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Broadband bill presents opportunity for Oklahoma (Guest Post Dr. Brian Whitacre)

A new bill (House Bill 3363) would help Oklahoma ensure that federal relief funding to improve connectivity would go where it’s needed most.  [More...]

Oklahoma’s state question process should be protected

Legislators this session have filed several bills that would increase the threshold for citizen-led petitions or raise the bar needed to approve them once they’re on the ballot. State questions have played a vital role in enacting needed change — we should not be creating more barriers in this process.  [More...]

2022 Statewide Candidate Filing Period This Week (Capitol Update)

Sometime in the late fall preceding an election year, most politicians begin to occasionally sense an ever-so-slight tightening in the pit of their stomach that they can’t readily explain. It’s not too bad, but it’s there. Seemingly unrelated, they observe… Read more [More...]

Legislators have an opportunity to make a down payment on the state’s future

Oklahoma is in a unique position this year to make a downpayment on the future of our state. Premature tax cuts will set the state up to fail; investments will allow us to thrive.  [More...]

[Weekly Wonk] Safely reducing incarceration rate | Indian Country’s COVID response | SQ 640 remains obstacle to prosperity

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...]

Tribal health systems need more resources to fight public health emergencies, but there are still long-standing barriers that need to be addressed

Tribal health’s innovation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic benefitted all Oklahomans, yet tribal citizens experienced disproportionate hardships. These disparities should be addressed through better resources, data collection, and addressing long-standing discrimination and underinvestment. [More...]

Reducing our incarceration population is a matter of public safety — and public health

The state should continue reducing the number of people incarcerated in Oklahoma across the board by extending the early pandemic efforts, like expanding commutations and making permanent efforts that reduce arrests for certain non-violent offenses. These efforts are not only good for Oklahomans and public safety, but they serve the needs of public health as well.  [More...]

[Weekly Wonk] Better tomorrows for state youth | Pandemic impacts in Oklahoma | Managed care bill

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...]

Mitigation efforts helped keep our justice-involved youth safer during the pandemic

Justice-involved youth have faced a heightened risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. Youthful offenders, already likely burdened with childhood trauma and the stress of separation from family, faced considerable risks living in shared facilities with other youths during a highly infectious global pandemic. [More...]

SB 1337 would provide managed care provisions for state Medicaid (Capitol Update)

Note: Capitol Update is a guest column from former Oklahoma House Speaker Steve Lewis’ weekly newsletter focused on major events occurring in the state capitol. — Senate Bill 1337 by Sen. Greg McCortney, R-Ada, and Rep. Marcus McEntire, R-Duncan, was… Read more [More...]

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