By:
Steve Lewis
November 14, 2023 // Updated: November 14, 2023
With the change giving the governor the hiring and firing of agency directors, the state will continue to see more turnover in agency leadership. Political appointees will come and go rather than seeing their job as a career. In the five agencies above, a majority of the boards are appointed by the governor and serve at the pleasure of the governor so, in effect, the governor can control both the boards and the directors.
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By:
Dave Hamby
November 11, 2023 // Updated: November 11, 2023
Weekly Wonk, Nov. 12, 2023: Oklahoma still reeling from decades of budget cuts | Respecting tribal sovereignty starts at the top | Youth justice
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By:
Steve Lewis
November 6, 2023 // Updated: November 6, 2023
During the decade downturn in the state’s economy, state agencies were hollowed out. When the economy turned around, the governor insisted on agencies submitting flat budget requests to the legislature and “saving” the increased revenue in various accounts. Then he used the “savings” to demand tax cuts.
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By:
Dave Hamby
November 4, 2023 // Updated: November 4, 2023
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
November 2, 2023 // Updated: November 8, 2023
– – –
With the overall occurrence of youth delinquency and detention at a historic low, Oklahoma has the opportunity to invest more resources in delinquency prevention and alternatives to incarceration in the youth legal system. The legislature has taken…
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By:
Steve Lewis
November 1, 2023 // Updated: November 1, 2023
Rep. Amanda Swope, D-Tulsa, who in her life outside the legislature is the Tribal Juvenile Justice Program Director for the Muscogee Nation, brought her passion for helping troubled youth with her when she was elected to the House of Representatives.…
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By:
Dave Hamby
October 28, 2023 // Updated: October 28, 2023
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:
Shiloh Kantz
October 26, 2023 // Updated: December 18, 2023
Have you ever rearranged your living room furniture? When the light touches the space in new ways, the pieces create a new refreshing ensemble. Much like reviving a dark, stale living room, it is time for Oklahoma lawmakers to shed…
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By:
Steve Lewis
October 24, 2023 // Updated: October 24, 2023
In time-honored legislative jargon it’s called “putting lipstick on a pig.” Most legislators have opposed school vouchers for private schools. In 2022 the Senate tried to pass a bill giving private school students a publicly funded “education savings account,” and…
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By:
Dave Hamby
October 21, 2023 // Updated: October 21, 2023
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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