By:
Carly Putnam
September 16, 2022 // Updated: September 16, 2022

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 10th highest, increasing slightly in 2021 when compared to 2019’s pre-pandemic levels (15.2 percent). A closer look at…
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By:
Paul Shinn
March 2, 2021 // Updated: March 2, 2021

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.
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By:
Paul Shinn
December 18, 2020 // Updated: December 18, 2020

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.
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By:
Emma Morris
December 16, 2020 // Updated: December 15, 2020

As a state, we can and must do a better job of protecting those around us. Through personal choices and a commitment from our leaders, Oklahoma can work together to save lives.
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By:
Rebecca Fine
December 15, 2020 // Updated: December 15, 2020

All children in Oklahoma deserve to have their basic needs met, especially during these unprecedented times. Unfortunately, data from a new KIDS COUNT® report show that too many Oklahoma families are struggling to weather this public health crisis.
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A new report from the Oklahoma Policy Institute — entitled “Plateaus and Cliff Effects in Oklahoma” — is among the first of its kind to examine how public supports and income interact to impact low-income Oklahomans.
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Proposed policy solutions
• Second federal relief package
• Implement Oklahoma’s Medicaid expansion quickly
• Enforce federal eviction moratorium
• Rent assistance
New Census data released today show Oklahoma’s poverty rate remained higher than the national average in 2019 but…
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By:
Paul Shinn
June 27, 2020 // Updated: June 27, 2020

On June 30, Oklahomans will decide State Question 802 that would add Medicaid expansion to the Oklahoma Constitution. Arguments in favor of SQ 802 have rightly been centered around its well-documented health effects. Expansion, after all, will reduce the number…
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The latest paper from the Oklahoma Policy Institute — Valuing Work — examines how well we value workers in Oklahoma by paying them a fair wage and offering necessary benefits like paid leave time.
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This year’s Prosperity Now Scorecard reminds us that Oklahoma faces significant challenges. But the good news is that the state has the opportunity to reverse course and set Oklahoma on a path to a more prosperous and sustainable future.
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