Tag: Governor Mary Fallin

Who's behind the assault on income tax?

Earlier this month, rival events on the income tax debate presented an illuminating contrast. OK Policy’s forum featured economists from Oklahoma public and private universities, as well as economic development experts from the state Department of Commerce and the OKC,… Read more [More...]

The terrible thing about triggers

Lawmakers began the year promising large, immediate cuts to the income tax, but their hopes soon collided with budget reality. With state funding already falling behind Oklahoma’s needs in many areas, legislators have found no easy way to pay for… Read more [More...]

Fallin off a cliff

The tax cut plans being pushed by Oklahoma lawmakers contain plenty of bad ideas, but one may eclipse them all: Governor Fallin’s tax cliff. The tax cliff is the result of a badly designed tax bracket structure. Very few other… Read more [More...]

STATEMENT: Troubling new details on Governor Fallin's tax plan

Oklahoma Policy Institute Director David Blatt released a statement in response to Governor Fallin’s tax plan, which will be heard in a House committee for the first time this afternoon: As details emerge about Governor Fallin’s plan, more problems are… Read more [More...]

Stuck in a Hole: What flat funding means for the common education budget

After three straight years of budget cuts, funding for public education in Oklahoma is in dire straits.  This year’s appropriation to the Department of Education is $254 million, or 10.0 percent, less than it was in 2009.  In the past… Read more [More...]

The myth about Oklahoma’s tax system that we keep repeating

Something we often hear about Oklahoma’s tax system is that the top rate kicks in so low that it affects almost everyone. Most recently, a Tulsa World article stated: The current comparable top rate is 5.25 percent, which kicks on… Read more [More...]

Laffer Debunked: States without an income tax do not enjoy stronger economic growth

Update: We have put out a fact sheet summarizing major flaws in the Laffer report. Do states without an income tax enjoy stronger economic growth? This is one of the central claims made by economist Arthur Laffer in a recent… Read more [More...]

State of the State Analysis: Gov. Fallin is playing catch-up

In her State of the State address, Governor Fallin laid out numerous areas where Oklahoma needs to invest to fix serious problems. She mentioned the shortage of troopers on the highways, the millions still owed to local governments to reimburse… Read more [More...]

Growing disconnect between budget politics and reality

Last week we reported that next year’s revenues are expected to be 7 percent below their levels of six years ago (FY ’07), even though costs are higher due to inflation, population growth, and increased caseloads Elsewhere, people seem to… Read more [More...]

New insurance rule throws the baby out with the bathwater

As the Affordable Care Act is implemented across the nation, states have taken varying approaches to making sure coverage is available for all children.  While most states have done a good job maintaining and ensuring the availability of health insurance… Read more [More...]