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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

Our Online Budget Guide is coming soon

By: Paul Shinn
September 22, 2009 // Updated: May 1, 2019
On October 6, Oklahoma Policy Institute will release its Online Budget Guide. This unique tool for understanding Oklahoma state and local government finances will be valuable both as an introduction for newcomers and as a reference guide for the more… Read more [More...]

Stagnant enrollment and other numbers you need

By: Paul Shinn
September 21, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Last week we released the September edition of Numbers You Need, our monthly recap of statistics that shape Oklahoma. In addition to bad news for the short run–a higher unemployment rate, more people on public support programs, and the eighth… Read more [More...]

Health insurance reform explained.. in three steps!

By: David Blatt
September 18, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
The best flow chart ever, created by Nicholas Beaudrot of Donkeylicious, explaining how you would get health insurance if the major health care proposals under consideration by Congress were to pass:… Read more [More...]

Cutting into the bone: Impact of falling revenues starting to be felt

By: David Blatt
September 17, 2009 // Updated: May 1, 2019
Anyone hoping for signs that the state’s budget woes had already hit bottom found little to cheer in Tuesday’s  revenue announcement [PDF] from Treasurer Scott Meacham. August General Revenue (GR) collections came in nearly 32 percent below one year ago.… Read more [More...]

Pleasant surprise: Oklahoma health insurance gains ground for all ages, types of coverage

By: David Blatt
September 15, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
As we noted right after the numbers were  released, last week’s Census Bureau report on health insurance coverage provided some unexpectedly good news for Oklahoma. While the nation as a whole saw an increase in the number of uninsured, which… Read more [More...]

Automatic for the people: New approaches to building savings

By: David Blatt
September 14, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
The Obama administration recently announced a series of measures aimed at making it easier for Americans to save.  As the New York Times article on the initiative noted, the measures are all rooted in research from the field of behavioral… Read more [More...]

New national data on income, poverty and the uninsured shows recession’s initial effects

By: David Blatt
September 11, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Yesterday, the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual report on income, poverty and health insurance coverage for 2008  from its Current Population Survey. You can or click here for fact sheets and links to all the data or click here… Read more [More...]

You want insurance with that? Fast food chain covers its employees and helps its bottom line

By: Paul Shinn
September 10, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Burgerville, a small fast-food chain in the Pacific Northwest, has always made a killer fresh blackberry shake. Recently, it also made a shrewd business move: providing health insurance for employees. Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported on the genesis… Read more [More...]

Better Served: States are encouraged to broaden sales tax base

By: David Blatt
September 9, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Should states be looking at broadening their sales tax bases to cover more currently untaxed services? That is the argument made in a recent paper by Michael Mazerov of  the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Most states could improve… Read more [More...]

Non-profits and advocates gather to size up budget situation

By: David Blatt
September 8, 2009 // Updated: May 1, 2019
Last week, OK Policy convened a meeting of over 30 representatives of non-profit and advocacy organizations to discuss the state’s budget situation. We begin with a presentation on budget trends and outlooks, which can be viewed on our website; the… Read more [More...]

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