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This Week from OK Policy
Anti-immigration raids harm all communities (Commentary): As the new administration issued a flurry of executive orders during its first weeks in power, many of the actions have specifically targeted immigrants and negatively impacted many community members in our country. These sweeping acts have created chaos and fear within all communities of color, regardless of immigration status. That’s because a growing number of law enforcement officials have stopped and detained individuals without credible information about immigration status. They are stopping individuals solely because of their appearance. [Vivian Morris & Gabriela Ramirez-Perez / OK Policy]
Black Health: Dying in Oklahoma (Commentary): For Black Oklahomans, lack of access to health care quickly turns into a death sentence. According to a 2021 report from the Oklahoma State Department of Health Equity and Minority Health, Blacks in Oklahoma experienced higher rates of illness and death compared to whites when it comes to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. [Kandis West / OK Policy]
Governor’s costs for his proposed income tax cut have quietly increased. Here’s why lawmakers should prioritize targeted tax credits to help working families: You may have noticed that the figures the governor shared on Friday were higher than his initial pitch. This isn’t intended to be a gotcha moment, but we want to emphasize that when our elected officials talk about policy issues, facts and figures matter. Decisions need to be made using the best data available. [Dave Hamby / OK Policy]
Policy Matters: Who opened the door for you?: In a world where language shapes our perceptions, phrases like representation, fairness, and belonging have taken on a negative connotation for some. These concepts are increasingly viewed as inflammatory or divisive. But I ask you to consider this: Who opened the door for you on your life’s journey? [Shiloh Kantz / OK Policy]
Clara Luper resisted Oklahoma City segregation. What change will you make?: History teaches us that the biggest changes often start with the smallest actions. A single voice, a single act of courage, a single refusal to accept injustice — each can ripple outward in ways no one could have predicted. And yet, those ripples don’t start on their own. Someone has to be willing to make the first move. This is a testament to the power of small actions in creating meaningful change, giving us hope and optimism for the future. [Angela Monson / The Oklahoman]
Legislature on track to approve mental health consent decree (Capitol Update): It is gratifying to see the Legislature is set to approve the settlement negotiated by Attorney General Gentner Drummond and the plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit that complained of inadequate treatment services by the state to restore defendants to competency in criminal cases. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
Weekly What’s That
State Question 640 was a citizen-initiated ballot measure that was approved by Oklahoma voters in a special election in March 1992 with 56.2 percent of the vote. The measure amended Article 5, Section 33 of the Oklahoma Constitution to add restrictions on how revenue bills can become law. Under SQ 640, a revenue bill can only become law if: (1) it is approved by a 3/4th vote of both legislative chambers and is signed by the Governor; or (2) it is referred by the legislature to a vote of the people at the next general election and receives majority approval. State Question 640 also prohibited a revenue bill from containing an emergency clause; instead, revenue bills can only take effect 90 days after being signed by the Governor.
Since passage of SQ 640 in 1992, Oklahoma voters have approved only one state question to raise taxes: SQ 713, which increased the tobacco tax in 2004. Until passage of HB 1010xx in 2018, no revenue bill succeeded in gaining approval from three-quarters of legislators in both chambers.
State Question 640’s three-quarter supermajority requirement for all tax increases is the highest threshold for raising taxes of any state in the nation (Arkansas and Michigan also require a 3/4 vote, but only for certain taxes).
Look up more key terms to understand Oklahoma politics and government here.
Quote of the Week
“It’s a dark hole of information governed by emotion and ideology over data and evidence.”
– Tulsa World editorial about the need for Oklahoma’s elected officials and policy makers to identify and fix problems with state’s private school tax credit/voucher program before lawmakers should consider expanding the program. [Editorial / Tulsa World]
Op-ed of the Week
Opinion: Slow down, Gov. Stitt. We need other things more than a tax cut
“States all around us ― Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Colorado and Louisiana ― are cutting their income taxes and have lower rates than we do,” Gov. Kevin Stitt said in his recent State of the State address.
Slow down, governor, that may be true ― but in overall tax burden, Oklahoma is already the lowest in the surrounding area and 42nd in the nation.
While Stitt and other Oklahoma legislators claim that we are losing out in the battle to be the most tax- friendly state, WalletHub sees it differently.
To determine the states with the biggest tax burdens, WalletHub compared the 50 states based on the cost of three types of taxes ― property taxes, individual income taxes, and sales and excise taxes ― as a share of total personal income in the state.
Oklahoma has one of the lowest overall state tax burdens in the nation, said Adam McCann, a WalletHub financial writer.
Overall tax burden for Oklahomans is 42nd in the nation, out of 50.
According to WalletHub, the surrounding states, Texas is 37th; Arkansas, 18th; Kansas, 12th; Colorado, 24th; and New Mexico, 30th. Not exactly catching up with us (42nd) on total tax burden.
Congratulations, governor, Oklahoma is a top 10 state on the least tax burden.
Leave taxes where they are. We’re good. The growth that is so desired will be slow to come to a state with failing education (49th) and healthcare (49th).
Return more money to the residents by investing in the needed infrastructure of the state. We are in the top 10 with the lowest overall tax burden, governor. Now, fix the rest.
[Read the full op-ed by Mary and Tom Lokey featured in The Oklahoman]
Numbers of the Week
- 87,207 – Estimated number of federal civilian employees in Oklahoma during 2023. The state’s highest share of federal employment was about 7.7% of all people employed in Congressional District 4, which covers south-central Oklahoma, including Midwest City, Norman, Moore, Ada, Duncan, Lawton/Ft. Sill, and Ardmore. [Congressional Research Service]
- Oklahoma has one of the nation’s highest rate of federal civilian employees as a share of all workers [Pew Research]
- 33.1% – Only about 1 in 3 Oklahomans have a valid passport, which is one of the few documents that would provide proof of citizenship for voting rights under the proposed SAVE Act being considered in Congress. In seven states, less than one-third of citizens have a valid passport: West Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. [Center for American Progress]
- $75 billion – New financial reports indicate five of America’s biggest corporations—Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Tesla—could win $75 billion in tax breaks if Congress and the President satisfy demands from corporate lobbyists to reinstate a provision repealed under the 2017 Trump tax law. [Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy]
- 17.2% – In Oklahoma, more than 120,000 public school students — 17.2%, or more than 1 in 6 — have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Legally binding documents, IEPs establish what special education services and accommodations a school must provide to a student who has a qualifying disability. [Urban Institute]
- 15.8% – People in rural areas would be particularly hard hit by any cuts in SNAP (the nation’s largest food assistance program) since its participation rates are higher in rural areas than in metropolitan areas. In Oklahoma, the rural participation rate for SNAP is 15.8%, while it’s 13.8% in small towns and 11.6% in urban areas. [Food Research and Action Center]
What We’re Reading
- How DOGE cutbacks could create a major backlash: Cutting government budgets is broadly popular in theory, but if Trump and Musk overcome legal challenges and succeed in large-scale downsizing, they will find that cutting government can backfire on them. By using an axe instead of a scalpel, they run the risk of throwing out the baby with the bathwater and eliminating essential functions. In its haste, DOGE is likely to disrupt services the public supports, making the government less effective. History shows that major government failures are politically lethal, often more so than constitutional arguments. When both occur, they can create serious political problems for the president and the party in power. [Brookings]
- The SAVE Act Would Disenfranchise Millions of Citizens: Last month, congressional Republicans pledged to fast-track the SAVE Act, a bill that would require all Americans to provide a birth certificate, passport, or one of a few other citizenship documents every time they register or re-register to vote. More than 21 million American citizens don’t have these documents readily available. The bill also would obliterate or upend longstanding and popular methods of voter registration for all voters, including registration by mail, voter registration drives, online voter registration, and automatic voter registration. [Brennan Center for Justice]
- Taxes Explained: A Fair and Just Tax Code Is Critical for Improving Economic Power for the People: People across the country already struggle to exercise economic and political control over their own lives, and there may be imminent changes in economic and tax policy that could make things worse. This year will be a consequential year for tax policy: Billionaires like Elon Musk and corporate lobbyists are working hand in hand with conservative lawmakers to push through tax changes in 2025 that will deepen inequality – giving massive benefits to wealthy people and corporations while making it even harder for people to shape their economic and political futures. The stakes are particularly high for Black and brown families, who face overlapping inequalities that make it hard for them to meet their needs, achieve economic security, and plan for the future. [Demos]
- How Dismantling the Education Department Could Affect Disabled Students Across the US: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975 opened doors for millions of disabled students who had been institutionalized or denied an education on the basis of disability. Fifty years later, this law—in tandem with Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act—continues to ensure students with disabilities in every community are provided with a “free appropriate public education.” Now, disabled students’ right to public education is at risk. The Trump administration says it plans to close the US Department of Education (ED), revisiting efforts that began in the president’s first term. [Urban Institute]
- 2025 Budget Stakes: Rural Communities Would Be Hurt by Proposed Policies and Cuts: Republican proposals that Congress could consider this year would harm people living in rural areas. People in rural — defined here as non-metropolitan — areas tend to have lower incomes and higher rates of material hardship. A range of proposals, including a menu of spending cuts that House Republicans are reportedly considering, would take away or reduce health coverage, help buying groceries, and other critical assistance from people in rural communities. [Center on Budget & Policy Priorities]
