Oklahoma’s teen birth rate is near the highest in the country. We can do better.

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 ranks 2nd among all U.S. states for the highest… Read more [More...]

Despite improvements, Oklahoma’s health insurance marketplace enrollment lags

Amanda Rightler was an OK Policy intern. She recently graduated from the University of Tulsa with majors in chemistry and economics. New national data shows that 90 percent of Americans had health insurance in 2015, due in large part to… Read more [More...]

Waivers allow Oklahoma to experiment with Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act

We’ve heard a lot about waivers recently: Lawmakers recently passed a bill authorizing the state to apply for an Affordable Care Act waiver. Lawmakers debated but ultimately did not approve a waiver plan to accept federal funds for covering the… Read more [More...]

Food deserts are a big reason behind Oklahomans’ poor health

Ethan Rex was an OK Policy spring intern. He is a sociology senior at the University of Tulsa and a research assistant with Women in Recovery, an alternative to incarceration for eligible women convicted of non-violent, drug-related offenses. Earlier this year, Walmart… Read more [More...]

Highs and lows of Oklahoma’s 2016 legislative session

The 2016 session began with some high hopes and grave concerns given the state’s massive budget shortfall. Prior to session, OK Policy laid out our top priorities in the areas of budget and taxes, health care, education, criminal justice, economic… Read more [More...]

Proposed budget will add to the cost of mental illness in Oklahoma

Terri White, Commissioner of the state Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), has frequently said that mental health has never been adequately funded in Oklahoma. The state ranks 44th in the nation for mental health spending per… Read more [More...]

Budget plan brings more bad news for Oklahoma seniors, children, & people with disabilities

Earlier this month, we warned that important protections for seniors, children, and Oklahomans with disabilities were crumbling because the Department of Human Services had already made “the easy cuts” and was now forced to make cuts that directly hurt our… Read more [More...]

What happened with the tax increase on cigarettes? (Capitol Updates)

Steve Lewis served as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1989-1991. He currently practices law in Tulsa and represents clients at the Capitol. You can sign up on his website to receive the Capitol Updates newsletter by email.… Read more [More...]

Statement: Oklahoma has a responsible solution to tobacco tax standoff

Oklahoma Policy Institute released the following statement in response to the standoff in the Legislature over a tobacco tax increase: Accepting available federal dollars for health care and rolling back an income tax cut that should not be happening in… Read more [More...]

Protections for vulnerable seniors, children, and Oklahomans with disabilities are crumbling around us

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) made waves in April when Director Ed Lake sent a letter to employees and providers warning that DHS is facing “cuts we simply cannot make without significant consequences for the people who depend… Read more [More...]