Tag: Oklahoma

Bridging the Gap (2): Closing the circle on the state income tax deduction

As Oklahoma faces record budget shortfalls, the threat of massive cuts that would slow the state’s economic recovery and have potentially devastating effects on schools, social services, and public safety loom large. In this context, there is an urgent need… Read more [More...]

Bridging the gap (1): Revisiting the vendor sales tax discount

With state revenue collections seeing their steepest plunge in a generation, Oklahoma is enduring a tough year of state budget cuts that are already having a harmful effect on families, communities and the economy. However, while the severity of this… Read more [More...]

Balancing the state budget: Can we avoid a catastrophe?

The Oklahoman’s Michael McNutt covered the remarks I made last week at a panel on the state budget crisis at the University of Central Oklahoma’s Southwest Business Symposium. My conclusions were rather stark: “We’ve been able to avoid the apocalypse… Read more [More...]

Enhanced Medicaid match extension would help state budget and low-income families

One of the most important provisions of the stimulus bill passed by Congress last February was the assistance provided to beleaguered state budgets in the form of enhanced federal matching rates for Medicaid. Now, as Oklahoma and other states remained… Read more [More...]

Guest Blog (12&12): Cuts to substance abuse services will mean higher costs and worse outcomes

From time to time, we use the OK Policy blog to post submissions we receive from Oklahomans who have interesting perspectives on important policy issues for the state. This entry is from Valerie Andrews, Chief Financial Officer of 12&12, a… Read more [More...]

HB 3384: New mandate on schools would be costly, onerous and legally perilous

Our public schools already shoulder a great deal of responsibility. They are expected not only to teach our children reading, writing and arithmetic, but also, in many cases, to help make sure that they are adequately fed and nourished, to… Read more [More...]

Stop digging! Top income tax rate cut should be suspended until revenues have recovered

Even assuming that we are in the early stages of what will eventually be a robust economic recovery, Oklahoma’s budget crisis is not going to end anytime soon. Revenue collections this year and next are projected to come in 20… Read more [More...]

Guest Blog (Amy Santee): Turning The Tide On Female Incarceration

From time to time, we use the OK Policy blog to post submissions we receive from Oklahomans who have interesting perspectives on important policy issues for the state. This entry is from Amy Santee, Senior Program Officer with George Kaiser… Read more [More...]

Piling on the Sunshine: New measures would make more spending information publicly available

If, as Judge Louis Brandeis famously stated, “Sunshine is the best disinfectant”, the Oklahoma Legislature seems to be on a bit of a cleaning frenzy. Several bills making their way through the legislative process this session HB 3422, SB 1633… Read more [More...]

Hurting all over: A survey of some recent state and local budget cuts

As revenues have come in significantly below estimates this year, funding to state agencies was cut 5 percent a month from August to November and 10 percent each month since (see our updated fact sheet). OK Policy’s intern Matt Gardner… Read more [More...]