Articles
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Budget & Tax
State savings may increase even in flat budget year
State lawmakers will likely face a flat budget in the 2020 session, with possibly less revenue than what was certified last year. But state savings could increase, nonetheless.Ray Carter | December 12, 2019
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Budget & Tax
Oklahoma City makes the nice list
A new report ranks Oklahoma City the number-one city in North America in “ease of doing business.”Curtis Shelton | December 11, 2019
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Budget & Tax, Health Care
Conflict seen between Medicaid effort, food-stamp reform
As Oklahoma prepares for a likely statewide vote in 2020 on dramatically expanding the Medicaid entitlement to cover hundreds of thousands of able-bodied adults, the state is ironically ahead of national trends in controlling the expansion of a second entitlement program—food stamps—for a similar population.Mike Brake | December 10, 2019
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Budget & Tax
Stitt’s budget to ‘keep a lid’ on spending
Gov. Kevin Stitt’s secretary of budget says a shift is underway in Oklahoma government. He said the governor’s next budget plan will focus more on efficiency than increased spending.Ray Carter | December 6, 2019
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Budget & Tax
Low casino fees a problem for Henry administration too
Gov. Kevin Stitt isn’t the first statewide officeholder to raise the issue of casino operating fees.Ray Carter | December 6, 2019
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Budget & Tax
Never enough: Here come the state agency wish lists
So far, Oklahoma state agencies have requested $454 in additional funding for the next fiscal year—and the wish list keeps getting longer.Curtis Shelton | November 25, 2019
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Budget & Tax
How do Oklahoma’s casino fees compare to other states?
One fact stands out above all others: Oklahoma has more slot machines than all but a handful of states—yet collects less revenue than most.Jonathan Small & Curtis Shelton | November 20, 2019
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Budget & Tax
Expert warns against legal games with pension protections
During a recent legislative study that included a review of a pension-protection law, the head of one state pension system offered lawmakers a recommendation for improving such laws: Stop allowing bills to self-exempt from pension protections.Ray Carter | November 20, 2019
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Budget & Tax
New report shows Oklahoma’s casino compacts should be renegotiated
A new report by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) highlights the need for Oklahoma to renegotiate its gaming compacts.Staff | November 20, 2019
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Budget & Tax
Officials urge caution in passing unfunded pension benefits
Under legislation passed by the Oklahoma House of Representatives this year, retired state workers’ benefits would have been increased by 4 percent. But that bill, which did not advance in the Senate, included no funding to cover the additional cost, making the measure an unfunded mandate.Ray Carter | November 19, 2019