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: Nex Benedict’s death shows policy failures, harms from inaction | Lengthening Oklahoma’s eviction timeline | Senate budget transparency efforts continue

By: Dave Hamby
March 9, 2024 // Updated: March 9, 2024
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...]

Lengthening the eviction timeline will increase access to justice for Oklahoma renters

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
// Updated: March 15, 2024
Extending the eviction timeline in Oklahoma will help tenants exercise their legal rights and prevent housing instability and homelessness. [More...]

Senate’s efforts on budget transparency continue, but final budget will still rely on end-of-session negotiations (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
March 8, 2024 // Updated: March 8, 2024
It is a noble effort to try to make the appropriations process more transparent and open to all senators. However, the state budget is almost always going to depend on other revenue and spending policy decisions made earlier in the session. [More...]

Nex Benedict’s death shows policy failures, harms from inaction (Commentary)

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
March 6, 2024 // Updated: March 7, 2024
The recent death of Nex Benedict — a nonbinary student from Owasso High School who died a day after a confrontation with bullies — has garnered worldwide attention because advocates have been warning that the recent uptick in hateful anti-2SLQBTQ+ laws would create an atmosphere where people could be hurt or killed. Year over year, bills targeting transgender individuals have surged across the country, particularly in Oklahoma which leads the nation in such measures. [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Flipping the script on state’s upside down tax system | State will move backwards if we continue ignoring unmet needs | More

By: Dave Hamby
March 2, 2024 // Updated: March 2, 2024
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...]

Statement: Elimination of grocery sales tax is far too little support for low- and middle-income families

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
February 27, 2024 // Updated: February 27, 2024
While elimination of the state portion of the grocery sales tax provides a measure of financial relief to some Oklahomans, it’s far too little support for our low - and middle-income families and seniors who need it most.  [More...]

Ignoring Oklahoma’s unmet needs today will move us further backwards tomorrow (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
February 26, 2024 // Updated: February 26, 2024
Legislators decided to take a break for this year and cut taxes while they can. Not paying taxes on groceries will feel good. But some of the state’s urgent unmet needs will go unmet for another year while this year’s aspirational requests will become a future unmet need. [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Zoning reforms would help address housing needs | Proposed bill would provide overdue legal reform | Senator’s ‘filth’ comment shameful | More

By: Dave Hamby
February 24, 2024 // Updated: February 24, 2024
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...]

Proposed bill would provide overdue reform of the criminal legal process (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
February 20, 2024 // Updated: February 20, 2024
House Bill 3777, which deals with discovery in criminal trials, is an important and long overdue reform in the criminal legal process. [More...]

Weekly Wonk: Better ways to deliver fiscal relief than cutting grocery sales tax | Living wage out of reach for many Oklahomans | Capitol Update

By: Dave Hamby
February 17, 2024 // Updated: February 17, 2024
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...]

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