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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

In The Know: Speaker derails bill targeting gays in the National Guard

By: Gene Perry
February 21, 2012 // Updated: October 17, 2012
In The Know is a daily synopsis of Oklahoma policy-related news and blogs. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. E-mail your suggestions for In The Know items to gperry@okpolicy.org. You can sign… Read more [More...]

No leg left to stand on: Laffer and OCPA debunked again

By: David Blatt
February 20, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
The push to eliminate Oklahoma’s personal income tax relies heavily for intellectual support on a study done for the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs by economist Arthur Laffer and his colleagues. The Laffer report makes two claims: (1) that states… Read more [More...]

In The Know: Fallin tax plan wipes out deductions for Social Security, retirement

By: Gene Perry
// Updated: October 17, 2012
In The Know is a daily synopsis of Oklahoma policy-related news and blogs. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. E-mail your suggestions for In The Know items to gperry@okpolicy.org. You can sign… Read more [More...]

Over a Barrel: How we ended up on the hook to oil and gas producers to the tune of $294 million

By: David Blatt
February 19, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
NOTE: This week, Oklahomans learned the state was on the hook to pay oil and gas producers $294 million over the next three years in deferred tax rebates for horizontal and deep well drilling in 2010 and 2011, an amount… Read more [More...]

The Weekly Wonk: February 17th, 2012

By: Kate Richey
February 17, 2012 // Updated: July 25, 2015
What’s up this week at Oklahoma Policy Institute? The Weekly Wonk is dedicated to this week’s events, publications, and blog posts. This week we posted a new report debunking highly misleading analysis that phasing-out the state income tax would spur… Read more [More...]

In The Know: Oil & gas tax break underestimated; $48 million hole in budget

By: Kate Richey
// Updated: October 17, 2012
In The Know is a daily synopsis of Oklahoma policy-related news and blogs. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. E-mail your suggestions for In The Know items to gperry@okpolicy.org. You can sign… Read more [More...]

Upcoming Event: Closing the Gap: Race, Wealth, and Homeownership in Oklahoma, March 14th & 15th

By: Kate Richey
February 16, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Closing the Gap: Race, Wealth, and Homeownership in Oklahoma March 14th | Oklahoma City | 7pm | Oklahoma City Museum and Memorial March 15th | Tulsa | 7pm  | Mayo Hotel Terrace Room   You’re invited to attend an evening… Read more [More...]

In The Know: Senate passes personhood bill

By: Gene Perry
// Updated: October 17, 2012
In The Know is a daily synopsis of Oklahoma policy-related news and blogs. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. E-mail your suggestions for In The Know items to gperry@okpolicy.org. You can sign… Read more [More...]

2012 Session: Prospects look better for immigrants, worse for the poor, loaded for gun enthusiasts

By: David Blatt
February 15, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
The 2012 legislative session convened last Monday and will run until the end of May (click here for a complete run-though of how this works in our handy Legislative Overview). With 1,934 new bills  filed, it takes awhile before we… Read more [More...]

In The Know: Voters to decide whether to remove governor from parole process

By: Gene Perry
// Updated: October 17, 2012
In The Know is a daily synopsis of Oklahoma policy-related news and blogs. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. E-mail your suggestions for In The Know items to gperry@okpolicy.org. You can sign… Read more [More...]

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