OK Policy Blog

Featured Read

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

Weekly Wonk: Making the budget process more transparent | Pardon & Parole Board | Charitable giving during the holidays

By: Dave Hamby
December 11, 2021 // Updated: December 11, 2021
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...]

It’s time to reopen Oklahoma’s budget process to the public

By: Paul Shinn
December 8, 2021 // Updated: December 8, 2021
he public should be involved through public hearings and through the opportunity to comment — both in person and online — about budgets. Our state’s budget process won’t be this transparent until Oklahomans demand it. While many steps must be taken, moving back toward the more open and participative process of the 1990s would put us on the right track. [More...]

Focus on the Pardon and Parole Board (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
December 6, 2021 // Updated: December 6, 2021
Everyone who makes decisions in criminal cases — from judges to prosecutors and defense attorneys to the parole board and the governor — bears the weight of the decisions they are making. They live in apprehension that a wrong decision could cost damage, injury, or life. It goes with the territory. No one in the system is infallible. [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Looking ahead to session | Updating state drug court statute | We’re hiring

By: Dave Hamby
December 5, 2021 // Updated: December 5, 2021
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...]

Updating state’s drug court statute could reduce overdose deaths (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
November 30, 2021 // Updated: November 30, 2021
The Center for Disease Control released figures recently showing that 100,000 Americans died from a drug overdose between April 2020 and April 2021, nearly 30 percent more than the previous year. Of those, 798 people died in Oklahoma, a 20… Read more [More...]

OK Policy announces new hires in outreach, communication/operations

By: Kristin Wells
November 29, 2021 // Updated: November 29, 2021
The Oklahoma Policy Institute is expanding its community outreach efforts across the state with three new staff members, and boosting its communications and operations teams through the hiring of a new fellow.  [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Allocating ARPA funds | 2022 Legislative Priorities | People Have the Power event, Nov. 30

By: Dave Hamby
November 28, 2021 // Updated: November 28, 2021
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...]

Join the team as a Data Analyst

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
November 23, 2021 // Updated: January 4, 2022
Visit our Jobs & Internships page to view the latest job and internship opportunities. Data Analyst The Oklahoma Policy Institute is currently hiring for a Data Analyst to carry out critical data-driven research projects, using the Open Justice Oklahoma database to turn… Read more [More...]

Lawmakers moving deliberately in allocating ARPA funds (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
November 22, 2021 // Updated: November 22, 2021
Most every group that provides services paid for fully or in-part by state government is enormously interested in the impending distribution of the $1.87 billion coming to the state through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The funds will be… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: 2022 Legislative Priorities | Medicaid expansion working as expected | Redistricting special session

By: Dave Hamby
November 21, 2021 // Updated: November 21, 2021
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...]

Search the Blog