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SB 511 creates a legal path for harm reduction in Oklahoma (Guest Post)

Senate Bill 511, which was signed into law by Gov. Stitt, creates pathways to decrease preventable overdose deaths while supporting Oklahomans with substance use disorders. [More...]

Oklahomans demanded Medicaid expansion. We must do it quickly and get it right.

In order to realize these enormous benefits, the state must ensure that Medicaid expansion is implemented well and that all eligible Oklahomans can enroll in the health program. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) has taken some steps to make this a reality. Now, the agency must commit to developing and implementing a comprehensive outreach and enrollment assistance plan. [More...]

Paid family and medical leave is good for families and businesses

Paid family and medical leave policies improve families’ financial outcomes while benefiting rather than harming small businesses. [More...]

State Supreme Court nominations: Unnecessary to ‘fix’ what’s not broken (Capitol Update)

Those familiar with Oklahoma history will remember our Supreme Court was consumed by a bribery scandal in the 1960s. At the time, Supreme Court justices were elected on a partisan ticket. All nine justices were Democrats. A key player in… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: A day without taxes? Be careful what you wish for | State EITC supports working Oklahomans | More

A Day Without Taxes?; Friction between elected officials rises to public view (Capitol Update); Medicaid helps fill gaps in tribal health services (Oklahoma Medicaid Stories); Policy Matters: EITC supports working Oklahomans [More...]

“A Day Without Taxes … or, Be Careful What You Wish For”

Twelve years ago, I wrote this article to make a point about the essential role taxes play in our everyday lives. Since then, however, the real Oklahoma has moved closer to the one I feared in my dream. [More...]

Medicaid helps fill gaps in tribal health services

Ginger Willhite’s daughter is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, which provides free health care for its citizens. However, when her daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, she required specialty care that was not available through her tribal health care but available through SoonerCare. [More...]

Managed Care for Oklahoma’s Medicaid Program

The Oklahoma Health Care Authority — at the request of Gov. Stitt — has approved moving SoonerCare (Oklahoma’s Medicaid program) to a privatized managed care model. In early 2021, OHCA authorized $2 billion in managed care contracts to four companies. [More...]

Friction between elected officials rises to public view (Capitol Update)

It seems there’s a bit of early friction this year between the House, Senate, and the governor. Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat complained openly about House actions, apparently holding certain bills hostage for leverage in later negotiations. The House… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Proposed revenue cuts are costly, poorly timed | Asking better questions | School funding

We have better options than a costly and poorly targeted income tax cut; Policy Matters: Asking better questions; How HB 1888 came back from the dead this session (Capitol Update); School funding issues. [More...]

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