Articles
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Health Care
Price transparency bill overcomes hospital opposition
Legislation that would require Oklahoma hospitals to publicly post prices for roughly 300 services has advanced from a state House committee, overcoming the lobbying efforts of hospital officials who sought to kill the transparency measure.Ray Carter | April 9, 2025
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Law & Principles, Culture & the Family
Oklahoma House committee quickly approves ban on men in women’s prisons
Members of an Oklahoma House committee have voted to ban men from being placed in women’s prisons. The action is consistent with Trump administration policy but contrary to the views of the newest member of the OU law faculty.Ray Carter | April 9, 2025
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Higher Education
Oklahoma House committee advances DEI ban for colleges
Legislation making permanent a ban on “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) programs at Oklahoma colleges has easily passed out of a state House committee.Ray Carter | April 8, 2025
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Education
Oklahoma superintendents’ wages surge as less money reaches classroom
Revenue in Oklahoma’s public school system has surged to $13,736 per student. And 17 school districts pay their superintendents a quarter-million dollars or more.Ray Carter | April 8, 2025
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Law & Principles
OCPA praises approval of initiative-petition reforms
OCPA President Jonathan Small today praised members of the House Elections and Ethics Committee for advancing common-sense initiative petition reforms.Staff | April 8, 2025
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Education
Millions diverted from Oklahoma classrooms
Since 2018, per-student revenue in Oklahoma public schools has surged by 51 percent—yet academic outcomes have gone in the opposite direction. One possible explanation for that disturbing trend: Much of the money provided to schools is not reaching the classroom.Ray Carter | April 8, 2025
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Budget & Tax
Phaseout of Oklahoma income tax continues to advance
Legislation that would gradually phase out Oklahoma’s tax on work and investment—the personal income tax—continues to move ahead, clearing its first Oklahoma Senate hurdle this week.Ray Carter | April 7, 2025
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Law & Principles
Initiative-petition reforms clear Oklahoma House committee
Legislation that would require initiative-petition efforts to gather signatures from Oklahomans across the state has cleared another legislative hurdle.Ray Carter | April 7, 2025
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Education
Limit on school virtual days moves ahead in Oklahoma House
Legislation to address the perceived widespread abuse of “virtual learning” has cleared its first hurdle in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.Ray Carter | April 7, 2025
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Culture & the Family
The rising conservative populism
In this review of Patrick Ruffini’s book, “Party of the People: Inside the Multiracial Populist Coalition Remaking the GOP,” OCPA’s Rick Farmer sheds light on the emerging conservative populist coalition.Rick Farmer, Ph.D. | April 7, 2025