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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...

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Join our team as a fall intern

By: Ryan Gentzler
August 2, 2017 // Updated: August 2, 2017
OK Policy is now accepting student applicants for paid part-time internships during the fall of 2017! Interns will be expected to work between 10 and 20 hours per week, depending on their schedules and availability. The position will be based… Read more [More...]

The Weekly Wonk: Blame game and political fallout after DHS announces cuts, Affordable Care Act important piece of health care in rural Oklahoma

By: Courtney Cullison
July 30, 2017 // Updated: July 28, 2017
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...]

Internal politics at work in ouster of Rep. Leslie Osborn (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
July 28, 2017 // Updated: May 1, 2019
Steve Lewis served as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1989-1991. He currently practices law in Tulsa and represents clients at the Capitol. Internal legislative politics is one of the most fascinating but obscure phenomena in our representative government. It… Read more [More...]

Attempts to repeal Affordable Care Act put Oklahoma patients in jeopardy (Guest post: Teresa Huggins)

By: Guest
July 26, 2017 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Teresa Huggins is CEO of Stigler Health and Wellness Center in eastern Oklahoma. Being raised in small town, rural Oklahoma comes with its benefits.  Among those benefits are the close friendships, supports and cohesiveness of knowing everyone; however, many communities… Read more [More...]

In The Know: Attracting New Industries To Oklahoma Is Serious Business

By: Courtney Cullison
July 24, 2017 // Updated: July 24, 2017
In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions. Today In The… Read more [More...]

The Weekly Wonk: Do lawmakers have a backup plan for the budget?

By: Courtney Cullison
July 23, 2017 // Updated: July 23, 2017
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...]

Do lawmakers have a Plan B if the court throws out their budget? (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
July 21, 2017 // Updated: July 21, 2017
Steve Lewis served as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1989-1991. He currently practices law in Tulsa and represents clients at the Capitol. I’m hoping — wondering without knowing — if anyone is doing some serious planning for what will… Read more [More...]

In The Know: Millions of dollars headed back to Oklahoma state agencies

By: Courtney Cullison
// Updated: July 21, 2017
In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions. Today In The… Read more [More...]

In The Know: Women Often Ignored In The Conversation On Criminal Justice Reform

By: Courtney Cullison
July 20, 2017 // Updated: July 20, 2017
In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions. Today In The… Read more [More...]

In dispute between Republican leaders over DHS funding, here are the facts

By: Gene Perry
July 19, 2017 // Updated: May 2, 2019
It’s been an eventful week for the Oklahoma Legislature, especially considering they are not even in session. The week began with House Speaker Charles McCall and Majority Leader Mike Sanders blasting the Oklahoma Department of Human Services for making cuts… Read more [More...]

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