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

Past economic development efforts should inform decision making (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
May 16, 2023 // Updated: August 21, 2025
Frustrated by Oklahoma’s recent high-profile failures to land large manufacturing facilities, Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, last March created the Senate Economic Development Select Committee. At the time Pro Tem Treat said, “Oklahoma has abundant resources, qualified… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Tax cuts aren’t fiscally conservative | Buyer beware on tax cuts, school vouchers | Hunger is a fixable problem | Capitol Update

By: Hana Saad
May 13, 2023 // Updated: August 21, 2025
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...]

Flat tax, tax triggers would make Oklahoma’s tax system less fair, less adequate, and less stable

By: Emma Morris
// Updated: August 21, 2025
• Current Tax Cut Proposals Don’t Help Most Oklahomans [Printable PDF] With less than two weeks left in the 2023 legislative session, lawmakers have very little time remaining to reach agreement on, reveal, and adopt the Fiscal Year 2024 state… Read more [More...]

Gov. Stitt vetoes bill allowing students to wear tribal regalia at graduation (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
May 8, 2023 // Updated: August 21, 2025
It was disappointing to see that the governor vetoed Senate Bill 429 which allows students to wear tribal regalia at official graduation ceremonies. The bill defines “tribal regalia” narrowly as “traditional garments, jewelry, other adornments such as an eagle feather,… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women | Coming together in the people’s house | Capitol Update

By: Hana Saad
May 6, 2023 // Updated: August 21, 2025
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...]

This week is crucial for budget issues, education bills (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
May 2, 2023 // Updated: August 21, 2025
With only four weeks left in this year’s Legislative session, the feud between the House, Senate, and governor over education funding — including tax credits for parents sending their children to private schools — still dominates and is yet to… Read more [More...]

No more delayed justice, HB 1077 is good tribal-state policy

By: Vivian Morris
May 1, 2023 // Updated: August 21, 2025
Across the United States, justice has lagged and gaps in response to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women/People (MMIW/P) persist as a result of a legacy of institutionalized disregard for Indigenous lives. In 2018, Oklahoma was among the top 10 states… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Private school vouchers are wrong turn for Oklahoma | Delivering targeted, fiscally responsible tax relief | Capitol Update | More

By: Dave Hamby
April 29, 2023 // Updated: August 21, 2025
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...]

Vouchers: Another Wrong Turn for Oklahoma Schools

By: Paul Shinn
April 26, 2023 // Updated: August 21, 2025
Oklahoma legislators are considering several unpredictable, expensive, and dangerous proposals to drastically change our state education policy. These proposals would use tax dollars to fund private education for fewer than 1 in 10 Oklahoma children and take funding from public schools. [More...]

Modernizing the Sales Tax Relief Credit will cut taxes for those who need it

By: Emma Morris
April 25, 2023 // Updated: August 21, 2025
• Information sheet about the Sales Tax Relief Credit [PDF]  In recent years, state leaders have continually proposed eliminating the state portion of the sales tax on groceries. The House of Representatives passed House Bill 1955 in late March to… Read more [More...]

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