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The Weekly Wonk is a summary of Oklahoma Policy Institute’s events, publications, blog posts, and coverage. Numbers of the Day and Policy Notes are from our daily news briefing, In The Know. Click here to subscribe to In The Know.
OK Policy Director David Blatt’s Journal Record column imagined a solution to the contradictions in state lawmakers’ attitudes about federal funds.
The OK Policy Blog discussed how the recently passed tax cut/capitol repairs law may have violated the state Constitution in multiple ways. We also featured a guest post by Elizabeth Fussell discussing how renters can be forgotten in post-disaster recovery efforts and featured a new OK Policy fact sheet detailing why accepting federal funds to extend Medicaid would be good for Oklahoma businesses and workers. Lastly, we reported on the Legislature’s failure to take meaningful action on numerous tax credits and deductions.
- $1,300 – Amount of wealth per household lost to foreclosure in communities of color in Oklahoma, more than double the amount lost per household in the state’s predominately White communities ($640), 2012
- 27 – Number of months on average that low-income families receive cash assistance in Oklahoma, compared to 37 months nationally
- 1st – Oklahoma’s rank among the states for incidence of cervical cancer, 10.9 per 100,000 residents, compared to 7.9 nationally
- 143,150 – The number of low-income working Oklahomans who would qualify for health coverage if the state accepted federal funds to expand Medicaid
- 69 percent – Percentage of Oklahomans who report that they have not set aside money for children’s college education, compared to 63 percent nationally in 2013
Policy Notes
- Wonkblog explained why throwing children in prison makes them less likely to finish high school and more likely to commit crimes as adults.
- The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities showed in one graph why smart states are taking measures to raise new revenues.
- A new HUD report showed that housing discrimination against minorities persists in the United States in more subtle ways.
- Entrepreneur and venture capitalist Nick Hanauer made the capitalist’s case for a $15 minimum wage.
- FINRA Investor Education Foundation released the results of a state-by-state survey that compares the financial capabilities of Oklahomans with residents of other states and the nation as a whole.
