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Weekly Wonk: Supporting immigration will boost Oklahoma’s economy | ARPA spending taking shape | A light in the darkness

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...]

Supporting immigration will boost Oklahoma’s economy 

Co-authors: Immigration Policy Analyst Gabriela Ramirez-Perez and Josie Phillips, former Policy Fellow – – – Immigrants are an integral part of Oklahoma’s economy. They work in essential industries, create jobs by starting businesses, care for our aging population, and contribute… Read more [More...]

Lawmakers’ recommendations on ARPA spending starting to take shape (Capitol Update)

There was a lot of activity at the Capitol last week with interim studies discussing a variety of topics and American Rescue Plan (ARPA) working groups considering and approving multiple funding proposals. The next stop for the working group proposals… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Oklahoma ranks 10th for poverty | Expanding pregnancy, postpartum care | Capitol Update | Justice reform: Fines & fees

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...]

Latest poverty, health insurance data show that Oklahoma still has work to do

New data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey released Sept. 15 show that Oklahoma’s poverty rate (15.6 percent) was the nation’s 8th highest, increasing slightly in 2021 when compared to 2019’s pre-pandemic levels (15.2 percent).  A closer look at… Read more [More...]

Interim study discusses parental rights and protecting well-being for endangered children (Capitol Update)

An interim study requested by Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole, and Rep. Sherrie Conley, R-Newcastle, was held in the House Judiciary-Civil Committee last week and went in a slightly different direction than I expected. The study request indicated it would examine… Read more [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Common-sense tax reform | Health care for immigrants | Renter protections & evictions | Behavioral health

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...]

It’s time for action to address Oklahoma’s eviction crisis

Evictions are skyrocketing in some areas of Oklahoma, part of a nationwide crisis in affordable housing. In several counties across the state, including Canadian and Oklahoma counties, evictions in the first half of 2022 were at an all-time high. With… Read more [More...]

Excluded in the Expansion: The persisting gaps in health care coverage for immigrant Oklahomans

Medicaid expansion in Oklahoma has allowed more than 300,000 residents to enroll for health care, but almost 82,000 Oklahomans who are immigrants remain uninsured. Since the mid-1990s, many immigrants are either partially or entirely ineligible for federal public benefits programs,… Read more [More...]

LOFT report shares opportunities to coordinate state’s behavioral health services (Capitol Update)

An interesting behavioral health report was presented last week to the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) Oversight Committee, a joint House-Senate Committee chaired by their respective Appropriations Chairs. LOFT has become a valuable tool for the legislature to get… Read more [More...]

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