OK Policy Blog

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Hard work deserves a fair wage. SQ 832 would help make that happen.

By: Gabriela Ramirez-Perez
May 15, 2026 // Updated: June 6, 2026
After years of inaction by state legislators, Oklahomans took matters into their own hands two years ago and began to gather signatures to put a state question on the ballot and finally raise the minimum wage. This ballot initiative, also… Read more More...

Recent Posts

Conflict over executive power halts Stitt’s executive order (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
November 17, 2025 // Updated: November 17, 2025
There are interesting goings on at the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority (OHCA) regarding Governor Kevin Stitt’s July 31, 2025, executive order requiring that OHCA “shall require, as a condition of participation in the SoonerCare program, that all providers submit a signed… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: What we get wrong about homelessness and mental health | Oklahoma has a chance to build a youth justice system rooted in hope. Will we? | The shutdown held a mirror to Oklahoma’s choices

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
November 16, 2025 // Updated: November 15, 2025
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...]

Clara Luper Plaza dedication honors Oklahoma’s role in civil rights history (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
November 13, 2025 // Updated: November 13, 2025
Opinion: Clara Luper resisted Oklahoma City segregation. What change will you make? [Former Sen. Angela Monson / The Oklahoman] Occasionally, something happens that makes you especially proud of your state. One of those moments occurred Saturday, November 1, when the… Read more [More...]

What we get wrong about homelessness and mental health (Commentary)

By: Sabine Brown
November 12, 2025 // Updated: November 16, 2025
Too often, when conversations about homelessness come up, someone says it: “Well, they’re all mentally ill.” It’s a comment tossed off as fact, but it reveals something deeper — not truth, but comfort. If homelessness is just the result of… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: What Oklahomans need to know about expiring ACA premium tax credits | Raising the minimum wage in Oklahoma is pro-growth | Charter school facilities take center stage in interim study | Better laws in Oklahoma begin with better listening

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
November 9, 2025 // Updated: November 7, 2025
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...]

What Oklahomans need to know about expiring ACA premium tax credits

By: Kati Malicoate
November 7, 2025 // Updated: November 7, 2025
What’s happening with the ACA premium tax credits? Since 2014, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has made health insurance more accessible by creating online Marketplaces where people can compare plans and qualify for help paying monthly payments (aka premiums). That… Read more [More...]

Charter school facilities take center stage in interim study (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
November 3, 2025 // Updated: November 3, 2025
Recently, the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee — chaired by Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid — conducted an interim study looking at potential funding and the authorization process for charter school facilities in Oklahoma. The committee was told demand for charter… Read more [More...]

Raising the minimum wage in Oklahoma is pro-growth

By: Aanahita Irani Ervin
// Updated: December 22, 2025
• SQ 832: Information and Resources • What you need to know about the minimum wage in Oklahoma An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated starting salaries at Hobby Lobby, which raised its full-time hourly minimum wage to $20.15… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Help wanted – Leadership from Oklahoma’s delegation | Oklahoma enacted one of the five biggest tax cuts for millionaires | Moving the needle on Oklahoma’s youth justice reform | More

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
November 2, 2025 // Updated: October 31, 2025
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...]

Justice demands proportionality in child abuse laws (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
October 28, 2025 // Updated: October 28, 2025
Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee — chaired by Sen. Brent Howard, R-Altus — held a three-hour interim study exploring Oklahoma’s “Failure to Protect” statutes. The study was led by Sen. Todd Gollihare, R-Bristow. The Oklahoma statute, 22 O.S. 843.5,… Read more [More...]

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