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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

Senate District 32 special election draws six candidates (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
August 8, 2023 // Updated: August 8, 2023
The race to replace Sen. John Michael Montgomery, R-Lawton, who recently resigned to become CEO of the Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce, will be interesting and perhaps more competitive than might have been expected, given the short notice to… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Expanding access to housing | Back-to-school not rosy for all families | Capitol Update | Business rankings show cracks in foundation

By: Dave Hamby
August 5, 2023 // Updated: August 5, 2023
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...]

Rejected House Interim Studies show breadth of issues facing state (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
July 31, 2023 // Updated: August 1, 2023
UPDATE (8/1/23): An earlier version said that an interim study on medical debt (Interim Study 23-69 by Rep. Suzanne Schreiber, D-Tulsa) was not approved. That study was approved.  – – – Last week, Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, approved 85 of… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma legislators need to do more to expand access to housing

By: Sabine Brown
// Updated: January 16, 2024
Co-authored by Sabine Brown, Infrastructure and Access Senior Policy Analyst for the Oklahoma Policy Institute, and Justice Jones, Homelessness and Affordable Housing Policy Analyst for Housing Solutions – – – Oklahoma is in the midst of a housing crisis. With… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Health Information Exchange | Weak politicians weaponize differences | Together OK Listening Sessions

By: Dave Hamby
July 29, 2023 // Updated: July 29, 2023
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...]

A closer look at emergency rules for Oklahoma’s health information exchange (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
July 24, 2023 // Updated: July 24, 2023
It appears that, with the passage of emergency rules by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) board on July 17, the battle over the health information exchange (HIE) in Oklahoma is, at least temporarily, on pause. Those wanting a more… Read more [More...]

[Weekly Wonk] Criminal justice reform | Busting the bootstrap myth | Oklahoma needs strong Ethics Commission

By: Dave Hamby
July 22, 2023 // Updated: July 22, 2023
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...]

New task force created to recommend criminal justice reforms (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
July 18, 2023 // Updated: July 18, 2023
It is a hopeful sign that Governor Kevin Stitt has demonstrated his continued commitment to criminal justice reform by creating a new task force called MODERN (Modernizing Operations through Data and Evidence-based Restoration Now) to work until February 2, 2024.… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Caring for Caregivers Act | Justice for Tulsa Race Massacre survivors | Election reforms needed | More

By: Hana Saad
July 15, 2023 // Updated: July 15, 2023
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...]

Caring for Caregivers Act had a difficult road to passage; it shouldn’t have been so hard (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
July 10, 2023 // Updated: July 10, 2023
The Caring for Caregivers Act, requested by Oklahoma AARP and championed by Rep. Tammy West, R-Oklahoma City, and Sen. John Michael Montgomery, R-Lawton, passed last session. The act creates a tax credit up to 50 percent of eligible caregiver costs,… Read more [More...]

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