OK Policy has announced its 2021 legislative priorities, focusing on policy initiatives to help Oklahomans live healthier, create thriving families, and develop safe communities.
“Even before COVID-19 struck, far too many Oklahoma families and communities were struggling to provide and care for themselves and their families. The pandemic and its economic fallout exposed the enormous disparities and lack of adequate support, especially for Oklahomans of color,” said OK Policy Board Chair Dr. Joe Siano. “We have identified these policy priorities as the key places in which elected officials, policymakers, and advocates can apply resources to help create a more equitable environment for all Oklahomans.”
OK Policy will monitor issues related to these policy areas during the upcoming Oklahoma Legislative session, which starts Feb. 1.
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Healthy Oklahomans
One of the key issues in the upcoming legislative session will be securing funding for Medicaid expansion, which was approved by voters via SQ 802 in June 2020. Expansion will extend health coverage to 200,000 low-income working-age parents and other adults. It will particularly benefit Oklahomans of color, which is a good first step towards improving equitable health outcomes in our state. Expansion should also provide a financial return to the state both through the injection of new federal tax dollars and the economic impact from job creation, new tax revenue, and increased economic impact. [LEARN MORE]
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Safe Communities
Oklahoma has one of the nation’s highest incarceration rates. This incarceration crisis breaks up families, worsens racial disparities, and extracts millions of dollars annually in court fines and fees from the state’s poorest communities. None of these policies make Oklahomans more safe; numerous states have lower crime rates and significantly lower incarceration rates. Oklahoma’s expensive incarceration crisis creates devastating consequences for communities statewide. [LEARN MORE]
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Thriving Families
Families are the backbone of our society and economy, but too many Oklahoma families can not keep up. Many Oklahoma jobs pay less than a quarter of what it takes to support a family. Many workers have to leave jobs and many must drop out of the workforce entirely to care for children or parents. Limited access to paid leave means the whole family becomes worse off when life circumstances change. The state’s tax structure also expects more from low-income parents than from any other Oklahomans. [LEARN MORE]
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