Articles

SoonerCare is Oklahoma’s fast-growing Medicaid program. How fast? Since 2000, total annual enrollment in SoonerCare has grown from 416,785 to 1,052,826 enrollees.

Total state tax collections are rebounding from a low point in fiscal year 2017 (July 2016 through June 2017).

Some important reforms passed this session, including enrollment audits and work requirements for Oklahoma’s expensive Medicaid program. Yet other programs proved just how slippery is the status quo when it comes to avoiding common-sense cost savings.

Drawing on political science and practical experience, OCPA distinguished fellow Andrew Spiropoulos, a law professor who served as the chief policy advisor for Oklahoma’s Speaker of the House, recommends how to make the legislature an engine of good law and an effective vehicle for enacting the majority’s policy agenda.

It’s been busy lately, so you may not have noticed that the state of Oklahoma received $71 million from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.

The Oklahoma Department of Health and TSET have important missions and do some critical work. But is that enough? Does that mean they get a pass?

In Oklahoma, many teacher unions have been around for decades without ever letting teachers vote to see if they still want that particular union to represent them. This helps explain why the interests of union executives may seem to veer away from the interests of those they claim to represent.

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) today released findings from a survey indicating that 66 percent of likely Oklahoma voters agree that teachers should be allowed to vote on union representation.

A common narrative about Oklahoma is that tax cuts created a budget crisis—and the Legislature has done nothing to solve it. While we have questioned this story about tax cuts, it is also important to note that the Legislature, along with the governor, have also increased government revenues.

The goal of Positive Tomorrows is to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty through a three-pronged approach. The first step is to remove the barriers that interrupt or prevent education of homeless students. The second is to provide a quality education experience that meets national standards for excellence. The third is tangible assistance for parents and caregivers.