Have Oklahoma gaming revenues peaked?

Ten years after Oklahoma voters approved gaming compacts with Native American tribes and racetrack gaming, the state is collecting over $140 million annually as its share of gaming revenues. However, years of growth in gaming revenue have now ended, which… Read more [More...]

‘Starve the beast’ comes to Oklahoma (Steve Lewis 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...]

Four takeaways from the Governor’s budget

On Monday, Governor Mary Fallin delivered her State of the State address and  FY 2016 Executive Budget. Her speech emphasized the need to address hurdles in the areas of education, health, and criminal justice that are impeding the state’s progress.… Read more [More...]

STATEMENT: Governor Fallin’s proposed budget leaves Oklahoma’s best tools on the shelf

Oklahoma Policy Institute released the following statement in response to Governor Fallin’s proposed state budget for 2016: Governor Fallin rightly recognizes that Oklahoma needs to boost education funding, reduce incarceration, rein in tax breaks, and improve our citizens’ health, and… Read more [More...]

Priorities for Oklahoma lawmakers in 2015

Oklahoma’s 2015 Legislative session kicks off today with a State of the State address from Governor Mary Fallin. OK Policy and the Together Oklahoma coalition have identified six priorities for the coming session that are practical, politically achievable steps to… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma’s Budget Outlook: Confronting the Fiscal Gap (State Budget Summit 2015)

Presentation by OK Policy Executive Director David Blatt to the 2015 State Budget Summit, January 29, 2015  Download the presentation (PDF)  Oklahoma’s Budget Outlook: Confronting the Fiscal Gap by dblattok… Read more [More...]

Budget road certain to be rocky

As we look ahead to next year’s state budget, one thing is for certain: it’s going to be a very rocky ride. Last month, the Board of Equalization certified $298 million less revenue for next year’s budget than was appropriated… Read more [More...]

The con-con con

A proposal that could lead to far-reaching and radical changes to America’s time-tested constitution is being pushed in states across the country this year. Oklahoma would be well-advised to resist jumping aboard this particular train. In Oklahoma and other states,… Read more [More...]

One-year price tag for oil and gas tax breaks to exceed $500 million

The cost of tax breaks for the oil and gas industry will exceed $500 million this year, according to projections recently released by the Oklahoma Tax Commission. This is substantially more than the projections made a year ago, reflecting the… Read more [More...]

Low- and middle-income Oklahomans pay highest state and local taxes

A new study released today by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) and Oklahoma Policy Institute finds that low and middle-income Oklahomans pay over two times more in taxes as a percentage of their income compared to the… Read more [More...]