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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

Budget challenge asks, “What part of ‘nothing but appropriations’ do you not understand?”

By: David Blatt
June 15, 2015 // Updated: May 1, 2019
Early in May, former State Representative Mike Reynolds, represented by Oklahoma City attorneys Jerry Fent and Ted Pool, filed a lawsuit against Governor Mary Fallin and other officeholders on behalf of the taxpayers of Oklahoma. The suit challenges how the… Read more [More...]

The Weekly Wonk June 14, 2015

By: Carly Putnam
June 14, 2015 // Updated: July 25, 2015
The Weekly Wonk is a summary of Oklahoma Policy Institute’s events, publications, blog posts, and coverage. Numbers of the Day and Policy Notes are from our daily news briefing, In The Know. Click here to subscribe to In The Know.… Read more [More...]

Does State Have Plans if Thousands Lose Insurance Subsidies? (Oklahoma Watch)

By: Chan Aaron
June 13, 2015 // Updated: August 11, 2015
By  WARREN VIETH AND BEN FENWICK Gov. Mary Fallin’s office won’t say if the state has a plan to help thousands of Oklahomans who might be priced out of health insurance if their subsidies are struck down by the U.S.… Read more [More...]

Fear of sound bite motivates bad budget decisions (Capitol Updates)

By: Steve Lewis
June 12, 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...]

Implementing EPA climate change rule should be no problem for Oklahoma

By: Derek Wietelman
June 11, 2015 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Last summer, the Environmental Protection Agency issued its proposed Clean Power Plan Rule in an attempt to lower the emissions of carbon dioxide from electric power plants nationwide. [More...]

In The Know: State revenue for May down 10 percent from last year

By: Gene Perry
June 10, 2015 // Updated: June 10, 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. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions. The… Read more [More...]

Flat funding still means cuts for Oklahoma’s core services

By: David Blatt
June 9, 2015 // Updated: May 2, 2019
In crafting a budget in the face of a large drop in available revenue, lawmakers this year made a sincere effort to minimize cuts to key agencies in the areas of education, health, and safety. Whereas most agencies took cuts… Read more [More...]

In The Know: Flat budget means school closing and layoffs

By: Gene Perry
June 8, 2015 // Updated: June 8, 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. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions. State … Read more [More...]

The Weekly Wonk June 7, 2015

By: Carly Putnam
June 7, 2015 // Updated: July 25, 2015
The Weekly Wonk is a summary of Oklahoma Policy Institute’s events, publications, blog posts, and coverage. Numbers of the Day and Policy Notes are from our daily news briefing, In The Know. Click here to subscribe to In The Know.… Read more [More...]

Three kinds of critics of state budget deal (Capitol Updates)

By: Steve Lewis
June 5, 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...]

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