Fat chance? Can soda taxes help solve the obesity epidemic and state budget woes?

A recent report released by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announced the latest alarming figures about the spread of obesity in America. They found that last year in 31 states, including Oklahoma, more than… Read more [More...]

SQ 744

On November 2, 2010, Oklahomans will vote on SQ 744, a constitutional amendment that would peg the annual education budget in Oklahoma to the regional average per pupil expenditure in six neighboring states. OK Policy has released an issue brief… Read more [More...]

We’re in this together: Private sector suffers, too, from public sector decay

Last month I gave a presentation to a meeting of the State Chamber of Commerce along with a representative from another state policy organization.  I was struck, and frankly dismayed, by the extent to which my co-presenter  spoke as if… Read more [More...]

None of the above: The public weighs in on the state fiscal crisis

A new poll from the Pew Research Center presents interesting findings about the state of public opinion regarding the state fiscal crisis.  A late June poll of 1,001 adults found a majority of respondents saying that states should fix their… Read more [More...]

Unhappy New Year: FY11 gets underway with no end in sight to the state fiscal blues

July 1st marks the start of the new state fiscal year in most of the country – but as glad as state Governors, fiscal directors and legislators will be to see the end of the annus horribilis of 2010,  don’t… Read more [More...]

New certification: Law changes led to $305 million of revenue enhancements for next year

Each year, the State Board of Equalization meets three times to review and approve projected revenues for the upcoming fiscal year – in December, February and June. At this year’s June meeting, which took place earlier this week, the Board… Read more [More...]

Tipped over: State's public broadcaster now doing less with less

For many state agencies, the first rounds of budget cuts over the past two years could be managed without greatly affecting key programs and services for the public. But as funding cuts go deeper and last longer, often a tipping… Read more [More...]

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...]