SQ 779 and the limits of direct democracy (Capitol Updates)

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. You can find past Capitol Updates archived  on his website. The Oklahoma Supreme Court this… Read more [More...]

Cuts to alternative education will come back to haunt us

Nothing is as critical to a young person’s future prospects as a high school diploma. Decades of research shows that those who drop out of high school are at significantly higher risk of being unemployed, living in poverty, and serving… Read more [More...]

An Oklahoma Agenda for Broad-Based Prosperity: A Better Budget

[See our companion issue agenda for better jobs & opportunities here.] [Download this fact sheet as a pdf.] The decisions that Oklahoma makes today about our state taxes and budget have a deep and enduring impact on our economic future.… Read more [More...]

ICYMI: “How Money Walks” has no leg to stand on

Note: Now that Kevin Durant has opted to leave the Thunder for the Golden State Warriors, at least half his income will be subject to California income tax, which assesses a top income tax rate of 13.30 percent. Whatever the… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma’s capital gains tax break is a windfall for the wealthiest with no proven benefit for the economy

One of Oklahoma’s largest tax breaks got no attention from legislators last year, despite its questionable legality, its questionable benefit for the economy, and a $1.3 billion budget shortfall that inspired legislators to go after many other tax breaks and… Read more [More...]

After two revenue failures, Oklahoma will end the year with surplus. What?

This weekend, The Oklahoman reported the unexpected news that state finance officials now expect to end the current fiscal year with a cash surplus of at least $100 million. After two mid-year revenue failures that led to across-the-board budget cuts… Read more [More...]

Bad Brew (Guest Post: Erin Taylor)

Erin Taylor, PhD is a mother to five and a disability advocate living in Oklahoma City. Her previous guest post, “What I Didn’t Get From My Tax Cut,” ran in March. Like many advocates, I’m still recovering from the Capitol… Read more [More...]

FY 2017 Budget Highlights

Download the budget highlights as a pdf. OK Policy’s annual Budget Highlights issue brief is one of the most informative and accessible ways to track Oklahoma’s public spending. Today we’ve released the FY 2017 Budget Highlights, which includes a bullet… Read more [More...]

Highs and lows of Oklahoma’s 2016 legislative session

The 2016 session began with some high hopes and grave concerns given the state’s massive budget shortfall. Prior to session, OK Policy laid out our top priorities in the areas of budget and taxes, health care, education, criminal justice, economic… Read more [More...]

Big budget problems won’t be solved until parties find a way to work together (Capitol Updates)

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. You can sign up on his website to receive the Capitol Updates newsletter by email.… Read more [More...]