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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.
Responding to an OK Policy issue brief on the large gaps in health, education, and wealth between whites and people of color in Oklahoma, the Oklahoman editorial board wrote that minorities have just made bad personal choices. OK Policy’s Director, David Blatt’s Journal Record column explained why food stamps’ success at alleviating hunger and poverty are an achievement worth preserving. David was also quoted in an article by the Urban Tulsa Weekly discussing Oklahoma’s decision not to expand Medicaid and featured in a Slice Magazine article highlighting Oklahoma’s think tanks.
The OK Policy Blog explained why the Affordable Care Act will help but not completely solve Oklahoma’s uninsured problem. We also discussed how Oklahoma disenfranchises felons and highlighted the fact that for the third consecutive fiscal year, adult education centers across the state that provide GED classes and basic literacy instruction have been wholly defunded by the state, putting federal matching funds at risk.
- 27 percent – Percentage of uninsured Oklahomans, eligible to cash-in tax rebates to buy health insurance on the state’s new online ‘exchange’ in 2014, that do not have a bank account
- 230,000 – The number of children living in Oklahoma households that were food insecure during the year, a quarter of the state’s kids.
- 515,000 – Projected number of uninsured Oklahomans in 2016 if the state continues to reject federal money to expand Medicaid, versus 331,000 if the state accepts Medicaid expansion
- 91,622 – The number of unemployed Oklahomans as of May 2013, roughly the same as were unemployed this time last year
- $0 – The amount of money the state allocated for GED prep, basic math and literacy, and ESL classes at adult education centers for FY 2014
Policy Notes
- Economist Nancy Folbre explained why 401(k)s aren’t helping most Americans save for retirement and should be replaced by a national pension system.
- Wonkblog has a detailed analysis of the Obama administration’s new plan to combat climate change.
- The Center for American Progress discussed why the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down parts of the Voting Rights Act demonstrates why we need a federal right to vote.
- The Moody’s rating has announced a “super-downgrade” of Kansas bonds due to the state’s large income tax cuts.
- The Annie E. Casey Foundation published their annual KIDS COUNT report for 2013, examining national changes in the status of children with a complex picture of child well-being in every state.
