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As enthusiasm for school choice rises across the political spectrum, opponents remain determined and willing to spend lots of money, some of it from the public well, to reverse, cap, or smother choice. Meanwhile, the vast majority of school-age children most in need of better education remain stuck in schools based on ZIP code, rather than on the preferences of students or parents.

In terms of sheer economic size, there is no more important neighbor to Oklahoma than Texas. So it is a very useful exercise to compare and contrast the two states to see what Oklahoma policymakers can learn. Of course, it is well known that, unlike Oklahoma, Texas does not levy a broad-based individual or corporate income tax (though Texas does levy a gross receipts tax on certain industries). Has the absence of an income tax made a difference in the course of the Texas economy? The answer is a resounding yes.

The vast majority of Oklahomans agree that teachers have earned a significant pay raise. But hiking taxes to fund raises is a risky and damaging proposition. Fortunately, my colleagues have identified hundreds of millions of dollars in annual savings in state spending that would fund those raises, with no tax increase at all.

Personal income is an important economic measure of a state’s well-being. Higher levels of personal income mean that a state’s residents are able to purchase more goods and services such as homes, cars, education, and health care. Fundamentally, personal income comes from two sources: the private sector and the public sector. The distinction between these two sectors is important because only the private sector creates new income. The public sector can only redistribute income through taxes and spending.

Oklahoma’s smoking rate recently dropped to an all-time low. The Oklahoma City Council should celebrate that fact and reconsider how best to continue that trend without causing harmful unintended consequences.

School choice increases integration, and that’s good for everyone.

When it comes to government spending in Oklahoma, the 800-pound gorilla in the room that many people ignore is this simple question: Should government grow faster than the private sector’s ability to pay?

Oklahoma voters and parents “emphatically support school choice expansion.” That’s the assessment of respected public-opinion researcher Pat McFerron, president of Cole Hargrave Snodgrass and Associates, after reviewing the results of the firm’s latest survey.