Topic: Budget & Tax

What's at stake: Budget cuts are eroding the public health infrastructure

By: David Blatt
January 10, 2011 // Updated: May 1, 2019
By now, it is well known that the state budget has been under severe duress over the past two years. Overall, as we show in the latest version of our Budget Trends and Highlights fact sheet, this year’s state appropriations… Read more [More...]

Not too shabby: Comparing our revenue forecasts and theirs

By: David Blatt
December 27, 2010 // Updated: May 1, 2019
Earlier this month, we released a brief that provided our projections for state revenue collections for Fiscal Years 2011 through 2014.  Last week, the State Board of Equalization certified its official preliminary revenue estimates for FY ’12, along with updated… Read more [More...]

FY '12 revenue certification: It still adds up to more hard times

By: David Blatt
December 22, 2010 // Updated: May 1, 2019
The State Board of Equalization met yesterday to certify preliminary revenue estimates for the upcoming budget year, FY ’12. These estimates will form the basis for the Governor’s Executive Budget that will be delivered in early February; the Board will… Read more [More...]

State Revenues: One-third full or two-thirds empty?

By: David Blatt
December 15, 2010 // Updated: May 1, 2019
Yesterday’s announcement of state General Revenue (GR) collections for the month of November showed that the state continues to recover only slowly and partially from the depths of the downturn. Outgoing State Treasurer Scott Meacham chose to highlight that November… Read more [More...]

Show Us the Subsidies: New report sheds light on disclosure efforts

By: David Blatt
December 9, 2010 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Oklahoma is doing a better job of providing public disclosure of economic development subsidies being paid out to companies but still has considerable room for improvement, according to a new report from Good Jobs First. The report, titled Show Us… Read more [More...]

New issue brief: Let's focus on more than "this year's shortfall"

By: Paul Shinn
December 7, 2010 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Today OK Policy released “A New Fiscal Reality for Oklahoma: The State Budget Outlook, 2011-2014,” our second annual multi-year budget forecast. Click here for the full 10-page brief or here for the 1-page summary. Dangerously nerdy readers also can check… Read more [More...]

A New Fiscal Reality: The State Budget Outlook, 2011-2014

By: Oklahoma Policy Institute
December 3, 2010 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Our  issue brief, “A New Fiscal Reality for Oklahoma: The State Budget Outlook, 2011-2014” presents revenue and budget forecasts for the next three years and a series of policy recommendations. Full issue brief 1-page summary Press release Technical memorandum explaining… Read more [More...]

Guest Blog (Doug Enevoldsen): "Healthy Cities, Healthy Oklahoma"

By: David Blatt
December 2, 2010 // Updated: May 1, 2019
Doug Enevoldsen is City Manager for the City of Bixby. He has served in a variety of legislative and executive branch positions at the highest levels within Oklahoma state and local government. Cities and towns are the backbone of Oklahoma’s… Read more [More...]

Doing more with less? State employee association directors says "We're there"

By: David Blatt
November 22, 2010 // Updated: May 1, 2019
The ongoing state budget crisis has meant fewer state employees are assuming greater responsibilities.  Sterling Zearley is Executive Director of Oklahoma Public Employees Association, the largest association representing state employees. I spoke with him by phone on November 16th. Here’s… Read more [More...]

State budget outlook: With no more help from Washington, the worst is still yet to come

By: David Blatt
November 17, 2010 // Updated: May 1, 2019
Last week I attended the annual State Fiscal Policy conference hosted by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, the top non-governmental organization analyzing state fiscal policy across the nation. The message we heard was clear and grim: As rough… Read more [More...]