By:
Steve Lewis
August 25, 2025 // Updated: August 25, 2025
Last week, Senator David Bullard, R-Durant, sponsored an interesting and important interim study on insurance rates for county jails before the Senate Local and County Government Committee, chaired by Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain. The study featured testimony from several county…
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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:
Sabine Brown
August 20, 2025 // Updated: September 11, 2025
The gap between wages and rent in Oklahoma continues to widen. According to National Low Income Housing Coalition’s 2025 Out of Reach report, an Oklahoma worker needs to earn $20.98 an hour for a two-bedroom rental or $16.85 for a…
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By:
Steve Lewis
August 18, 2025 // Updated: August 21, 2025
There was an interesting ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court recently staying implementation of House Bill 2783, authored by the respective chairmen and vice chairmen of the House and Senate appropriations committees.
The bill sought to strike statutory language providing…
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This column originally appeared in The Journal Record on August 6, 2025
Oklahoma prides itself on being lean and self-reliant, living within its means while others spend recklessly. But the numbers tell a different story. In truth, billions in federal…
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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:
Steve Lewis
August 12, 2025 // Updated: August 21, 2025
The state received more good revenue news last week. The Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) reported on Friday that the General Revenue Fund collections for fiscal year 2025 totaled $8.7 billion — $224.7 million (2.6 percent) above the…
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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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A new report shows how Oklahoma voters’ decision to prioritize rehabilitation over incarceration has resulted in a dramatic drop in crime, a 47 percent reduction in prison sentences, and the largest local mental health and substance abuse investment in state…
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By:
Steve Lewis
August 5, 2025 // Updated: August 5, 2025
After a long life of service, former Oklahoma Gov. George Nigh died last week. He served as governor for six of the years that I was a member of the Legislature. I could share many of the experiences I had…
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