If you think this is bad…Federal fiscal relief funds averted budget doomsday

The state’s deep and prolonged budget crisis has taken a serious toll on public services in Oklahoma.  We have seen rate cuts to providers of community-based health services, elimination of violence prevention programs for at-risk youth, closures of facilities for… Read more [More...]

Over a barrel: HB 2432 makes a flawed system of oil and gas tax subsidies even worse

In their efforts to find additional revenues for the upcoming budget year, legislative leaders and Governor Henry took some strong and politically risky steps to suspend tax credits for various forms of economic activity. But when it came to tax… Read more [More...]

A closer look at the FY '11 budget

As the dust settles on the 2010 legislative session that adjourned on May 28th, we’ve now released a detailed summary of the major highlights of the state budget for the upcoming year.  Our fact sheet includes a set of seven… Read more [More...]

An expert's take on Oklahoma's new sales tax compliance law

One measure adopted this session to mitigate the extent of budget cuts was HB 2359, which aims to increase the collections of taxes owed on purchases made over the Internet or by other remote retailers. After opposition emerged, the final… Read more [More...]

Not to worry? Next year's budget projections likely to be met

Once bitten, twice shy. Or is it twice bitten, thrice shy?  Oklahoma’s budgeting laws try to protect against mid-year budget shortfalls by allowing the Legislature to appropriate only 95 percent of the certified estimate of General Revenue (GR) fund collections… Read more [More...]

Classic Re-run: Of tax increases, revenue bills, SQ 640…and ducks

Earlier this year, we explored the question of what does and does not fall under the supermajority provisions of SQ 640. In these final days of the legislative session, this question has assumed renewed relevance with the introduction and passage… Read more [More...]

Guest Blog (Michael Lipsky): ‘The public service’ includes state and local workers

From time to time, we use the OK Policy blog to post contributions that offer interesting perspectives on important policy issues for the state. Michael Lipsky is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos, a non-partisan public policy research and advocacy… Read more [More...]

Inital thoughts on the FY11 budget agreement

Legislative leaders and the Governor yesterday announced their agreement on the FY ’11 budget. We’ve posted the press release here and the document that was provided comparing appropriations for each agency for this budget year and next, and listing the… Read more [More...]

Bears repeating: Are tax cuts responsible for the state's budget woes?

This week, the Oklahoman’s editorial board revisited the question of whether the state’s budget crisis is the result of the large and permanent tax cuts enacted during the mid-2000’s when the economy was booming and state revenues were soaring.  The… Read more [More...]

What's at stake: Prison powder keg

Back in March, a member of the Board that oversees the state Department of Corrections (DOC) delivered a blunt message to the state’s elected officials about the impact that growing inmate populations and funding cuts were having on the department’s… Read more [More...]