Tag: Oklahoma

Unfair, inefficient, and bad for business: Why Oklahoma needs sales tax reform

Oklahoma’s tax system is broken. Despite a recovering economy, the state is unable to raise enough revenue to sustain core public services. The strains will only increase over time as we cope with a rapidly aging population, unfunded pension obligations,… Read more [More...]

Health Care Reform (6): Implementing Insurance 'Exchanges'

This is the sixth in an ongoing series of posts examining the Affordable Care Act, including previous posts on the Temporary High Risk Pool and tax credits for small businesses.  You can also visit the health care reform page on… Read more [More...]

Guest Blog (Scott Stanley): A promising approach for strengthening disadvantaged families

Scott Stanley is a research professor at the University of Denver, co-Chair of Research Advisory Group for the Family Expectations Program, and co-developer of the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) which forms part of the basis of the Becoming… Read more [More...]

An initial look at Governor Fallin's FY12 Executive Budget

On Monday, Governor Mary Fallin introduced her FY ’12 Executive Budget (click here for the full budget or here for appropriations total by agency).  Although state revenues have begun to rebound from the recession, the recovery is projected to remain… Read more [More...]

Why education reform is not like musical chairs

High on this year’s agenda for Governor Fallin and education reform groups is to put more money into Oklahoma classrooms by reducing administrative costs. Two bills filed for the upcoming session seek to accomplish this by mandate — HB 1493… Read more [More...]

Now Available: The 2011 Legislative Overview – your program and playbook for the legislative session

Do you know who chairs the Senate Appropriations committee? Who serves as Governor Fallin’s Secretary of Energy? When the deadline is for passing bills out of their original chamber? How much money there is in the Rainy Day Fund? The… Read more [More...]

How many football stadiums would it take…

Last week, the US Department of Agriculture released its annual report on household food security. They found that for the 3-year period from 2007-09, an average of 15.2 percent of Oklahoma households experienced food insecurity, which means that they “had… Read more [More...]

7,500 unemployed Oklahomans at risk of losing benefits unless Congress acts

Despite encouraging signs that an economic recovery is gaining strength, unemployment remains at stubbornly and unacceptably high levels. Nationally, the jobless rate in October stayed stuck at 9.6 percent, while the latest state unemployment numbers found that 121,800 Oklahomans, or… Read more [More...]

Upcoming Event: 2011 economic forecasts to be released at Oklahoma Economic Outlook Conference

The OSU Center for Applied Economic Research in the Spears School of Business is hosting the Oklahoma Economic Outlook Conference from 8:30 AM to noon on December 7th at the MetroTech Springlake Campus in Oklahoma City. The conference features the… Read more [More...]

John Thompson: The Black-White achievement gap

John Thompson is an Oklahoma City teacher with 18 years of urban high school experience and an education blogger at thisweekineducation.com. He contributes regularly to our blog on education issues. The Oklahoma City Public Schools has launched a campaign to… Read more [More...]