By:
Steve Lewis
December 14, 2020 // Updated: December 14, 2020
Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat announced the appointment of Senate committee membership and chairs for the upcoming session. There were three key vacant committee chairmanships for committees with jurisdiction over policies that effect every Oklahoman. These are the Senate…
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By:
Dave Hamby
December 13, 2020 // Updated: December 13, 2020
Report shows intricate, fragile interconnectedness of public assistance programs for Oklahomans; Reducing Oklahoma’s court fines and fees is police reform; An early look at two recently filed Senate Bills (Capitol Update); Charitable giving is an investment for today and tomorrow.
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A new report from the Oklahoma Policy Institute — entitled “Plateaus and Cliff Effects in Oklahoma” — is among the first of its kind to examine how public supports and income interact to impact low-income Oklahomans.
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By:
Damion Shade
December 9, 2020 // Updated: December 10, 2020
While much of this conversation has been focused on municipal budgets and inadequate funding for mental health and social services, it’s also critical that lawmakers consider how the system of court fines and fees contributes to racial disparities in both policing and incarceration.
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By:
Steve Lewis
December 7, 2020 // Updated: December 7, 2020
There are some early bill filings by Senators for the upcoming session. House members usually do not file their bills until the final day for filing. A couple of bills by Senate leaders caught my attention because of their potential…
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By:
Dave Hamby
December 6, 2020 // Updated: December 6, 2020
How are Oklahoma children doing?; There are many reasons to call a special session and, contrary to claim from the Governor’s office, no reasons not to; Policy Matters: Redistricting meetings don’t account for pandemic, rural geography.
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By:
Steve Lewis
December 1, 2020 // Updated: December 1, 2020
With interim studies, elections, and Thanksgiving now in the past, organizing for the next legislative session will get underway in earnest. House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, and Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, have both been re-elected to…
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OK Policy is now hiring for a Justice Data Analyst. The Justice Data Analyst will use Open Justice Oklahoma’s (OJO) database of court, prison, and jail records to open the black box of our justice system.
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By:
Steve Lewis
November 24, 2020 // Updated: November 24, 2020
The Legislature faces a troubling challenge in attempting to limit the reliance of law enforcement agencies and the courts on fines and fees owed by defendants in criminal cases. As the state faced budget gaps or added programs without funding…
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By:
Paul Shinn
November 23, 2020 // Updated: November 23, 2020
Gov. Stitt’s office recently told one of my colleagues that the Governor could not call a special session for a single purpose, implying he was powerless to call lawmakers together to address the mounting human and economic damage from the…
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