Articles
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Budget & Tax
Oklahoma income-tax phaseout kicks in
Oklahoma’s income-tax phaseout plan took its first step on January 1, reducing the number of brackets from six to three and trimming each by a quarter point, lowering the top rate from 4.75% to 4.5%. The cuts come as state revenues remain stable with modest growth.Curtis Shelton | January 13, 2026
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Law & Principles
As U.S. Supreme Court transgender cases loom, Oklahoma officials defend women
As the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in two high-profile cases over whether states may bar men from competing in women’s sports, Oklahoma officials are urging the Court to uphold those laws.Ray Carter | January 13, 2026
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Education
Mississippi’s results speak for themselves: Retention policies work
Oklahoma lawmakers are preparing to make early reading a centerpiece of the upcoming legislative session with the READS Act, which includes a revived third-grade retention policy. As the “Mississippi Miracle” demonstrates, retention polices work.Tyler Williamson | January 12, 2026
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Education
‘Life-changing’: Oklahoma working-class families shift to private schools
Oklahoma’s school-choice tax credit is transforming education for thousands of families, including those living paycheck-to-paycheck. Parents say the program has opened doors they never imagined.Ray Carter | January 12, 2026
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Economy
Oklahoma continues to attract movers
A new U-Haul Growth Index report shows Oklahoma remains one of the nation’s most popular destinations for movers, ranking 14th in net inbound traffic. According to U-Haul, blue-to-red state migration “continues to be a discernible trend.”Ray Carter | January 8, 2026
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Law & Principles, Economy
Montana’s inflation-indexed minimum wage squeezes small businesses
Since tying its minimum wage to inflation in 2007, Montana has seen higher business failure rates, weaker startup survival, and a sharp drop in labor-force participation among young workers. Oklahoma risks repeating that pattern if voters approve SQ 832.Curtis Shelton | January 7, 2026
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Higher Education
As Trump seeks higher-ed transparency on foreign influence, an Oklahoma lawmaker moves to ban foreign funding
Foreign entities have poured more than $150 million into Oklahoma universities through contracts, restricted gifts, and donations. President Donald Trump is ramping up federal enforcement and transparency requirements for such funding, while one Oklahoma state lawmaker is taking an even more aggressive approach.Ray Carter | January 7, 2026
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Budget & Tax, Education
Oklahoma school spending and staffing up, but ACT scores fall
Oklahoma’s public schools are spending more than ever and hiring faster than enrollment grows, yet ACT scores have dropped to a new low.Ray Carter | January 6, 2026
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Law & Principles
Oklahoma restaurant owner warns SQ 832 will kill jobs, businesses
Restaurant owner and state Sen. Kristen Thompson warns that SQ 832 would devastate independent restaurants, pointing to California’s recent wage hike that led to job losses, reduced hours, higher menu prices, and increased automation.Ray Carter | January 6, 2026
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Higher Education
OU backs down in anti-Christian grading controversy
After weeks of controversy, the University of Oklahoma has removed a graduate teaching assistant from classroom duties following an investigation into the zero he gave student Samantha Fulnecky for a paper expressing her Christian beliefs.Brandon Dutcher | December 29, 2025