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

The Weekly Wonk: Increasing Oklahoma’s minimum wage creates positive impacts for everyone, especially American Indians | Three things needed for Oklahoma education reform | Elections are for the people, not parties

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
November 30, 2024 // Updated: November 30, 2024
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...]

Increasing Oklahoma’s minimum wage creates positive impacts for all Oklahomans, especially American Indians

By: Vivian Morris
November 26, 2024 // Updated: November 26, 2024
The state's minimum wage is a contributing factor to our long-standing poverty. Wage compensation has significant consequences for Oklahoma and especially rural Oklahomans of color. [More...]

Three things needed to reform education in Oklahoma (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
// Updated: November 26, 2024
A group of education leaders and others from across the state are organizing an effort to improve Oklahoma’s schools under the name Advance Oklahoma’s Kids. They are gathering input through a short online survey, community forums, and listening sessions to… Read more [More...]

The Weekly Wonk: Respecting Tribal sovereignty is vital to our state’s success | Naming committee chairs is important decision before the upcoming session | More

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
November 24, 2024 // Updated: November 22, 2024
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...]

Naming committee chairs is important decision before the upcoming session (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
November 19, 2024 // Updated: November 19, 2024
The 60th Oklahoma Legislature is marching toward its constitutional organizational date on Jan. 7, 2025. The organizational day is a formality to officially elect the leadership, make appointments, adopt legislative rules and do the paperwork to begin the first session… Read more [More...]

The Weekly Wonk: Incoming class of legislators | We can’t normalize hate | Oklahoma children in underserved communities deserve to thrive

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
November 16, 2024 // Updated: November 16, 2024
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 look at the incoming class of state legislators (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
November 12, 2024 // Updated: December 16, 2024
This year’s elections have produced an interesting mix of new legislators. The incoming Senate class is unusually large, while the new House members form a somewhat average-sized class. There is always a degree of excitement in meeting the new members… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Eliminating U.S. Ed. Dept. is bad for Oklahomans | State will thrive if we prioritize people over politics | New leadership at state youth justice agency

By: Dave Hamby
November 9, 2024 // Updated: November 9, 2024
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 OJA director good fit to address needs for state youth (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
November 5, 2024 // Updated: November 5, 2024
Timothy Tardibono, who was appointed last week by Gov. Kevin Stitt to be the new director of the Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA), should prove to be a good appointment. His background, education and experience all point toward progress for troubled children, youth and families in Oklahoma. [More...]

The Weekly Wonk: Studying long sentences and mental health in Oklahoma prisons and jails | A community discussion about youth justice | Let’s not be last this election

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
November 3, 2024 // Updated: November 1, 2024
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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