OK Policy Blog

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Criminalizing homelessness is harmful and ineffective

By: Sabine Brown
March 30, 2024 // Updated: April 1, 2024
Proposals to criminalize homelessness are harmful and counterproductive. Research shows us that the best way to combat homelessness is to increase access to affordable housing. More...

Recent Posts

Spring Haircuts

By: David Blatt
May 17, 2009 // Updated: May 1, 2019
On Friday afternoon, legislative leaders and the Governor announced the outline of a long-awaited budget agreement. This step is necessary to start the flood of bills to fund state agencies, allocate some of the federal stimulus money, and decide what… Read more [More...]

Coming soon

By: David Blatt
May 15, 2009 // Updated: October 17, 2012
Dan Piraro provides a Bizzaro taste of what’s in store for publicly-funded services in Oklahoma… Read more [More...]

Hang on!

By: David Blatt
// Updated: October 17, 2012
As we reach one week until the scheduled adjournment of the Oklahoma Legislature on May 22nd, we can only share the advice offered by Bette Davis in All About Eve: “Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy… Read more [More...]

If it ain't broke, don't break it

By: David Blatt
May 14, 2009 // Updated: October 17, 2012
In November, U.S. Senator David Vitter of Louisiana proposed that all applicants for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program be required to submit to a mandatory drug test as a condition of receiving assistance. His proposal was defeated… Read more [More...]

Numbers You Need – May 2009

By: David Blatt
// Updated: May 2, 2019
Numbers You Need is a monthly publication from OK Policy that presents key data on the state’s economy, work force, human services, and budget in one concise, easy-to-read fact sheet. The forecasters may be predicting an economic turnaround ahead, but… Read more [More...]

Open House

By: David Blatt
May 13, 2009 // Updated: October 17, 2012
It’s taken me awhile, but I finally made it to the White House blog, which has been up and running since President Obama’s inauguration. For those interested in paying attention to what is going on in the White House, the… Read more [More...]

Small steps

By: Paul Shinn
// Updated: May 2, 2019
Kudos to the Oklahoma Legislature and Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland for taking a small but worthwhile step in helping Oklahomans keep their health insurance. SB 553, authored by Sen. Ron Justice (R-Chickasha) in the Senate and sponsored by Rep. Leslie… Read more [More...]

Free fall

By: David Blatt
May 12, 2009 // Updated: October 17, 2012
This being the second Tuesday of the month, the Office of State Finance released the monthly revenue figures today. Unless you were the one who picked “down 21 percent” in the office betting pool, there was little to be happy… Read more [More...]

Why not now?

By: David Blatt
// Updated: October 17, 2012
State Rainy Day Funds have one sole purpose: to be used during economic downturns to minimize the extent of cuts to public services and to avert tax increases. Prior to this downturn, Oklahoma has been able to build up our… Read more [More...]

From the Intern's desk

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
May 11, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
All hail the interns Over the course of the last several months, the Spring semester. OK Policy has had the honor of having two interns from OSU. Kai Mann and Austin Linton were our first two interns to come to… Read more [More...]

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