Topic: Budget & Tax

Budget cuts would hit Oklahoma’s small towns hard

By: David Blatt
April 13, 2017 // Updated: September 22, 2023
Atoka Public Schools Schools is a district that serves 996 students in K-12, employing 70 teachers and professional staff and 127 total employees. Since 2009, it has seen its funding decrease by $500,000. This year, it is one of 100… Read more [More...]

Arts and Culture: A public-private partnership that’s good for education, the economy, and Oklahoma’s future (Guest Post: Brenda Granger)

By: Guest
April 12, 2017 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Brenda Granger is Executive Director of the Oklahoma Museums Association. Today is Oklahoma Arts Day at the State Capitol. Arts and culture promote civility and transcend all boundaries. Arts and culture bring people together. Arts and culture are rooted in… Read more [More...]

Another shoe to drop on state finances? (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
April 7, 2017 // Updated: May 1, 2019
Steve Lewis served as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1989-1991. He currently practices law in Tulsa and represents clients at the Capitol. I have a feeling there may be another shoe to drop when it comes to… Read more [More...]

Update: Rainy Day Fund 101

By: David Blatt
April 6, 2017 // Updated: May 1, 2019
Last week, news broke that the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) had borrowed money from the Rainy Day Fund to make budget allocations to state agencies. The fund had a beginning balance of some $243 million, and OMES… Read more [More...]

DHS Director: Oklahoma budget cut scenarios range “from the terrible to the unthinkable”

By: Gene Perry
March 23, 2017 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Unless lawmakers find new revenues to close their budget shortfall, Oklahoma is looking at unprecedented cuts to the most basic services of state government, including those for the most vulnerable seniors, children, and people with disabilities. Even before next year’s… Read more [More...]

Legislature’s timid approach to a teacher raise doesn’t bode well for schools (Capitol Update)

By: Steve Lewis
March 17, 2017 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Steve Lewis served as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1989-1991. He currently practices law in Tulsa and represents clients at the Capitol. I watched the House floor debate on HB 1114 by Rep. Michael Rogers (R-Broken Arrow)… Read more [More...]

For the first time, lawmakers were found guilty of supplanting lottery funds for schools

By: David Blatt
March 15, 2017 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Along with all of their other budget challenges, lawmakers this session will need to allocate an additional $10.1 million for the Education Lottery Trust Fund as the result of a determination made last month that lottery funds had been used… Read more [More...]

Online Budget Guide

By: Gene Perry
March 8, 2017 // Updated: May 2, 2019
OK Policy’s Online Budget Guide is a tool for users to understand Oklahoma state and local governments, particularly how they collect and spend money. The Online Budget Guide is intended as a comprehensive resource that combines state and local governments. It looks at all sources of funding, not just the major taxes, and all spending, not just state appropriations. Read more... [More...]

Budget Trends and Outlook — March 2017

By: David Blatt
// Updated: May 2, 2019
[Download this fact sheet as a pdf.] Oklahoma faces another large budget hole next year. The State Equalization Board has certified $6.030 billion in available revenue for next year, which is $748 million less than this year’s initial appropriation. The… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma’s budget crisis requires new revenue (Guest post: Joe Dorman)

By: Guest
// Updated: May 1, 2019
Joe Dorman is CEO of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA). He previously served for 12 years in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and has been actively involved in numerous civic, leadership, and youth-development organizations, including Leadership Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Academy. In the… Read more [More...]