Weekly Wonk: Oklahoma children deserve investment. When will lawmakers act? | Successful states invest in what they want to become | What the State Equalization Board meeting tells us about Oklahoma’s budget

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.

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2026 Subscribe // View latest headlines Oklahoma children deserve investment. When will lawmakers act?   Oklahoma children face a host of challenges that stem from the conditions and policies shaping life in our state – nearly 1 in 4 Oklahoma children experience food insecurity, children of color are overrepresented in the youth justice system, and young children are inappropriately exposed to court involvement. Parents’ resources are stretched thin, whether it’s due to the stagnant minimum wage of the last two decades, the frustrating reality of finding and keeping stable housing, or cuts to child care subsidies that families and daycares relied on. This need is clear in the latest KIDS COUNT report, which ranked Oklahoma 44th nationally for overall child well-being. Parents and children need help now, but did not receive it from their legislators this session. While legislators introduced and passed a budget within record time, it did not include or make time to consider investments in resources that would help Oklahoma families struggling to make ends meet in the present. [Jill Mencke / OK Policy] What the State Equalization Board meeting tells us about Oklahoma’s budget (Capitol Update)   Reports of the June 15 State Equalization Board meeting remind me of a few things about state financing that we don’t often think about. The board met to adjust the Fiscal Year 2027 revenue estimate, reflecting actions taken by the Legislature during this year’s session. This is usually due to a tax cut — large or small — or some other bill that will affect the amount of revenue available to the Legislature for appropriation. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update] Policy Matters: Successful states invest in what they want to become   Too often, our state’s leadership has approached major challenges by asking, “What’s the smallest amount we can spend?” instead of the question successful organizations ask every day: “What will it take to succeed?” The consequences of that mindset are impossible to ignore. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record] NEW: OK Policy is now hiring a Tribal-State Policy Analyst!   We are hiring for a Tribal-State Policy Analyst to conduct research and analysis on Tribal-State policy in Oklahoma, in direct collaboration with OK Policy team members, Tribal partners, and Inter-Tribal organizations on Tribal-state-specific policy issues.    Deadline to apply is Friday, July 3, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (CST) Learn More & Apply OK Policy & Together OK are bringing the voices of your community to the Capitol.   This summer, we’re hosting listening sessions in towns and cities across the state to provide an opportunity for the public to have conversations with our fellow Oklahomans about issues that matter most in their communities. By hearing directly from residents, we can better advocate for state policies that reflect your priorities.   Sessions are free and open to the public, and participants will be compensated for their time (in-person events only). [Learn More] Find A Listening Session Near You Take Our Quick Online Survey Opinion, The Interview: Tribal advocate: Early education is key to stopping violence: Native Americans remain disproportionately affected by poverty in Oklahoma, with about 19% living below the federal poverty line. And the overlapping jurisdictions of federal, state, county and tribal governments in Oklahoma continue to complicate criminal investigation and prosecution of crimes affecting tribal members. In particular, little improvement has been seen in the number of missing and murdered Indigenous people (MMIP) reported each year. [The Oklahoman]   Diversion Hub opens in central OKC as part of MAPS 4: A group of city leaders gathered in central Oklahoma City’s Ward 6 on Wednesday for a ribbon-cutting at the new MAPS 4 Diversion Hub. Mayor David Holt joined Ward 6 Councilwoman JoBeth Hamon, Diversion Hub Executive Director Meagan Taylor, Maps 4 Citizens Advisory Board Chair Teresa Rose and Diversion Hub founder Sue Ann Arnall for speeches and a ribbon-cutting. [News 9] "Do not give me a sparkler, American flag or roman candle to hold high on July 4. Give me a sign, give me a megaphone, give me marching boots, give me the strength to speak truth to power."   - Jo Hogan, an Oklahoma resident, reflecting on how American women are still fighting for equality as the nation approaches its 250th birthday. [The Oklahoman] Federal Poverty Level   The federal poverty level (FPL) is a measure of income issued annually by the Department of Health and Human Services that is used to determine eligibility for various public programs and benefits, including Medicaid, health insurance premium tax credits, the free- and reduced- school lunch program, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), and many others.   The federal poverty level, which takes into account family size, is $15,650 for a single individual and $32,150 for a family of four in 2025. There are separate, higher levels for residents of Alaska and Hawaii.   The federal poverty level was first established in 1965 and was set at three times the cost of a basic food plan. The level is adjusted annually for inflation. It is widely accepted that the federal poverty level does not accurately reflect the amount of income needed to meet one’s basic needs. An alternative measure, the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), that is developed and reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, is intended to provide a more thorough and accurate assessment of how much income a household needs to get by. The Census Bureau releases annual reports of the number of Americans living in poverty based on the federal poverty level and supplemental poverty measure.   [Look up more key terms to understand Oklahoma politics and government here] Opinion: SQ 832 revealed troubling level of indifference on both sides   State Question 832 was not merely about economics. It was a test of whether Oklahoma voters were willing to extend a measure of economic relief to some of the state's lowest-paid workers by gradually increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour by 2029. This election, therefore, was not merely about the small number of workers earning $7.25 an hour. It was also about cashiers, nursing assistants, home-health aides, restaurant workers, retail employees and countless others earning just above the minimum wage and up to $15 per hour, whose pay scales are influenced by the wage floor. A regular raise in minimum wage would also put upward pressure on all those wages. It is evident that many affected people didn't realize what was at stake, and unfortunately, opponents prevailed.   The result leaves two uncomfortable possibilities.   First, many of the very people who stood to benefit from higher wages simply did not vote. If low-wage workers, their families and their friends had turned out in large numbers, the outcome might have been different. Democracy offers no guarantee of good policy, but it does require participation. When people decline to use the ballot box, they leave others to decide their future. It is also possible that years of economic struggle have produced a sense of resignation among some low-wage workers, leading many to conclude that political participation will not change their circumstances.   Second, many Oklahomans knowingly voted to keep a 15-year-old wage floor in place. They may have cited concerns about inflation, business costs or government intervention. Yet Oklahoma has experienced rising prices, rising rents and rising living costs even while the minimum wage remained unchanged for more than 15 years. Therefore, those concerns are less convincing. It is also too difficult to ignore the moral question: if rent, food, insurance and utilities have all risen dramatically since 2009, why should the wages of the lowest-paid workers remain frozen in time?   SQ 832 exposed something deeper than disagreement over economics. It revealed a troubling level of indifference. A society cannot claim to value hard work while refusing to consider whether hard-working people can live on what they earn.   The election is over. The question remains: How long should others fight for low-wage workers when many of them do not show up to fight for themselves?   [Sandip J. Chauhan / The Oklahoman] 90% - The share of LGBTQ+ young people who said recent anti-LGBTQ+ laws, policies, and political debates have negatively affected their well-being by causing stress or anxiety. [The Trevor Project] June is Pride Month, an annual celebration in June honoring LGBTQ+ identity, history, and rights $62 million - The amount in Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credits approved for families with household incomes above $225,000 for the 2026-27 school year. These families accounted for 31% of all approved tax credit applications, an 8.4% increase from the previous year. [Oklahoma Tax Commission] From OK Policy: What’s That? Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credits   7 - The number of states that hold on-cycle local elections, aligning them with national election dates and ballots. While Oklahoma law allows cities to choose, none of its major cities (Norman, Oklahoma City, Broken Arrow, Tulsa, and Edmond) currently do so, meaning local races are often decided in lower-turnout elections. [Sightline Institute]   1.1 billion - Number of gallons of water used by Google’s data center in Pryor, Oklahoma, from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. The company discharged about 253 million gallons of wastewater back into the Neosho River during that same time period. The rest of the water is lost through evaporation during and after it cools servers. [The Frontier]   57% - The share of LGBTQ+ people who have made significant life decisions since November 2024 in response to LGBTQ-related politics or laws. For transgender and nonbinary people, the figure is even higher at 84%, with steps ranging from considering a move to another state to changing jobs, updating identity documents, traveling across state lines for medical care, or more. [Movement Advancement Project] What the Research Says About Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth: All young people need safe and supportive environments to grow, explore, and learn, but we know from evidence that it is especially important for sexual minority youth, who are more likely to face discrimination and harassment. In recent years, we have seen an increase in the kinds of LGBTQ+ policies that we know create barriers to positive health and well-being. It is critical that we use what we have learned from decades of research about supporting our young people to inform the policies and programs that affect them. Creating better school climates, inclusive laws, and providing support for sexual minority youth helps ALL young people. [UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent]   School Privatization Policy Brief: State policymakers have increasingly adopted school privatization programs — such as vouchers, tax-credit scholarships, and education savings accounts — that direct public funds toward private education. However, research has generally found little to no difference in academic outcomes between students who use vouchers to attend private schools and those who remain in public schools. Despite limited evidence that these programs improve student achievement, lawmakers at both the state and federal levels continue to expand school privatization efforts, often raising concerns about their impact on traditional public schools. [Southern Education Fund]   A Move Toward Fewer Elections, With More on the Ballots: States are increasingly shifting toward consolidating local, special, and municipal elections with higher-level state or federal contests, aiming to reduce election frequency and boost turnout. This approach is supported by evidence showing that consolidating election dates can raise participation by a notable margin while also cutting costs and easing administrative burdens. The trend underscores a growing consensus that synchronized election scheduling enhances democratic engagement and operational efficiency. [NCSL]   AI Data Centers and Tribes: Emerging Federal and State Policy Trends and Tribal Governance Options: Throughout 2025 and into 2026, sovereigns across the United States (U.S.) are increasingly prioritizing policy considerations involving the development of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. While data centers are not new, recent advancements in AI have created a demand for building data centers equipped to handle AI’s computing power. Constructing and operating data centers requires a range of mineral and raw material resources, including energy, land, and environmental and natural resources, such as water and air. [Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research / The University of Oklahoma]   Overview of President Trump’s Executive Actions Impacting LGBTQ+ Health: Recent executive orders have revoked key protections — such as nondiscrimination mandates, federal recognition of gender identity, and inclusive data collection — that underpinned LGBTQ+ health equity efforts. Directives defining sex as immutable, prohibiting “gender ideology,” and targeting gender-affirming care in federal programs threaten access to care, particularly for transgender people. These shifts risk medical providers withdrawing services, health programs losing funding, and surveillance capabilities eroding — ultimately undermining public health and civil rights for LGBTQ+ populations. [KFF] Support Our Work with a Donation 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. Contact Oklahoma Policy Institute 907 S. Detroit Ave #1005 Tulsa, OK 74120 United States  918-794-3944 | info@okpolicy.org   Connect with us:   If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive emails from us, please unsubscribe.