Tax credits are anti-poverty tools | Oklahoma Senate Interim Study | Oct. 10, 2024

Targeted tax credits can be used as a tool to fight poverty in Oklahoma. The tax system is a critical part of the safety net with more than a third of all public support for U.S. families delivered through tax provisions. Hence, tax credits can drastically decrease poverty. [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...]

All Oklahomans pay taxes, but not all of us can reap the rewards

Allowing these workers the opportunity to receive the tax credit can put money back into our state and local economies. Our state should end state-level EITC exclusion for ITIN filers who pay their fair share in taxes and allow them to receive the tax credit they’ve earned.  [More...]

Working families got a little of the help they needed this session

Families are the backbone of our society and economy, but too many Oklahoma families cannot keep up. Many Oklahoma jobs pay less than a quarter of what it takes to support a family. [More...]

We have better options than a costly and poorly-targeted income tax cut

Lawmakers should set aside both of these bills and have a broader discussion about whether it's more important to broadly cut taxes than to provide public services, invest in our state’s future, save for the next economic downturn, or provide better-targeted tax reduction. [More...]

This year we can improve our social insurance programs to encourage work and support working families

Every one of us will suffer if we don’t help those whose income, health, and food security have been most damaged by the pandemic. We have the means to provide that help, but we must find the will. [More...]

Our new benefits simulator helps families understand assistance programs and helps support better policies

OK Policy’s simulator is a menu-driven Microsoft Excel worksheet in which users input details about a family to see how assistance programs help them at various hours of work and hourly wages. [More...]

New report shows the importance of assistance programs to Oklahoma families

The report shows how many Oklahomans need assistance from these programs and how the programs lift many out of poverty. It shows how programs interact to make resources available to families. [More...]