You're invited to join a Community Listening Session near you! This summer, the Oklahoma Policy Institute and Together Oklahoma are hosting in-person listening sessions across the state to hear directly from Oklahomans about the issues that matter most in their communities. These free, public events offer a chance to connect with neighbors, share your experiences, and speak with policy experts. Participants will receive compensation for their time. Make your voice heard—find a session near you and join the conversation. Make Your Voice Heard — In Person or Online Can't attend in person? Take our online survey (available in English and Spanish) and share your thoughts about the laws and policies that affect you and your neighbors. Your input helps shape our priorities for the next legislative session to build stronger, healthier, and more equitable communities across Oklahoma. |
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"What the administration is now saying – no, it doesn't matter if they don't have a criminal history. It doesn't matter if they have family or are U.S. citizens. They're saying, look, we're going to take the most draconian measures we can to detain as many individuals as we can throughout these lengthy proceedings." – Matt Adams, legal director at the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, speaking about the Trump administration's new policy that eliminates bail for many immigrants — including those with deep community ties, no criminal history, or even U.S. citizen family members — and mandates prolonged detention while they await court proceedings. [NPR] |
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42% - The percent of Oklahoma's electricity that comes from wind turbines, making the state one of the top wind-powered states in the nation. [U.S. Energy Information Administration] 8.1% - The share of Oklahoma's labor force made up of immigrants. The growth in the immigrant population has helped to strengthen our labor force high-tech positions to agriculture, hospitality, and service jobs. [American Immigration Council] 30% - The percentage of low-income Oklahomans that are either experiencing homelessness or spending more than half their income on rent. Most don't get any federal rental assistance — not because they don't qualify, but because funding simply isn't there. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities] $1.44 billion - The amount Oklahoma's top 1% of earners are projected to receive in federal tax cuts in 2026 under the budget "megabill." That $1.44 billion is part of a nationwide $117 billion in tax benefits heading to the wealthiest Americans next year. [Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy] $8.5 million - Oklahoma's sales tax holiday costs about $8.5 million in state revenue annually, and it has not been shown to promote economic growth through increased spending. [Oklahoma Tax Expenditure Report 2023-24] |
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SQ 832 ($15/hr Minimum Wage) In 2024, an initiative petition campaign for State Question 832 gathered more than enough signatures for a ballot measure to raise Oklahoma's minimum wage. The ballot measure was designed to increase the state minimum wage to $9 per hour in 2025, $10.50 per hour in 2026, $12 per hour in 2027, $13.50 per hour in 2028, and $15 per hour in 2029. Beginning in 2030, the wage would be adjusted based on changes to inflation. State officials certified the signatures for SQ 832 too late put the issue on the November 2024 general election ballot. In September 2024, Gov. Stitt signed an Executive Order to delay a vote on SQ 832 until the June 2026 primary election. The Executive Order stated that if the initiative is approved, the minimum wage would not be increased in 2025 or 2026 but would increase to $12 per hour on January 1, 2027. For more information on this state question, visit OK Policy's SQ 832: Minimum Wage Increase | Information and Resources page. Look up more key terms to understand Oklahoma politics and government here. |
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Opinion: Data is key to bringing justice-involved people back to workforce Many of our greatest achievements in crucial efforts like economic development and social reform have stemmed from the strategic use of thorough data. The economic growth in Oklahoma County and positive trends, like the reduced jail population, are a result of our data-driven decision making. The Criminal Justice Advisory Council launched an interactive Detention Center Dashboard in 2021 as our first major effort to compile and share data that could drive improvements in our justice system. CJAC is proud to announce that, thanks to a partnership with Oklahoma Policy Institute, a newer, more comprehensive version is coming soon. CJAC is now seeking input from the public, in particular from those working in service nonprofits, reform work or policy creation, to help us build a more useful dashboard. A clear, public-facing dashboard lets families, advocates, policymakers, and taxpayers, see exactly how many people are in jail, along with other data points like why they're there, and for how long. This holds the system accountable. By tracking trends daily, we can spot barriers in the system and address them faster. In the long term, this transparency will help local leaders and nonprofits push for solutions that keep people out of jail when possible, like expanding mental health treatment, using diversion more often, or improving bail practices. [Full op-ed from Melissa Walton / The Journal Record] |
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Tipton defends OHP plan to redirect troopers from metros to rural areas: Politicians and law enforcement leaders in Tulsa and the Oklahoma City metro area have expressed irritation about Commissioner of Public Safety Tim Tipton's decision to transfer "primary call responsibility" on traffic incidents to local law enforcement agencies, but the Department of Public Safety leader says shifting Highway Patrol troopers to ensure 24/7 coverage across the rest of Oklahoma's interstate system will address a long-time problem exacerbated by increasing traffic. [NonDoc] Takers and makers, do California and other 'donor' states help others across U.S.: When it comes to the U.S. tax system, there are maker and taker states. Some states take more federal dollars than they contribute, including Oklahoma. "There is a myth that Oklahoma is fiscally self-sufficient and what that means in terms of federal dollars is that Oklahoma gets back a whole lot more than we give in federal taxes," Dave Hamby with the non partisan think tank Oklahoma Policy Institute said. [KFOR] |
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Economic Impacts of U.S. Senate "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" Energy Provisions: The federal reconciliation bill will weaken U.S. energy infrastructure by scaling back clean energy tax credits and adding burdensome new requirements. These changes would reduce new power plant construction — especially wind and solar — and drive up electricity prices for households and businesses. As a result, the bill is expected to stifle private investment, slow GDP growth, and cost hundreds of thousands of jobs in construction and advanced manufacturing. [Energy Innovation] Trump's deportation agenda will destroy millions of jobs: If fully implemented, Trump's enforcement plan targeting 4 million deportations over four years is projected to eliminate nearly 6 million jobs — 3.3 million held by immigrants and 2.6 million by U.S.-born workers — with the construction and child-care sectors hit hardest. These massive labor losses ripple across the economy, undermining business operations, shrinking consumer demand, and weakening job markets nationwide. [Economic Policy Institute] Policy Basics: Federal Rental Assistance: Federal rental assistance — including Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing, and project-based aid — serves millions of seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, and working families, significantly reducing homelessness and deep poverty. However, demand far exceeds supply, with crucial need across every state for more funding and expanded program access. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities] After Decades of Costly, Regressive, and Ineffective Tax Cuts, a New Course Is Needed: Substantial historical tax cuts have disproportionately benefited high‑income households while contributing to escalating deficits, ultimately demonstrating limited effectiveness in promoting broad-based economic growth. Effective tax policy should pivot from regressive and costly tax reductions toward revenue‑neutral, progressive reforms that preserve horizontal equity and safeguard investments in areas such as clean energy, development, and infrastructure. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities] Sales Tax Holidays: Bad Policy Any Year, But Especially in Response to High Inflation: Despite their political popularity, sales tax holidays are based on poor tax policy and distract policy-makers and taxpayers from real, permanent, and economically beneficial tax reform. Sales tax holidays introduce unjustifiable government distortions into the economy without providing any significant boost to the economy. They represent a real cost for businesses without providing substantial benefits. They are also an inefficient means of helping low-income consumers and an ineffective means of providing savings to consumers. [Tax Foundation] |
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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. |
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Tulsa, OK 74120
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