New research: Oklahoma’s predatory lenders target vulnerable populations, military installations

Credit is necessary for financial stability in today’s economy. Consumers need access to credit in order to lease a car or establish a residency. A lack of credit creates barriers to securing a job, home, or car. Further, routine expenses… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma’s (other) deficit and why it matters

As plummeting oil prices trigger layoffs in Oklahoma’s oil and gas sector, the job market is beginning to receive more scrutiny from the media, elected officials, and business leaders. Yet there was reason to be concerned about the state’s employment… Read more [More...]

Who Pays More? A Town Hall Forum on Predatory Lending in Oklahoma

Oklahoma Assets Network (OAN) is pleased to invite you to save the date for a town hall forum on predatory lending. This event is free and open to the public. The forum will feature remarks from Dr. Haydar Kurban, the… Read more [More...]

This new school meals program helps high-poverty kids and schools

Last spring, we reported on a powerful new tool to fight hunger in high-poverty schools. Community Eligibility, part of 2010’s Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, allows certain high-poverty schools, groups of schools, or school districts to offer breakfast and lunch to… Read more [More...]

Up Against The Wall, or how I pay the state to lock up my brother (Guest post: Camille Landry)

Camille Landry is a writer, activist, and social justice advocate who lives in Oklahoma City.  This post is part of our “Neglected Oklahoma” series, which tells the stories of Oklahomans in situations where the basic necessities of life are hard… Read more [More...]

Sleeping dogs of the 2015 session

The 2015 session is now underway and it’s clear that this year, as always, will feature heated debates on a multitude of contentious issues, from proposals to expand school choice through vouchers and charter schools to efforts to rein in… Read more [More...]

The wind energy debate comes sweeping down to the Capitol

Editor’s Note: Wind power is a growing source of energy production in Oklahoma that is drawing close scrutiny at the state Capitol. Is wind production beneficial to Oklahoma’s economy and communities? Should the state continue to provide the industry with… Read more [More...]

Too many foster youth enter the adult world without a safety net (Guest post: Brandon Crawford)

Brandon L. Crawford s one of four 2014-2015 OK Policy Research Fellows. Brandon is a Sociology Ph.D. student at the University of Oklahoma’s Norman Campus. He is also a research assistant at the Oklahoma Department of Human Services’ Office of… Read more [More...]

New opportunity scorecard shows Oklahomans slipping financially

Conventional wisdom may seem to suggest that the economy has bounced back. Low unemployment and a stable housing market paint the picture of a prosperous Oklahoma. But if you look at the pocketbooks of the average American, the outlook is… Read more [More...]

A tale of two states (Neglected Oklahoma)

Camille Landry is a writer, activist, and social justice advocate who lives in Oklahoma City.  This post is part of our “Neglected Oklahoma” series, which tells the stories of Oklahomans in situations where the basic necessities of life are hard… Read more [More...]