OK Policy Blog

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Criminalizing homelessness is harmful and ineffective

By: Sabine Brown
March 30, 2024 // Updated: April 1, 2024
Proposals to criminalize homelessness are harmful and counterproductive. Research shows us that the best way to combat homelessness is to increase access to affordable housing. More...

Recent Posts

SQ 744: Whichever ways revenues go, education spending must go up

By: David Blatt
September 13, 2010 // Updated: May 2, 2019
For anyone who thinks that balancing the state budget in the midst of an economic downturn and declining revenue collections isn’t a tough enough challenge already, just wait to see what happens if Oklahoma voters approve State Question 744. Because… Read more [More...]

Richer measure of poverty on its way

By: David Blatt
September 10, 2010 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Next week, the U.S. Census Bureau will release its annual report on poverty in the United States. The report will tell us how many Americans had income in 2009 below the federal poverty level, which is $18,310 for a family… Read more [More...]

Assets can build the bridge from the safety net to self-sufficiency

By: David Blatt
September 8, 2010 // Updated: May 2, 2019
An front-page USA Today article last week reported that government anti-poverty programs – including Medicaid health insurance coverage, food stamps, unemployment benefits and welfare cash assistance – are now assisting one in six Americans and are continuing to expand.  Anyone… Read more [More...]

These go up to 11: Sorting the State Questions on the November Ballot

By: David Blatt
September 6, 2010 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Oklahoma voters have the great good fortune this November to decide the fate of no less than 11 proposed constitutional amendments on matters ranging from education funding and health care reform to judicial nominations and (we kid you not) Sharia… Read more [More...]

On Labor Day, thinking of those without jobs

By: David Blatt
September 5, 2010 // Updated: May 2, 2019
In honor of Labor Day weekend, Scott Simon, host of NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday, offered this touching essay urging us to keep in mind “the millions of Americans who don’t have jobs, but who in many ways work harder than… Read more [More...]

Upcoming Event: Fall Forum for child advocates

By: David Blatt
September 3, 2010 // Updated: May 2, 2019
The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy’s annual Fall Children’s Legislative Forum will be held Tuesday, October 12th and Wednesday, October 13th.  The theme this year is “Protect Kids”, and the main goal of the event will be to create consensus… Read more [More...]

Revenue from voter-approved "sin taxes" grew in FY 10, but pace is slowing

By: David Blatt
September 1, 2010 // Updated: May 2, 2019
In 2004, Oklahoma voters approved a series of measures intended to raise new revenues for education and health care through a state lottery (SQ 705 and 706), gaming compacts (SQ 712), and increased tobacco taxes (SQ 713).  OK Policy has… Read more [More...]

John Thompson: Liberals and conservatives agree, early reading comprehension is the key

By: David Blatt
August 30, 2010 // Updated: May 2, 2019
John Thompson is an Oklahoma City teacher with 18 years of urban high school experience and an education blogger at thisweekineducation.com. He contributes regularly to our blog on education issues. In 2000, when serving on the Steering Committee for MAPS… Read more [More...]

Crisis or correction? Exploring the sharp swings in state spending

By: David Blatt
August 26, 2010 // Updated: May 1, 2019
The recent history of state appropriations, displayed here from our FY ’11 Budget Highlights fact sheet, shows a  series of successive ups and downs: We see that the state appropriated budget for the current year, FY ’11, is 5.8 percent… Read more [More...]

Limiting itemized deductions would improve the fairness and adequacy of the state income tax

By: David Blatt
August 25, 2010 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Earlier this year, we called attention to one of the stranger loopholes in the Oklahoma tax code, the case of the “double deduction” of state income taxes.  Federal tax law allows taxpayers who itemize their deductions to claim a deduction… Read more [More...]

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