OKPOLICY.ORG
What’s up this week at Oklahoma Policy Institute? The Weekly Wonk is dedicated to this week’s events, publications, and blog posts.
This week at Oklahoma Policy Institute, we gave a run-down of the resources available on our newly redesigned website. We released a new report that calls for the elimination of tax breaks for the oil and gas industry that are growing exponentially and do little to encourage drilling. Our analysis of oil and gas tax breaks was covered by StateImpactOK and The Journal Record.
We blogged about why the state terminated a contract with Planned Parenthood to provide nutrition assistance for low-income mothers with young children and our analysis was picked up by The Huffington Post. Our director David Blatt explained in the Journal Record how the two property tax state questions create winners and losers.
David was also quoted in an article in The Oklahoman on why tax cuts should not be a priority for the legislature. We posted about an upcoming conference that addresses how changing federal guidelines and a changing market impact Oklahoma’s homebuyers.
Policy Notes
- Wonkblog lists five energy topics that won’t come up in tonight’s foreign policy debate — but should.
- The New York Times explains how government does create jobs.
- The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities explains why safety net programs are not a major cause of the nation’s long-term budget problems.
- Bruce Bartlett explains why the mandate for hospitals to treat emergency room patients is not even remotely a substitute for health insurance.
- The Institute for Women’s Policy Research tracks post-Recession employment gains and losses by sector for men and women and surveys the changing landscape of labor.
Numbers of the Day
- 91.8 percent – Percentage of Oklahomans who were murdered by someone they were previously acquainted with, 2011
- 4,503 – Number of immigrants granted permanent residency in Oklahoma in FY 2011, compared to 4,627 in FY 2010
- $79 million – Amount awarded in October by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation for maintenance and improvements of highways, interstates, and roads in 24 counties
- 29 – Number of counties in Oklahoma where 10 percent or more of the residents are employed in agriculture
- $19,032,000 – Total amount of tax revenue generated from hunting and fishing licensing in Oklahoma, 2011
