OK Policy Blog

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2024 Census data: Oklahoma ranks as 8th poorest state

By: Dave Hamby
September 11, 2025 // Updated: September 12, 2025
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, released Sept. 11, show that Oklahoma’s poverty rate was 14.9 percent, which means that more than 1 in 7 state residents live in poverty. While the state’s overall poverty rate… Read more More...

Recent Posts

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...]

OK Policy Unveils Policy Priorities for 2022 Legislative Session

By: Dave Hamby
November 19, 2021 // Updated: March 25, 2022
Based on feedback from residents statewide, the Oklahoma Policy Institute has developed legislative policy priorities for the upcoming 2022 legislative session that can help Oklahomans live healthier, raise thriving families, and ensure the safety of their communities.  Following the conclusion… Read more [More...]

Five Republican House members urge Stitt to grant clemency for Julius Jones (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
November 16, 2021 // Updated: November 16, 2021
It looks as though Gov. Stitt will need to decide this week about whether to follow the recommendation of the Pardon and Parole Board and grant clemency to Julius Jones who was convicted of murder in Oklahoma County and sentenced… Read more [More...]

Medicaid expansion is working just as expected

By: Emma Morris
November 15, 2021 // Updated: November 15, 2021
Medical consulation Oklahoma has successfully expanded Medicaid, as more than 210,000 Oklahomans have enrolled in expansion and there have been substantial declines in the uninsured rate across all demographics. Though it is too soon to definitively identify the long-term benefits for the… Read more [More...]

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