Articles
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Budget & Tax
Rainy day fund raid vindicated? Not so fast
After draining all $240 million out of Oklahoma’s Constitutional Reserve Fund, Secretary of Finance Preston Doerflinger decided to then ask the state Attorney General whether doing so was even legal.Trent England | July 19, 2017
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Budget & Tax
Which governors are leading on tax, spending issues?
ALEC recently released its State of the States 2017 report, which analyzes economic policy proposals in governors’ state of the state addresses from across the country.Curtis Shelton | July 17, 2017
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Education
Federal after-school program has ‘nothing to show for it,' Russell says
A multi-million-dollar federal education program, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grants program, has “nothing to show for it,” U.S. Rep. Steve Russell says.Jay Chilton | July 17, 2017
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Education
Comparing Oklahoma school districts to surrounding states
Amidst discussion of funding for public education, an important point is often overlooked: the sheer number of school districts within Oklahoma and the administrative costs that accompany them.Hallie Milner | July 17, 2017
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Culture & the Family
Hope for foster kids
At any given time, there are several thousand Oklahoma children in foster care, often due to abuse or neglect.Jonathan Small | July 14, 2017
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Budget & Tax
Rating agencies used as weapons against taxpayers
It’s no secret that Oklahoma is hurting because Oklahomans are hurting.David Autry | July 14, 2017
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Law & Principles
A tribute to State Question 640
As lawmakers navigated through the final days of the 2017 legislative session, with debates over budget gaps and proposed tax increases, some who love the idea of soaking the taxpayers for all they can get bemoaned the existence of one of the most important constitutional safeguards in state history: State Question 640, passed overwhelmingly by the voters in 1992.Jonathan Small | July 13, 2017
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Budget & Tax
A closer look at S&P’s bond rating downgrade of Oklahoma
Standard & Poor’s (S&P) downgraded Oklahoma government debt a notch.Jonathan Small & William Freeland | July 13, 2017
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Budget & Tax
An analysis and critique of the recent S&P bond rating downgrade of Oklahoma
Standard & Poor's (S&P) recent downgrade of Oklahoma state government debt should be considered with a healthy degree of skepticism.Jonathan Small & William Freeland | July 13, 2017
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Education
School choice and segregation
If you want to make sure schools are segregated, the quickest and easiest way to do it is to force families into schools based on their ZIP codes.Greg Forster, Ph.D. | July 12, 2017