
This column originally appeared in The Journal Record on April 23, 2025
Imagine you’re saving money in case your roof starts leaking during a storm. One day, instead of fixing the roof, you decide to hand that money to someone…
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By:
Steve Lewis
April 28, 2025 // Updated: April 28, 2025

As legislators draft the state budget and conclude the session, they will confront the issue of what to do with Gov. Kevin Stitt’s proposal for an income tax cut and the eventual elimination of the state income tax. House Bill…
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By:
Dave Hamby
April 26, 2025 // Updated: April 26, 2025

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…
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By:
Dave Hamby
April 24, 2025 // Updated: April 24, 2025

What if you gave away the biggest tax cut in Oklahoma history, and no one noticed?
That’s the reality facing the governor and the legislative leaders he’s trying to pressure to pass income tax cuts that benefit the wealthiest Oklahomans.…
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For a deeper look at Oklahoma’s budget process, check out our 2022 report Focus on Transparency
Oklahoma historically has had one of the nation’s least transparent budget processes. In recent years, the handful of senior lawmakers assembling the budget bills…
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• Contact your lawmaker now: Speak out against tax cuts that benefit the wealthy and risk critical services
Background: On Thursday, April 10, the Oklahoma State Senate rushed to pass House Bill 1539. HB 1539, authored by Rep. Mark Lepak,…
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Legislative investigative committees in Oklahoma are rare, as they should be. The legislature has only four months to enact laws and policy for state government and to write a balanced budget for the coming year. Time spent taking testimony under…
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Retirement should be a time of financial stability and a time to enjoy the fruits of a lifetime of work, but for many seniors, retirement comes with housing insecurity and homelessness. Without prompt action, this worrisome trend will become more…
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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…
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By:
Jill Mencke
April 16, 2025 // Updated: April 16, 2025

Oklahoma has an obligation to care for vulnerable youth in our legal and foster systems. This session, Oklahoma legislators have the chance to build upon recent progress to make benefits more accessible and enshrine protections for vulnerable youth in the…
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