Oklahomans are frustrated by rising housing costs, but this session, lawmakers are targeting the wrong culprit. While property taxes are drawing most of the attention at the Capitol this year, the real cost surge — homeowners’ insurance — remains largely…
Read more [More...]
By:
Jill Mencke
June 21, 2026 // Updated: June 21, 2026
Oklahoma children face a host of challenges that stem from the conditions and policies shaping life in our state – nearly 1 in 4 Oklahoma children experience food insecurity, children of color are overrepresented in the youth justice system, and…
Read more [More...]
By:
Dave Hamby
June 8, 2026 // Updated: June 17, 2026
Oklahoma continues to rank among the bottom 10 states for overall child well-being in the 2026 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, 50-state report of recent data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing how kids are faring nationwide.
• KIDS…
Read more [More...]
For thousands of Oklahomans, the dream of a stable home is collapsing. Fast, cheap evictions, no real tenant protections, and rising housing costs have turned a basic human need into a daily crisis. Legislators had a number of policy solutions…
Read more [More...]
By:
Cole Allen
May 15, 2026 // Updated: May 15, 2026
In 2016, voters approved State Questions 780 and 781, putting policies in place that have reduced our prison population and directed millions into much-needed community services. Nearly a decade later, Oklahoma voters on June 16 will have the opportunity to…
Read more [More...]
As the gap between housing costs and wages increases, Oklahoma lawmakers should explore all options to increase housing supply and reduce evictions. Bills that make relatively small changes to Oklahoma’s Landlord Tenant Act — the laws that define the rights…
Read more [More...]
By:
Sabine Brown
February 24, 2026 // Updated: February 24, 2026
Evictions are often referred to as the “ Scarlet E ” because of the enormous and long-lasting negative impact they have on tenants. Landlords use public court records to screen potential tenants and will often refuse to rent to someone…
Read more [More...]
By:
Jill Mencke
December 14, 2025 // Updated: December 15, 2025
• SQ 832: Information and Resources
• What you need to know about the minimum wage in Oklahoma
When people talk about raising the minimum wage, the focus is usually on adults trying to support households. But higher wages don’t…
Read more [More...]
Few policy ideas have proven as persistent — or misleading — as the notion that forcing people to work will lift them out of poverty. The Big Beautiful Bill, or House Resolution 1 (H.R. 1), revives that same flawed logic:…
Read more [More...]
•Watch: via YouTube
•View: Presentation slides (PDF)
•Learn: De-risking Government Technology Guide
•See also: Bruce Gros’ experience applying for public assistance managed by state agencies
In spring 2025, lawmakers approved a feasibility study (House Bill 1575) about creating a unified…
Read more [More...]
OKPOLICY.ORG
