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Effective democracy requires more transparency in Oklahoma state government

Oklahoma’s government is one of the least transparent in the nation. In contrast to other states, the general public is largely left out of the budget process and deprived of basic expectations of government such as public debate. Unfortunately, that… Read more [More...]

Is history repeating with state’s current education turmoil? (Capitol Update)

With the first post-pandemic school year about to start, a devastating teacher shortage, and many students who have fallen behind because of the interruptions in their education, you’d think the state board of education would be laser focused on policies… Read more [More...]

State ARPA spending starting slowly, but likely ramping up this fall (Capitol Update)

It looks like the legislature is pointing toward late September or early October to go back into special session to appropriate part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. Congress passed ARPA in March 2021. My understanding is legislators… Read more [More...]

A contrast in focus about Oklahoma’s education needs (Capitol Update)

There’s an interesting contrast between the focus of Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, who chairs the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education and that of Oklahoma Secretary of Education Ryan Walters, who was appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt and is… Read more [More...]

Improving future for Oklahoma children will require long-term investments today

The future of Oklahoma requires a shared commitment to ensure that our children are safe, healthy, educated, and thriving within their communities. However, a recent national report shows Oklahoma remains in the bottom 10 of states for overall child well-being.… Read more [More...]

Medicaid expansion is a vital piece of reentry for Oklahomans leaving incarceration

Oklahoma prisons are constitutionally required to provide medical services to the more than 21,000 people in their custody. As those individuals are released back to their communities, they are at risk of losing health care coverage unless insurance is available,… Read more [More...]

2022 KIDS COUNT Report Shows Oklahoma Ranks 40th for Child Well-Being, Still Lags Nation

Data from 2020 show nearly 1 in 8 Oklahoma children reported anxiety or depression, according to new Annie E. Casey Foundation report 2022 KIDS COUNT Data Book Oklahoma 2022 KIDS COUNT Fact Sheet Oklahoma KIDS COUNT Data Map dashboard —… Read more [More...]

Modernizing the school funding formula (Capitol Update)

The Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) issued a report last week calling for changes in the state aid school funding formula. It recommends providing more funding for school districts with high concentrations of students in poverty; changing the statutory… Read more [More...]

Interim studies indicate increased focus on children and youth issues (Capitol Update)

There was not a lot of substantive legislation aimed directly at children and youth issues that passed in this legislative session compared to the 2021 session. But judging from the interim study requests by a variety of legislators, this next… Read more [More...]

Join our team as a Communications Associate

This position has been filled. Join our e-mail list to be notified when job opportunities become available.… Read more [More...]

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