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

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...]

Proposed changes to the judicial nominating process are unnecessary and increase politicization (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
March 26, 2024 // Updated: March 26, 2024
The Judicial Nominating Commission assures qualified candidates for appellate judicial offices who are vetted on their merits, their judgment, and their perceived ability to interpret the law and constitution, not their association with a politician or one of his friends or donors. Competence counts. [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Fact Check: Has Oklahoma’s larceny rate skyrocketed since SQ 780 was passed in 2016? | Budget transparency progressing, but needs all players on board | The people’s legislative authority

By: Annie Taylor
March 23, 2024 // Updated: March 23, 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...]

Fact Check: Has Oklahoma’s larceny rate skyrocketed since SQ 780 was passed in 2016? No. 

By: Cole Allen
March 22, 2024 // Updated: October 15, 2024
Some lawmakers and others have shared OSBI data purporting to show a dramatic increase in larceny, shoplifting, or other property crimes. OSBI has said those spikes were created by changes in data reporting, not increases in crime.  [More...]

Oklahoma Constitution allows for people to legislate themselves through initiative petition (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
March 18, 2024 // Updated: March 18, 2024
Initiative Petition 446 is a classic case of why the members of the state constitutional convention included the initiative petition in our state constitution. The state legislature, like Congress, will not act on some issues in the face of powerful interests or fear of divided public opinion, as with some hot-button issues. In those instances, the people have a right to legislate themselves through the initiative process.  [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Every voice matters when shaping public policy | Rolling back SQ 780 would be expensive and ineffective | More

By: Annie Taylor
March 16, 2024 // Updated: March 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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