OK Policy Blog

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The 2023 legislative session included significant tribal-state bills and a respect for tribal sovereignty from state lawmakers

By: Vivian Morris
November 21, 2023 // Updated: November 22, 2023
Oklahoma has the second-highest share of tribal citizens of any state, which helps shape the fabric of our state’s culture and communities. This year, the Oklahoma legislature demonstrated this influence by including and valuing Native Oklahomans and tribal leaders in… Read more More...

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Interim study on youth justice shows need for funding, cohesive systems for prevention and treatment services (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
November 1, 2023 // Updated: November 1, 2023
Rep. Amanda Swope, D-Tulsa, who in her life outside the legislature is the Tribal Juvenile Justice Program Director for the Muscogee Nation, brought her passion for helping troubled youth with her when she was elected to the House of Representatives.… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Private school vouchers and the art of political makeovers | Revisiting the minimum wage | OK Wellness Watch

By: Dave Hamby
October 28, 2023 // Updated: October 28, 2023
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...]

Rebranding private school vouchers: The art of political makeovers (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
October 24, 2023 // Updated: October 24, 2023
In time-honored legislative jargon it’s called “putting lipstick on a pig.”  Most legislators have opposed school vouchers for private schools. In 2022 the Senate tried to pass a bill giving private school students a publicly funded “education savings account,” and… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: State budget process: How the sausage gets made | OK Wellness Watch event | Teen mental health | more

By: Dave Hamby
October 21, 2023 // Updated: October 21, 2023
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...]

How the sausage gets made: Comparing today’s state budget process to previous process (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
October 16, 2023 // Updated: October 16, 2023
Governor Stitt’s special session that lasted only a few hours brought attention to a perpetual issue: transparency of the legislative appropriations process. Stitt’s complaint was he didn’t know what was in the general appropriation bill until it was too late… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: State needs fiscally responsible budget planning | Credit where it isn’t due | Capitol Update | More

By: Dave Hamby
October 14, 2023 // Updated: October 14, 2023
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...]

Examining the death penalty in Oklahoma: Insights from last week’s interim study (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
October 10, 2023 // Updated: October 9, 2023
The House Judiciary-Criminal Committee conducted an interim study on the death penalty last week at the request of Rep. Kevin McDugle, R-Broken Arrow. McDugle became concerned with the way the state applies the death penalty after taking an interest in… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Lawmakers should prioritize democratic processes | Quitting our Lone Star envy | Capitol Update

By: Dave Hamby
October 7, 2023 // Updated: October 7, 2023
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...]

When lawmakers prioritize democratic processes, all Oklahomans benefit

By: Cole Allen
October 6, 2023 // Updated: October 6, 2023
Factsheet: What to know about Online Voter Registration in Oklahoma [PDF] # # # While lawmakers worked to make some improvements to Oklahoma’s democracy in the 2023 legislative session, there are still many opportunities to bring our state closer to… Read more [More...]

Economic uncertainty calls for fiscal responsibility from Oklahoma leaders, not tax cuts (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
October 3, 2023 // Updated: October 2, 2023
This week legislators will arrive at the Capitol to respond to Governor Stitt’s call for a special session. It is a safe bet that his proposal for a law to trigger an automatic repeal of any tax held by a… Read more [More...]

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