Articles
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Budget & Tax
SQ 832: National costs, local consequences
State Question 832, appearing on Oklahoma’s June 2026 ballot, proposes a steep minimum-wage hike that would tie future increases to the cost of living in high-priced urban areas like San Francisco and New York.Curtis Shelton | July 28, 2025
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Budget & Tax
Casinos win big while Oklahomans pick up the tab?
Despite earning $7.4 billion in gaming revenue in FY 2023, Oklahoma’s tribal casinos paid the state only $208 million—an effective tax rate of just 2.8%. That’s far lower than the taxes paid by everyday Oklahomans on income and basic goods.Ray Carter | July 28, 2025
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Budget & Tax, Health Care
Big Beautiful relief for Oklahoma’s state budget
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” introduces a work requirement for Medicaid-expansion enrollees aged 19 to 64. This will help alleviate the unsustainable welfare growth in Oklahoma’s state budget.Curtis Shelton | July 10, 2025
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Budget & Tax, Law & Principles
Oklahoma Supreme Court rejects tribal income tax exemption in wake of McGirt
So long as the State of Oklahoma imposes a tax on income, all Oklahomans must pay it, according to a new ruling from the Oklahoma Supreme Court.Ray Carter | July 7, 2025
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Budget & Tax
OCPA praises income-tax cut, plan for tax repeal
OCPA President Jonathan Small praised the governor and state lawmakers for cutting Oklahoma’s penalty on work, the personal income tax, and putting the tax on a gradual path to full repeal without raising other taxes.Staff | May 29, 2025
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Budget & Tax
Income-tax cut, path to zero sent to Stitt
Members of the Oklahoma Senate have provided final passage to legislation that cuts Oklahoma’s income tax from 4.75 percent to 4.5 percent and puts the tax on a path to zero.Ray Carter | May 23, 2025
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Budget & Tax
House votes to cut Oklahoma income tax to 4.5 percent, sets course to eliminate it altogether
On a vote of 74-19, the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a plan to lower the income tax to 4.5% and eventually eliminate it altogether.Ray Carter | May 20, 2025
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Budget & Tax
West Virginia income-tax elimination could help reignite workforce
With one of the lowest labor force participation rates in the country, West Virginia is going all-in on tax reform. The state has embarked on a plan to completely eliminate its state income tax.Curtis Shelton | May 20, 2025
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Budget & Tax
Billions in waste, zero oversight: DOGE reveals what Congress refused to see
DOGE has provided a valuable lesson for every Oklahoma state lawmaker: Oversight isn’t optional.Byron Schlomach, Ph.D. | May 15, 2025
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Budget & Tax
State leaders announce income-tax cut, path to repeal
Oklahomans will pay less in income tax under a budget agreement announced by Gov. Kevin Stitt and legislative leaders, and lawmakers also committed to a plan that will continue gradually reducing the income tax until it is completely repealed.Ray Carter | May 14, 2025