Articles
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Higher Education
Oklahoma’s higher education spending outstrips the national average
Rightsizing the workforce by eliminating non-instructional workers will reduce the cost of higher education for aspiring students and reduce the tax burden on Oklahoma’s taxpayers.J. Scott Moody & Wendy Warcholik, Ph.D. | October 18, 2017
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Budget & Tax
Contra Oklahomans’ preference, state government continues to grow
Oklahoma government has been growing, not shrinking. People might question the priorities in the budget or in how specific agencies spend money, but the total burden on Oklahomans is higher than ever.Curtis Shelton | October 18, 2017
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Law & Principles
Rainy day fund raid was unconstitutional
The Attorney General’s opinion takes the position that money in the Constitutional Reserve Fund is entirely up for grabs, so long as whoever does the grabbing does not call it an appropriation.Trent England | October 18, 2017
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Budget & Tax
Illinois—not Kansas—is a cautionary tale for Oklahoma policymakers
Illinois hadn’t passed a budget in just over two years, right up until July 6th. On that day, the legislature overrode the governor’s veto on a budget that apparently passes for a solution in Illinois—a “solution” featuring billions of dollars in annual tax increases.William Freeland | October 18, 2017
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Education
Oklahoma voters want tax dollars to follow the child
Nearly two in three Oklahoma voters support using tax dollars to choose the public or private school which best meets their child’s needs.Brandon Dutcher | October 17, 2017
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Higher Education
Oklahoma's higher education spending outstrips the national average
State lawmakers, in their oversight role, should examine where the money is going.J. Scott Moody & Wendy Warcholik, Ph.D. | October 17, 2017
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Budget & Tax
Illinois—not Kansas—is a cautionary tale for Oklahoma policymakers
William Freeland | October 17, 2017
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Budget & Tax
Another Red River rivalry
Each year in October, Oklahoma’s eyes turn south of the Red River to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas for the annual football rivalry game between OU and Texas. Texas has won 61 of those games, OU has won 45, and five were ties. Unfortunately, thanks to the tax, regulatory, and policy advantages Texas holds, we’re nowhere near that record when it comes to economic, versus athletic, competition with our southern neighbors.Jonathan Small | October 13, 2017
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Budget & Tax
TSET spending priorities questioned
An Oklahoma trust established to administer funds from the 1998 tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) is ripe for reform, according to lawmakers and other critics of the trust. They say that some of the money could be better spent to help alleviate the state’s budget challenges.Jay Chilton | October 10, 2017
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Education
Teacher hiring devastated by emergency 'common sense shortage'
It all comes down to trust. Do we trust schools to use their own judgment when hiring teachers? Or do we think that if we give schools freedom to hire and fire, they’re going to foolishly hire and retain bad teachers?Greg Forster, Ph.D. | October 5, 2017