Tag: Oklahoma

How medical debt erodes Oklahomans’ financial security

Medical debt is money owed for medical goods or services, like doctor’s visits, lab fees, or hospital stays.  One survey of low-income households in eight states, including Oklahoma, found that 46 percent of low-income households carried medical debt.  National survey… Read more [More...]

Cliff, slope, or hostage crisis?

Since the election, Washington DC has been consumed by debate over the “fiscal cliff,” a number of large spending cuts and tax increases set to take effect at the beginning of next year. Due to the spending cuts, Oklahoma would… Read more [More...]

Jeff Alderman: Missouri analysis shows economic benefits of Medicaid expansion

Jeff Alderman, MD is an associate professor at OU-Tulsa, and a regular contributor to OK Policy’s blog Governor Mary Fallin recently decided to forego Medicaid expansion for low-income adults in Oklahoma under the Affordable Care Act.  The Governor asserted that… Read more [More...]

Payday Loans: Myths and reality

A recent broadcast of NPR’s MarketPlace Money featured a short commentary by Tom Lehman, a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University, defending payday lending.  Responding to widespread concerns about the high cost of payday loans and their tendency to trap borrowers… Read more [More...]

Hunger by the Numbers: How many basketball arenas would it take…

OK Policy intern Amanda Marcott Thottunkal updated and revised earlier versions of this post, which ran in November 2010 and 2011. The US Department of Agriculture’s annual report on household food security was released in September. On average, during the… Read more [More...]

STATEMENT: Governor’s decision not to join Medicaid expansion is deeply troubling

Governor Fallin’s decision not to expand the Medicaid program to cover uninsured low-income adults is deeply troubling and unfortunate, putting politics over the interests of Oklahomans. Read more... [More...]

Closing the Opportunity Gap: Building equity in Oklahoma

Click here for a copy of a presentation of this research to the OKDHS Practice and Policy Lecture Series on 4/25/2013 Oklahoma’s prosperity depends on the financial success and economic achievement of the people who call it home.  For a… Read more [More...]

Read This: Oklahoma, Foot-loose & Fancy-free

This book is a fan favorite at Oklahoma Policy Institute, and one of the best books on Oklahoma I’ve had the pleasure of reading.  Published in 1949 and written by Angie Debo, Oklahoma: Foot-loose & Fancy-free has a little something… Read more [More...]

Online Sales Tax: While Rome burns and Congress fiddles, states can act

The problem of untaxed Internet sales is gaining new prominence.  As we wait on Congress for a permanent fix, there are actions that Oklahoma can take immediately to create a more level-playing field for our local brick-and-mortar businesses. The Oklahoma… Read more [More...]

Guest Blog (Wade Patterson): SQ 766 provides special treatment to some at the expense of others

Wade Patterson is the Garfield County Assessor. For more information on State Question 766, click here As the County Assessor for Garfield County, I’m afraid that the solution to the issue of taxing intangible property being presented to the voters… Read more [More...]