more confusing than ever.  [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Voter-approved reforms haven’t been given chance to work | Who is looking out for us? | Policy notes and numbers

By: Dave Hamby
April 20, 2024 // Updated: April 20, 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...]

Weekly Wonk: Tribes should have been consulted upfront on sharing tag data | #OKLeg undermines its own transparency efforts | More

By: Annie Taylor
April 13, 2024 // Updated: April 13, 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...]

Weekly Wonk: Oklahoma voters deserve choices at the polls | HB 4063 provides only politically practical way to increase sheriff’s department salaries given local revenue limitations | Lawmakers should pass laws based on data

By: Annie Taylor
April 5, 2024 // Updated: April 5, 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...]

HB 4063 provides only politically practical way to increase sheriff’s department salaries given local revenue limitations in Oklahoma (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
April 2, 2024 // Updated: April 2, 2024
House Bill 4063 would establish a grant program to provide state funding for county sheriff’s offices to bring salaries of the sheriffs, deputies, and jailers around the state. Due to local revenue restrictions, state funding might be only politically available solution to fund some local law enforcement agencies.  [More...]

The Weekly Wonk: Immigrants are vital to Oklahoma’s well-being | Proposed changes to judicial nominating process are unnecessary and increase polarization | Throwing people in jail for experiencing homelessness doesn’t solve the problem

By: Annie Taylor
March 30, 2024 // Updated: March 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...]

Criminalizing homelessness is harmful and ineffective

By: Sabine Brown
// Updated: April 1, 2024
Proposals to criminalize homelessness are harmful and counterproductive. Research shows us that the best way to combat homelessness is to increase access to affordable housing. [More...]

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