New Census data shows Oklahoma improves on poverty and uninsured rates but still lags behind nation

New Census data shows Oklahoma made some progress in reducing the percentage of families living in poverty in 2015. In 2014, nearly one out of six Oklahomans (16.6 percent) were making less than the poverty line ($24,000 a year for… Read more [More...]

Run for the Border: Education Outlaws in Oklahoma (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...]

At the intersection of hunger and health (Guest Post: Effie Craven)

Effie Craven serves as the State Advocacy and Public Policy Director for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, where she advocates for programs and policies that promote access to nutritious foods and… Read more [More...]

New research finds Tulsa Head Start program produces lasting gains (Guest Blog: Deborah Phillips and William Gormley)

Deborah Phillips is Professor of Psychology and William Gormley is Professor of Government and Public Policy at Georgetown University. Their Tulsa-based research on early childhood education has appeared in the top scientific journals in their fields, in national media outlets,… Read more [More...]

Celebrating big progress toward hunger-free schools

Late this summer, just as parents started to wonder precisely where they’d put that school supplies list, Tulsa Public Schools announced that all elementary schools in the district would serve free breakfast and lunch to all students in the coming… Read more [More...]

Why is Oklahoma worst in the nation for feeding hungry kids in summer?

Tara Grigson is an OK Policy intern. She is a psychology and Spanish major at the University of Tulsa and previously worked as a Mission Impact Intern at YWCA Tulsa. Oklahoma is nearly the worst in the nation for food… Read more [More...]

Upcoming Event: Sleeping Giant author on how the ‘new working class’ is transforming America

There was a time when America’s working class was seen as the backbone of the economy with considerable political, economic, and moral authority. In recent decades, the working class has transformed as far more female and racially diverse workers have… Read more [More...]

How new federal rules can keep Oklahomans out of debt traps

GET CASH NOW! A neon green sign boasts a quick fix for your financial woes as you count out the few dollars you have to pay bills and buy groceries for your children. Although you are employed, this has been… Read more [More...]

An Oklahoma Agenda for Broad-Based Prosperity: Better Jobs & Opportunities

[See our companion issue agenda for a better state budget here.] [Download this fact sheet as a pdf.] Even in times when the overall economy grows, many Oklahomans are left out of economic opportunity. Oklahoma’s relatively low unemployment rate has… Read more [More...]

Confront the ‘parasite economy’ by raising the minimum wage

Every three months, the ADP Research Institute releases its Workforce Vitality Index, a measure of private sector job and wage growth.  For the past two quarters, Washington state has led the nation in growing jobs and boosting wages, far outpacing… Read more [More...]