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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
Breaking down SQ 832: The details on raising the minimum wage: One of the most significant provisions in SQ 832 is that, starting in 2030, the state’s minimum wage would automatically be adjusted every year based on changes to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This annual adjustment would help ensure that the minimum wage meets rising costs from inflation so minimum wage earners can meet the most basic costs of living. [Gabriela Ramirez-Perez / OK Policy]
Policy Matters: If ‘work conquers all’, why can’t Oklahomans get ahead?: Labor Day weekend is often seen as a time to rest, travel, or shop end-of-summer sales. But if we genuinely want to honor working Oklahomans, we must ask hard questions about the laws and policies that shape economic opportunity and everyday life on the job. Oklahoma’s state motto — “Labor omnia vincit,” or work conquers all — suggests that our state and our lawmakers value work. Yet, too many of our state policies tell a different story. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record]
Oklahoma’s county jails face rising insurance and liability pressures (Capitol Update): Last week, Senator David Bullard, R-Durant, sponsored an interesting and important interim study on insurance rates for county jails before the Senate Local and County Government Committee, chaired by Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain. The study featured testimony from several county commissioners whose jail liability insurance had become unavailable in satisfactory amounts either due to the increased cost of premiums, reduction of coverage by the insurance companies, or exclusions to the counties’ general liability insurance. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
Weekly What’s That
Free and Reduced School Meal Program (National School Lunch Program)
The Free and Reduced School Meal Program, also known as the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children in public and nonprofit private schools. Eligibility for free or reduced-price meals is based on household income, with those at or below 130% of the federal poverty level qualifying for free meals, and those between 130% and 185% qualifying for reduced-price meals. Schools may not charge children more than 40 cents for a reduced-price lunch. Additionally, children in households participating in certain federal assistance programs or who are classified as homeless, migrant, or foster youth are automatically eligible.
The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the Program at the Federal level. At the State level, NSLP is administered by State agencies through agreements with school food authorities. Participating schools receive cash subsidies as well as USDA Foods for each reimbursable meal they serve. In exchange, schools and institutions must serve lunches that meet the Federal meal pattern requirements.
School districts that have adopted the Community Eligibility Provision are able to offer free meals to all their students regardless of income.
In Oklahoma, 455,230 students, or 69 percent of total student enrollment, qualified for free or reduced price meals in 2024-25, according to the State Department of Education. Over 90 percent of students in both Tulsa Public Schools and Oklahoma City Public Schools qualified for free or reduced school meals.
Affiliated programs include the School Breakfast Program, the Summer Food Service Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and After School Snack Program.
Look up more key terms to understand Oklahoma politics and government here.
Quote of the Week
“We have so many that understand and value the relationship with tribal nations. The Oklahoma Legislature, city officials, Mayor (Monroe) Nichols, the City of Bixby where we’ll proudly raise a Muscogee flag soon, … heck, even our world champion Oklahoma City Thunder! Yet our own governor continues to be divisive and refuses to work together. We’re beyond frustrated. Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars on divisive lawsuits, the governor should be working with us to build stronger partnerships for the future. I’ll say it every time.”
– Muscogee Nation Principal Chief David Hill, writing about Gov. Stitt asking the Oklahoma Supreme Court to throw out a settlement between Tulsa and the Muscogee Nation in a federal lawsuit regarding jurisdiction of misdemeanor cases in the portion of the city on the Okmulgee-based tribe’s reservation. [Tulsa World]
Editorial of the Week
On this Labor Day, let’s declare our support for a minimum wage increase
Since 1882, Labor Day has been observed to honor the social and economic contributions of American workers. This year, we believe it’s the opportune time to endorse the idea of an increase in the minimum wage in Oklahoma ― something that hasn’t happened since 2009 when the federal minimum wage was increased from $6.55 to $7.25. Oklahoma is one of 20 states that pegs its own rate to the federally required level.
In 2009, the average price of a Big Mac was about $3.50. Today it’s $6.
The Oklahoma Legislature doesn’t have to wait for Congress to act. It can raise the state’s minimum wage on its own. However, bills to do so have been introduced annually in recent years, but have failed to make it out of committee, blocked by the strong Republican majority…
(Oklahomans are) working in entry-level jobs, struggling to raise families, avoid eviction, keep food on the table and help their children with schoolwork. A raise in pay would be welcome, particularly at a time when federal support programs like Medicaid and SNAP are being cut and additional state assistance is in question.
On behalf of these, our fellow Oklahoma workers, we encourage support of SQ 832, and we encourage the state Legislature and Gov. Kevin Stitt to make the expensive election unnecessary by moving quickly to approve a new, higher minimum wage law when the next session begins.
Numbers of the Day
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7,659 – The estimated number of Oklahomans who could have received rental assistance during the pandemic but were denied. State Auditor Cindy Byrd found the Office of Management and Enterprise Services mismanaged more than $21.8 million in federal grant funds, much of which went to nonprofit management fees instead of housing support. [The Oklahoman]
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46% – The rise in firearm death rates among children and adolescents from 2019 to 2021, driven largely by gun assaults. From 2021 to 2023, the firearm death rate has held steady at 3.5 per 100,000 children and adolescents. The increase during the pandemic was most pronounced among Black and Latino youth, for whom assaults make up the majority of firearm deaths. [KFF]
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4 in 5 – Studies show that 4 in 5 people who have come into contact with the criminal legal system across the country owe a criminal legal debt, with 15 percent owing more than $5,000. The total outstanding legal debt in the U.S. is estimated to be as high as $50 billion. [Urban Institute]
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4.5 million – The estimated shortage of homes in the U.S. housing market. This severe gap between supply and demand has fueled rising prices, limited workforce mobility, and created widespread economic and social challenges. [U.S. Chamber of Commerce]
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58% – The share of Americans who favor allowing any voter to cast their ballot by mail if they want to. However, the issue has stark partisan lines as 83% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents support no-excuse voting by mail, while 68% of Republicans and Republican leaners oppose it. [Pew Research]
What We’re Reading
- States Should Fund Rental Assistance as a Frontline Strategy to Address the Housing Affordability Crisis: State-funded rental assistance is a critical frontline strategy for addressing housing affordability and reducing instability among low-income tenants. Programs should be designed to deliver sustained, voucher-like support — rather than one-off or time-limited help — to provide meaningful relief and housing security. Establishing dedicated, predictable funding streams enhances program resilience and equity, while source-of-income protections help ensure renters can access housing in the face of discrimination. [Center for Budget and Policy Priorities]
- The Impact of Gun Violence on Children and Adolescents: The United States experienced a sharp increase in firearm mortality among youth in recent years, with firearms becoming the leading cause of death for children and adolescents by 2020. Beyond fatalities, many young people are exposed to gun violence — either directly or indirectly — which is linked to rising rates of PTSD, anxiety, depression, and diminished school performance. The strain on mental health is compounded by gaps in treatment access, as many affected youth and their families go without necessary services. Approaches that seek to reduce the impact of firearms on health include enforcing safe-storage laws, expanding child access prevention measures, and bolstering trauma-informed mental health support for young survivors and impacted communities. [KFF]
- Imposing Instability: How Court Fines and Fees Destabilize Government Budgets and Criminalize Those Who Cannot Pay: This report looks at the amount of criminal, juvenile, municipal, and traffic fines and fees imposed by courts nationwide and compares those totals to the actual revenue collected for government coffers. Drawing from 24 states for which there was available data, this report examines the widespread use of court-imposed fines and fees to supplement government budgets between fiscal years 2018 and 2022. It finds that, despite a decline in court caseloads, the total amount of fines and fees imposed increased—suggesting that revenue generation, rather than case volume or public safety, is driving imposition practices. [Fines and Fees Justice Center]
- The US Needs More Homes. The States Have Some Ideas: States increasingly see value in pairing regulatory reforms with modern construction technology — such as 3D printing and off-site building methods — as a scalable solution to housing shortages. Policy updates that ease zoning restrictions, streamline permitting, and encourage “missing middle” housing types (like duplexes, triplexes, and accessory dwelling units) are gaining traction for their ability to boost affordability and supply. Some states are also exploring financing mechanisms and incentives to help localities adopt these more efficient building practices. [National Conference of State Legislatures]
- The Trump Administration’s Campaign to Undermine the Next Election: The Trump administration has launched a concerted drive to undermine American elections. These moves are unprecedented and in some cases illegal. They began with the pardon of the January 6 defendants who sought to overturn the 2020 results. They include affirmative attacks on democratic institutions, the repeal and withdrawal of voter protections, and symbolic or demonstrative moves. A clear pattern suggests a growing effort. As the 2026 midterms approach, that effort will likely gather momentum. This resource offers the first chronicle of the Trump administration’s actions this year to undermine election integrity. [Brennan Center for Justice]
