Articles
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Good Government
Sunlight is the best disinfectant
In 2015, House Bill 1748, authored by state Sen. Greg Treat (R-Oklahoma City) and state Rep. Tom Newell (R-Seminole), required Oklahoma state agencies to publicly report not only the amount of federal funding they receive but also the strings attached to that money. The measure passed overwhelmingly in both chambers but was vetoed by Gov. Mary Fallin.Brandon Dutcher | April 12, 2018
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Education
School districts' funding confusing to taxpayers
Thanks to the various restrictions on how schools can spend money, it is possible for an Oklahoma school district to be both nearly broke and rolling in dollars at the same time.Mike Brake | April 11, 2018
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Education
The $106K teacher
School choice is good for teachers. With so much focus on education policy right now, that’s an important fact.Jonathan Small | April 5, 2018
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Education
With a raise, where do Oklahoma teachers rank in the region?
When looking at regional teacher pay, Oklahoma moves from the bottom of the list to second, just behind Texas, with a new average salary of more than $51,000. When cost of living is taken into account Oklahoma nears the top ten nationally.Curtis Shelton | April 5, 2018
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Higher Education
Terrific hire
The University of Oklahoma regents have selected James Gallogly as the next OU president. It’s a terrific hire.Jonathan Small | March 30, 2018
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Education
Minimum teacher salaries: Oklahoma vs. Texas
If Oklahoma wants to compete with Texas, including for teachers, we should consider how they fund education and understand why it is possible to pay teachers more south of the Red River.Curtis Shelton | March 29, 2018
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Higher Education
OU foundation received $1 million in Chinese government funds for Confucius Institute
The University of Oklahoma may have evaded a federal requirement to report foreign donations by channeling more than $1 million in Chinese government funds for its Confucius Institute through the private OU Foundation, an OCPA investigation has found.Mike Brake | March 27, 2018
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Budget & Tax
Telling the truth about SQ 640
Whether it’s The Economist, The Washington Post, Bloomberg News, or their accomplices in Oklahoma, some just can’t wait to tell us how terrible things are.Jonathan Small | March 23, 2018
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Budget & Tax
The tax cut blame game
Those who want higher taxes generally blame past tax cuts for Oklahoma’s recent budget challenges. They cast particular blame on cuts to state income tax rates. While OCPA has questioned the severity of these challenges, we have also researched the connection between tax cuts and revenue.Curtis Shelton | March 22, 2018
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Budget & Tax
A look at February's economic report
The Oklahoma Treasurer’s monthly economic report, released this week, highlights February revenue collections. The report provides a breakdown of total gross receipts collected during the month along with various economic indicators for the state of Oklahoma.Curtis Shelton | March 16, 2018