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What’s up this week at Oklahoma Policy Institute? The Weekly Wonk shares our most recent publications and other resources to help you stay informed about Oklahoma. Numbers of the Day and Policy Notes are from our daily news briefing, In The Know. Click here to subscribe to In The Know.
This Week from OK Policy
Lawmakers’ FY 2027 state spending decisions did not put Oklahomans first: How lawmakers choose to spend taxpayer dollars via the state budget indicates their priorities. This session, lawmakers made their priorities clear: rather than adequately investing in education or healthcare, lawmakers chose to spend large sums of money on priorities that were less impactful but more politically popular. All the while, they are trying to severely restrict local revenue generation while simultaneously lacking sufficient revenue to meet the needs of everyday Oklahomans. [Aanahita Irani Ervin / OK Policy]
SQ 846 Explained: How would it change voting in Oklahoma? (video): On ballots statewide Aug 25, SQ 846 would broaden voter ID requirements in the Oklahoma Constitution and give the Oklahoma Legislature expanded power to decide exactly what those are. This could have big implications for mail-in and provisional ballots. Buckle up. Here’s what’s actually in the amendment. [Cole Allen / OK Policy]
- From OK Policy: SQ 846 Fact Sheet | What’s on the ballot for the August 25, 2026 elections in Oklahoma?
Policy Matters: Tax cuts are a workforce problem: If you ask Oklahoma business owners what makes it hardest to grow their businesses today, most won’t start by talking about taxes. They’ll talk about finding qualified workers, hiring and keeping staff, child care shortages that keep parents from working, the lack of affordable housing near jobs, and the challenge of recruiting professionals to communities that need stronger schools, health care, and other basic services. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record]
Your voice matters beyond Election Day (Commentary): For many Oklahomans, the results of State Question 832 were disappointing. Others were relieved. But regardless of where you stood on the issue, one thing is true: the election is over, but the work of building a better Oklahoma continues. [Austin Webb / OK Policy]
New education laws take effect in Oklahoma this school year (Capitol Update): As the school year begins, my thoughts turn to some of the new requirements Oklahoma schools must attend to in the year ahead. As usual, legislators have enacted a variety of education laws they deem necessary to improve student outcomes and safety. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
OK Policy in the News
Oklahoma voters to decide on State Question 844 and its impact on local funding: State Question 844, on the Aug. 25 ballot, would give Oklahoma lawmakers authority to change how the state reimburses local governments for property tax breaks given to manufacturers, with supporters and opponents debating its potential effects. [KOCO]
Oklahoma school leaders, state lawmakers at odds over State Question 844: A nonpartisan state question appearing on Aug. 25 runoff ballots, which has vocal support from the state Capitol, has raised concerns that it could come at a cost to public schools. [Oklahoma Voice]
Weekly What’s That
Ad Valorem Tax (Property Tax)
Property tax, also known as ad valorem tax, is an annual tax paid by property owners to local governments. Many local government entities are authorized to levy property taxes, including counties, school districts, cities (for restricted purposes), and special districts. There is no statewide property tax in Oklahoma.
Property tax collections in Oklahoma totaled $3.9 billion in 2024 and are the single largest source of local government revenue, accounting for roughly one in three dollars of local revenue (excluding intergovernmental revenue). Oklahoma’s per person property taxes are among the very lowest in the nation and less than half the national average.
Property taxes are based on a property’s value, its assessment ratio, and the millage levy.
- Property valuation is determined by county assessors. The assessed value cannot be increased by more than 3 percent in any year, unless the property is sold. Some seniors and other favored populations have their valuations frozen [see Ad Valorem Exemptions].
- The assessment ratio is a percentage of a property’s assessed value. Counties can set assessment ratios for different kinds of property at between 10 and 15 percent.
- Mills are then applied to assessed valuation, up to maximum levels set by the Oklahoma Constitution. A mill is $1 in tax for every $1,000 in taxable value. Various local governments are also allowed to issue bonds paid for with additional mills if approved by popular vote.
Oklahoma has various property tax exemptions that may reduce this amount further.
With passage of State Question 766 in 2012, Oklahoma exempted all intangible property from the property tax. Previously only “centrally-assessed” businesses (primarily large telecommunications, utility, and railroad companies) had been charged property taxes on intangible property.
Look up more key terms to understand Oklahoma politics and government here.
Quote of the Week
“The Legislature created this (manufacturing incentive program), and they’re trying to create a solution. Schools and counties are pretty negatively impacted, in my opinion, from that solution.”
-Minco Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Sims, speaking about SQ 844 as the Legislature’s proposed solution to changing how the state pays back local schools and communities for some manufacturing property tax exemptions. He said if the program is too expensive, the Legislature over the years should have put more limits on who could qualify for the tax exemption. School and city leaders across the state are concerned that lawmakers might not fully cover the local revenue lost through this program. SQ 844 will be on the ballot on Aug. 25. [Oklahoma Voice]
Op-Ed of the Week
Oklahoma runoffs are coming, and your vote matters
On Aug. 25, Oklahomans from both major political parties will have another opportunity to help shape the future of our state. Republicans and Democrats alike will head to the polls to decide a number of important runoff elections that will determine who advances to the general election or ultimately serves in public office. Yet, if history is any guide, far too many voters will stay home.
Runoff elections consistently produce some of the lowest voter turnout elections in Oklahoma. While primary elections often see modest participation, runoff elections typically attract an even smaller share of eligible voters. As a result, races that can influence the direction of our communities, our schools and our state government are frequently decided by a relatively small number of people.
That is not a criticism of those who do vote. In fact, they deserve credit for taking the time to participate in our electoral process. They are exercising one of the most important rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
The concern is not that these voters are making decisions. The concern is that too many others are choosing not to.
When only a small percentage of eligible voters participate, elected officials are selected by a narrower segment of the electorate. Our constitutional republic functions best when leaders earn the support of a broad cross-section of the people they represent. Higher turnout strengthens public confidence in election results and helps ensure that those who take office reflect the voices of more Oklahomans — not just the few who happened to cast a ballot.
Read Caedmon Brooks’ full op-ed at The Oklahoman
NOTE: There are two state questions on the Aug. 25 ballot, and all Oklahomans — regardless of political registration — will be able to cast ballots during that election. For more information, visit our resource page, What’s on the ballot for the August 25, 2026 elections in Oklahoma?
Numbers of the Week
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2,434,780 – The number of registered voters in Oklahoma as of July 2026. But registration doesn’t equal participation. Turnout in Oklahoma — especially for state and local elections — is typically much lower, meaning only a fraction of registered voters are expected to cast a ballot on Aug. 25. [Oklahoma State Election Board]
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5 million+ – Projected rise in number of uninsured people in the U.S. by 2034 due in large part to federally mandated work requirements and other changes to Medicaid included in H.R. 1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. [KFF]
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37.5% – Personal income tax accounts for about 37.5% of Oklahoma’s state government revenue. [Pew Research]
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6 – Oklahoma remains one of six states that don’t have laws that prevent landlord retaliation for exercising their legal rights, including when living conditions are unsafe. [Nolo]
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17.77% – SNAP food assistance participation in Oklahoma dropped by 17.77% (more than 120,000 people) between July 2025 and April 2026, which was the nation’s fourth largest decrease during that time period. About 1 in 7 Oklahomans rely on SNAP food assistance. Last year’s federal megabill H.R. 1 made deep cuts to federal funding for food assistance while increasing requirements for participation. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
What We’re Reading
- The Power of One Vote: An Examination of Close Federal, State, and Local U.S. Elections and How Just a Few Votes Can Shape Policy: Elections help determine the course the country takes on the economy, domestic and foreign affairs, whether Americans have access to affordable health care, the role of law enforcement in communities across America, the quality of the air Americans breathe and the water they drink, how children are educated, and everything else in between. Whether an election is decided by hundreds of thousands of votes or just a handful, in every case, the decisions are made by those who vote. A vote is more than just one ballot cast; each vote helps determine the future. [Center for American Progress]
- A Closer Look at the Work Requirement Provisions in the 2025 Federal Budget Reconciliation Law: On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law a budget reconciliation package once called the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” that includes significant changes to the Medicaid program. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the Medicaid work requirement provisions in the passed budget reconciliation law will be the largest source of Medicaid savings, reducing federal spending by $326 billion over ten years and cause millions to become uninsured. [KFF]
- States Played Defense This Year but Bigger Fiscal Tradeoffs Ahead: State policymakers adjusted their budgets this year in response to many of the immediate federal funding cuts and policy changes affecting tax codes, healthcare, and nutrition aid programs. But more significant cost increases outlined in last year’s federal reconciliation law are scheduled to take effect in fiscal 2028. Meanwhile, more states this year turned to one-time maneuvers to balance their budgets. The question that the next few months may begin to answer is whether the spending and revenue decisions that lawmakers made in 2026 left enough flexibility for next year’s more difficult tradeoffs. [Pew Research]
- Report: The States Where Corporate Landlords Own the Most Housing: The great majority of rental units are in multifamily apartment buildings; almost three in four in urban communities and nearly as many in suburban areas. New research from the Private Equity Shareholder Project, a nonprofit watchdog focused on private equity and the broader private funds industry, looks at the relationship between private equity ownership of apartments and affordability. [Governing]
- SNAP Cuts Mitigation Hub: Responding to H.R. 1: The harmful Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provisions in the budget reconciliation law (H.R. 1) passed in July threaten to undermine decades of progress in reducing hunger in America, disrupt the food system, strip food away from millions of people, burden already strained state budgets, and threaten the economy. [Food Research and Action Center]
