Housing is unaffordable for Oklahoma’s low-wage workers

Updated, 11/6/2023 to reflect updated statistics for Oklahoma from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.  — Oklahomans working a full-time job should be able to provide basic needs for themselves and their families, but 2 in 5 Oklahomans are unable… Read more [More...]

Expanding unemployment insurance to more workers would protect families and Oklahoma’s economy

Unemployment insurance became a lifeline to many Oklahomans during the pandemic. In a period of widespread job loss, the transfer payments that this program provided working people with the means to feed their families and pay the bills while they… Read more [More...]

New report shows Oklahoma led nation in improving health insurance coverage, but more than 75,000 Oklahoma children remain uninsured

The rate of Oklahoma children without health care insurance decreased significantly – from 8.6 percent to 7.4 percent between 2019 and 2021, according to a new report from the Georgetown Center for Children and Families. This marked the nation’s largest… Read more [More...]

Supporting immigration will boost Oklahoma’s economy 

Co-authors: Immigration Policy Analyst Gabriela Ramirez-Perez and Josie Phillips, former Policy Fellow – – – Immigrants are an integral part of Oklahoma’s economy. They work in essential industries, create jobs by starting businesses, care for our aging population, and contribute… Read more [More...]

Latest poverty, health insurance data show that Oklahoma still has work to do

New data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey released Sept. 15 show that Oklahoma’s poverty rate (15.6 percent) was the nation’s 8th highest, increasing slightly in 2021 when compared to 2019’s pre-pandemic levels (15.2 percent).  A closer look at… Read more [More...]

It’s time for action to address Oklahoma’s eviction crisis

Evictions are skyrocketing in some areas of Oklahoma, part of a nationwide crisis in affordable housing. In several counties across the state, including Canadian and Oklahoma counties, evictions in the first half of 2022 were at an all-time high. With… Read more [More...]

Expanding driver’s license eligibility is better for all of us

It’s a fact of life that getting around in Oklahoma requires a driver’s license. Because immigrants in Oklahoma who are undocumented are barred from getting one, the lack of a license presents a major challenge for 85,000 Oklahomans to get… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma lawmakers should get serious about addressing inflation

Co-authors: Josie Phillips, Policy Fellow and Paul Shinn, former Budget and Tax Senior Policy Analyst — Oklahoma elected officials have called for state action to help Oklahomans who are struggling with inflation. The House of Representatives went so far as… Read more [More...]

Protecting Oklahoma’s economy requires labor force-oriented solutions

To protect the long-term health of our economy, Oklahoma’s lawmakers should enact policies that will strengthen Oklahoma’s labor force participation, which has been declining for more than a decade. Policies that invest in our workforce — such as guaranteeing paid… Read more [More...]

Targeted relief can help Oklahoma families weather inflation

By gavelling in for a special legislative session to address inflation relief, lawmakers have the opportunity to enact real and positive tax reform. The slate of bills introduced by House leadership offer little actual timely relief to the low- and… Read more [More...]