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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: Gov.’s statements on income tax are short-sighted | Oklahoma must address affordable housing crisis | Capitol Update | More

By: Dave Hamby
August 26, 2023 // Updated: August 28, 2023

Weekly Wonk, Aug 27 * Eliminating income tax would be short-sighted, ignore realities of governing * Oklahoma must address affordable housing crisis * Housing town halls in Ada, Edmond * Legislative priorities survey * Capitol Update [More...]

Lawmakers should clear up conflicting language about remaining in office following criminal pleas, convictions (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
August 22, 2023 // Updated: August 22, 2023

It is unfortunate that Rep. Ryan Martinez, R-Edmond, has had to resign his seat in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, effective September 1. He is a serious-minded legislator who, as Vice-Chair of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee, had worked… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Private school vouchers | Evidence-based immigration policy reform | State question process | Capitol Update

By: Dave Hamby
August 19, 2023 // Updated: August 19, 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...]

Governor issues executive order to change workforce development responsibilities (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
August 18, 2023 // Updated: August 18, 2023

Gov. Kevin Stitt filed an interesting executive order last week transferring the Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development from the Department of Commerce to the Oklahoma Employment Security (OESC) Commission and giving OESC control over all money received by the state… Read more [More...]

Private school tax credits will give everyone’s taxes to people who don’t need our help

By: Paul Shinn
August 16, 2023 // Updated: November 20, 2023

While this program could make private and homeschooling more practical or affordable for a few families, taxpayers will mostly be paying for people to do what they were willing to pay for on their own. As a result, we’ll be handing millions of tax dollars to the most well-off among us while propping up private schools, whose enrollment has stagnated in recent years. [More...]

Progress made on evidence-based immigration policy reforms, but more work is needed

By: Gabriela Ramirez-Perez
August 15, 2023 // Updated: August 15, 2023

Sensible policy reforms related to immigration can benefit all Oklahomans by making us safer, healthier, and saving Oklahomans money. Two such measures were Senate Bill 669 and House Bill 2351. These two bills addressed different concerns around public safety and… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: FY 2024 budget misses opportunities | Protecting the state question process | Community voices make better policy

By: Dave Hamby
August 12, 2023 // Updated: August 12, 2023

FY 2024 Budget: Lawmakers diverted taxpayer dollars to private schools, but missed opportunities to support everyday Oklahomans

By: Emma Morris
August 10, 2023 // Updated: August 17, 2023

[FY 2024 Budget Highlights] Throughout the 2023 legislative session, lawmakers discussed further reducing state revenue by cutting various taxes, with the understanding that any major tax and spending changes would only be passed as part of the state budget. As… Read more [More...]

FY 2024 Budget Highlights

By: Emma Morris
// Updated: August 10, 2023

[Download this report as a pdf] | [See charts] | [FY 2024 Budget Analysis] The FY 2024 budget makes some key investments in agencies, but misses opportunities to help everyday Oklahomans. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023 (FY… Read more [More...]

Initiative petition process is vital to Oklahoma’s democracy: Lawmakers should keep it accessible

By: Cole Allen
August 9, 2023 // Updated: July 22, 2024

Oklahoma’s lawmakers must keep our democracy strong and stop putting forward legislation designed to diminish the power of the initiative petition and state question process in Oklahoma. In 2020, Oklahomans passed State Question 802 to expand Medicaid access in Oklahoma,… Read more [More...]

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