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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

The Weekly Wonk: Oklahoma trails in fighting poverty, covering uninsured

By: Carly Putnam
September 20, 2015 // Updated: September 19, 2015
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...]

Lawmakers to state agencies: “Don’t tell us what Oklahoma needs. Tell us what we can cut.” (Capitol Updates)

By: Steve Lewis
September 18, 2015 // 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. You can sign up on his website to receive the Capitol Updates newsletter by email.… Read more [More...]

New Census data shows Oklahoma continues to trail nation in fighting poverty and covering uninsured

By: Gene Perry
September 17, 2015 // Updated: May 2, 2019
New Census data shows Oklahoma made little progress in reducing the percentage of families living in poverty in 2014. In that year, almost one out of six Oklahomans (16.6 percent) were making less than the poverty line of $24,000 a… Read more [More...]

Welcoming Tyler Parette to the OK Policy team

By: Gene Perry
September 16, 2015 // Updated: September 16, 2015
Oklahoma Policy Institute is very pleased to announce that we have hired Tyler Parette as our new Outreach and Operations Associate. In the newly-created position, Parette’s responsibilities include providing organizational and administrative support to the whole OK Policy team. He… Read more [More...]

In The Know: Fatal shootings by police surpass 2014 totals

By: Carly Putnam
September 15, 2015 // Updated: September 15, 2015
In The Know is a daily synopsis of Oklahoma policy-related news and blogs. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail. Today… Read more [More...]

Attorneys for kids in child welfare system may not be prepared for the job (Capitol Updates)

By: Steve Lewis
September 14, 2015 // Updated: September 14, 2015
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. You can sign up on his website to receive the Capitol Updates newsletter by email.… Read more [More...]

The Weekly Wonk: Low cost of living doesn’t make up for low teacher pay, and more…

By: Carly Putnam
September 13, 2015 // Updated: September 11, 2015
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...]

Cost-of-living doesn’t make up for Oklahoma’s low teacher pay

By: Gene Perry
September 9, 2015 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Oklahoma’s teacher shortage has resulted in more than 1,000 teacher vacancies statewide this school year and and a huge spike in emergency certifications to get teachers in the classroom, even when they don’t have the required qualifications. Why is it … Read more [More...]

In The Know: Oklahoma not enforcing penalties on companies that violate Workers’ Compensation law

By: Gene Perry
September 8, 2015 // Updated: September 8, 2015
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: Civil asset forfeiture, uninsured rates, and more…

By: Carly Putnam
September 6, 2015 // Updated: September 4, 2015
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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