Poll: Support for tax cuts has dropped significantly

A new poll shows that over the last year, support for cutting Oklahoma’s personal income tax has dropped significantly among voters statewide, and less than half now support the plan to reduce the state’s top rate. Support drops even further… Read more [More...]

Three trends to watch from Oklahoma’s Annual Report

Every year Oklahoma compiles a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), which details where the state’s money came from and how it was spent. The CAFR provides a big picture view of everything our state government is doing. Here are three… Read more [More...]

Priority for Oklahoma: Curb Unnecessary Tax Breaks

As part of the Together Oklahoma coalition, OK Policy has developed four top priority issues for this year’s Legislative session. These priorities have been identified as practical, politically achievable steps to move us toward lasting, broad-based prosperity. One of these… Read more [More...]

Priority for Oklahoma: Protect Essential Revenues

As part of the Together Oklahoma coalition, OK Policy has developed four top priority issues for this year’s Legislative session. These priorities have been identified as practical, politically achievable steps to move us toward lasting, broad-based prosperity. One of these… Read more [More...]

STATEMENT: Tax cut defies economics and common sense

Oklahoma Policy Institute released the following statement in response to the House passage of HB 2508 to schedule more personal and corporate income tax cuts for 2016: More tax cuts that will provide little or no benefit to most people… Read more [More...]

Latest tax cut proposals would leave budget decisions on auto-pilot

The Oklahoma Senate and House of Representatives are both considering bills to cut Oklahoma’s top income tax rate in future years based on revenue targets, or triggers. Pushing tax cuts into the future and making them conditional on triggers is… Read more [More...]

The mystery of the disappearing revenue

The latest headlines about Oklahoma’s finances seem oddly contradictory. On the one hand, State Treasurer Ken Miller has announced gross revenue collections are hitting an all-time high. Oklahoma’s total collections of $6.64 billion dollars are $278 million higher than the… Read more [More...]

Let’s have full accountability for tax cuts (Guest Post: Kent Olson)

Kent Olson is Professor of Economics Emeritus at Oklahoma State University Over the past decade, the Oklahoma legislature enacted several measures that reduced the top bracket rate of the individual income tax from 7 percent to 5.25 percent, and more… Read more [More...]

Moving new employees to 401(k)s would endanger existing pensions, increase cost to taxpayers

During this year’s State of the State address, Gov. Mary Fallin expressed strong support for doing away with traditional  defined benefit pension plans for new hires within the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) in favor of 401k-style defined contribution… Read more [More...]

One More Time: Past income tax cuts did not cause Oklahoma revenues to rise

Once again this session, proponents of cuts to Oklahoma’s top income tax rate are arguing that cutting taxes will lead to higher tax revenues, basing their position on the notion that Oklahoma’s tax collections rose after the state cut taxes… Read more [More...]