By:
Paul Shinn
May 6, 2009 // Updated: October 17, 2012
Misery loves company? Really? That one doesn’t apply to the state and local governments of Oklahoma. More and more of them are revealing bleak budget pictures for the coming fiscal year, yet none seem to be enjoying the company.
We’ve…
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Recently, Louisville, KY negotiated a deal with Kentucky Fried Chicken to have KFC pay to fill in pot holes in exchange for the right to advertise on those potholes. Upon hearing this, the first thought I had was about the…
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By:
David Blatt
May 4, 2009 // Updated: October 17, 2012
In spite of all the attention paid in Oklahoma in recent weeks to such urgent matters as the Ten Commandments, stem cells, and the Flaming Lips, the real work of the 2009 legislative session has been unfolding largely behind the…
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As the Oklahoma Legislature winds down the 2009 session, there is still talk of tax relief–a lower top income tax rate, exemptions for oil and gas drilling, and limits on property tax growth–in spite of a budget shortfall of $600…
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Recently, I had the opportunity to volunteer with an institution that is a true asset for our state. This is my first year serving as part of the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics (OSSM) admissions committee. It certainly will…
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By:
David Blatt
May 1, 2009 // Updated: October 17, 2012
Sunday evening, May 3rd, I will be the guest on Gwin Faulconer-Lippert’s Oklahoma City radio show on AM1000 KTOK at 7:30 p.m., discussing OK Policy’s recent release on tax credits for the oil and gas industry. If you’re not in…
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OK Policy has released a new fact sheet looking at Oklahoma’s gross production taxes on oil and gas,which takes a special look at the tax exemptions offered for different forms of production. Over the past five years, producers have claimed…
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By:
Paul Shinn
April 30, 2009 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Considering it was designed to be slow and messy and that it depends on elected officials who must keep us happy, the legislative process works amazingly well much of the time. At other times, though, it encourages bad habits that…
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As most observers of Oklahoma legislative politics know, in cases when only a handful of Democrats support controversial bills being promoted by the Republican majority, it’s usually the more conservative members of the caucus representing rural districts who buck party…
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Last week I was in Washington, D.C. attending a meeting of the SEED state policy partners. This is an initiative led by CFED, a national non-profit organization that is a pioneer in the field of asset development, that brings together…
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