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Oklahoma’s success depends on our Tribal Nations
Tribal Nations are the backbone of Oklahoma, and it’s time for state leaders to act like it. Tribal governments existed before statehood, before Oklahoma’s borders were drawn, and before state leaders claimed authority over this land. Tribes are not special interest groups. They are not temporary political actors. They are Sovereign Nations with responsibilities to their citizens and communities. [Taylor Broadbent / OK Policy]
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A new generation is ready to lead Oklahoma (Commentary)
It’s easy to look at Oklahoma’s challenges and feel discouraged. Our public schools struggle for resources. Too many families struggle for basic needs. Rural communities fight for hospitals and essential services. Too often, political division overshadows the real solutions we can solve together. But something else is happening across Oklahoma. And it should give us hope. [Shiloh Kantz / OK Policy]
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Senate Public Safety Committee gets new leadership (Capitol Update)
The first Senate chairmanship change for the upcoming legislative session occurred last week when Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, named Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee. Sen. Spencer Kern, R-Duncan, was named the new vice chair. But the change in chairmanship did not occur directly as the result of this year’s elections. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
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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]
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The 10 worst state economies in America in 2026: Oklahoma is among the most dependent on federal funding, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers. More than 40% of state spending in Oklahoma comes from Washington, D.C., putting the state in the top 10 for reliance on the feds. [CNBC]
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"How is it the richest, most innovative country in the history of the world cannot ensure the dignity and safety of the least among us?"
- Political commentator Arnold Hamilton writing in response to Gov. Stitt’s recent comments that food assistance programs should “(go) back to the day where there was a little stigma attached” when families “were a little bit embarrassed” to participate in such programs. There are nearly 750,000 Oklahomans who are facing hunger. [The Journal Record]
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Error Rates
Error rates in programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid (SoonerCare in Oklahoma) refer to how often benefits are issued incorrectly under federal rules. Such issues typically arise because of administrative or documentation errors, not fraud.
In SNAP, the error rate measures whether benefit amounts were calculated correctly, including both overpayments and underpayments. The most recent national SNAP payment error rate was 10.93 percent in fiscal year 2024, with Oklahoma reporting a very similar, but slightly lower, rate of 10.87 percent. When overpayments occur, households usually must repay the extra benefits, even if the mistake was made by the state agency.
In Medicaid, the error rate — officially called the Payment Error Rate Measure (PERM) rate — reflects whether payments met all eligibility, verification, and documentation requirements, even if the person receiving coverage was otherwise eligible. Nationally, the latest Medicaid improper payment rate was 6.12 percent, and about 77 percent of those improper payments were due to insufficient documentation rather than fraud or abuse. Oklahoma’s SoonerCare improper payment rate has been much lower than the national average — about 1.95 percent in the most recent state cycle — showing that the vast majority of payments in the state meet documentation and eligibility requirements.
Error rates matter because they are used to judge how well states administer these programs and increasingly shape policy decisions. Efforts to reduce error rates often involve adding paperwork, verification steps, and more frequent eligibility checks. While these changes can reduce some administrative mistakes, they also raise the risk that eligible people lose benefits for procedural reasons — such as missing a notice, failing to submit a document on time, or being unable to navigate complex reporting systems.
Under the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed in 2025 (H.R. 1), error rates take on new significance. The law ties states’ SNAP payment error rates to direct financial requirements for states, meaning states with error rates above 6 percent will have to cover 5 to 15 percent of SNAP benefit costs. At the same time, H.R. 1 and related policy changes move Medicaid toward more frequent renewals and additional reporting requirements. Together, these shifts increase pressure on states to tighten enrollment systems — making error rates not just a technical measure, but a driver of how accessible safety-net programs remain for eligible families.
[Look up more key terms to understand Oklahoma politics and government here]
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Editorial: That SNAP disaster we warned about? It’s here
In February, we wrote about a looming disaster heading our way.
That disaster is here, and it could get worse.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is reporting that 97,000 fewer Oklahomans are enrolled in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Based on February numbers, the latest available, this represents a 14% year-to-year decline. Enrollment is dropping across the nation, but Oklahoma is one of the states seeing the sharpest declines.
Basically, a city full of people who once were receiving food assistance are now adrift. Food banks across the state are feeling the impact and struggling to meet the growing need.
The number of Oklahoma SNAP program participants could drop even further in the months ahead because the state's Department of Human Services is just now gaining momentum on a required effort to reduce its high "payment error rate."
Stitt, because of his position as chair of the National Governors Association, could be a visible leader in petitioning Congress to take the side of the many states who are seeking a postponement of SNAP penalties. And Oklahoma has two Republican senators and five U.S. representatives who could join the fight. So far, as with issues like immigration enforcement, tariffs and other issues important to the state, they have all remained silent rather than buck the president.
Helping poor, hungry people should not be a partisan issue. The Republican leaders in our state campaigned for their offices with assurances they would represent our best interests. It's time for them to speak up on behalf of those in need.
[The Oklahoman Editorial Board]
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4,500 - The Choctaw Nation’s district court now sees more than 4,500 criminal cases per year, while it saw about 400 cases in the year the McGirt decision was issued. [KOSU]
$30.79 billion - The projected economic impact of Oklahoma’s Tribal Nations by the year 2030, based on recent growth trends. [United for Oklahoma]
43% - The percentage of Oklahoma households living in financial hardship in 2024, including families below the federal poverty level and ALICE households earning too much to qualify as poor but too little to afford basic necessities. [United for ALICE & United Way of Northern New Jersey]
-15.6% - The percentage decline in the number of Oklahomans receiving SNAP benefits between July 2025 and March 2026, a drop of more than 107,000 participants. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
1 in 4 - More than 230,000 Oklahoma children (about 1 in 4) face hunger due to food insecurity in the state. [Feeding America]
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Native Rights and the Possibility of Difference: The 2000 decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma left Indian scholars cautiously optimistic that the Supreme Court had turned a page and was at last prepared to take Indian rights seriously. But such optimism was short-lived. [American Bar Association]
The Influence of Tribal Nations: Over recent years, the Native American tribes of Oklahoma have created one of the most remarkable success stories of modern times. Tribal nations are vital drivers of the Oklahoma economy and their impact can be seen in community after community, household after household. The tribal nations of Oklahoma were responsible for an incredible economic impact of more than $23.4 billion in 2023 alone. In addition to direct contributions by tribal businesses, the tribes generate billions more in production by companies that support their business operations. [United for Oklahoma] | [Read the Report] | [View One-Sheet]
The State of ALICE in Oklahoma 2026: Nearly half of Oklahoma households struggled to afford basic necessities in 2024, even though many were working and earning above the federal poverty level. An estimated 28% of households were classified as ALICE — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — meaning they earned too much to qualify as poor but not enough to cover essentials like housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and technology. Financial hardship was most common among Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native households, single-parent families, young and older adults, and rural residents. As the cost of basic needs continues to outpace wages, many Oklahoma workers in essential industries and occupations struggle to make ends meet despite being employed. [United for ALICE & United Way of Northern New Jersey]
One year later: How H.R. 1’s SNAP policy changes are reverberating across the food system: In July 2025, the passage of H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” set in motion the most consequential changes to the federal food safety net since its inception.1,2 For the more than 37 million Americans who count on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to meet their basic food needs, the law’s implications are wide-ranging, from restrictions on eligibility to cuts to monthly benefits.3 H.R. 1 also carries downstream effects beyond SNAP. It has consequences for participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), federal school meals, Medicaid, and the emergency food system – and raises pointed questions about the administration’s parallel agendas to both reduce federal spending and improve Americans’ diets and health. This brief brings together available information on H.R. 1’s scope, its ripple effects, and the communities most at risk of losing funding and food access as its provisions continue to unfold. [The Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Global Food Institute at the George Washington University]
SNAP Provides Critical Benefits to Workers and Their Families: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation’s largest anti-hunger program, helps more than 40 million people put food on the table each month. While two-thirds of participants are children, adults over age 60, and people with disabilities, who are not expected to work, SNAP also plays an important role in supplementing workers’ low or fluctuating wages or helping them during periods of unemployment. As policymakers look toward the reauthorization of SNAP in the next farm bill, they should preserve the program’s vital role for workers and their families and reject proposals that would weaken SNAP benefits as participants cope with the realities of the low-wage labor market. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
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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.
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Contact
Oklahoma Policy Institute
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Tulsa, OK 74120
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