Articles
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Budget & Tax, Education
Will the IRS give us educational freedom?
As more people in Washington, D.C. have come to see that there are good reasons not to enact a national school voucher program, attention is turning to another proposal for federal school choice.Greg Forster, Ph.D. | May 15, 2017
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Budget & Tax
Three cheers for 'cost avoidance'
Most Oklahomans know there are really only two ways to deal with the state’s budget shortfall. We can either trim expenses—especially those that can be reduced by some real reforms—or raise taxes.Jonathan Small | May 15, 2017
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Budget & Tax
The bogus budget: Career Tech
Oklahoma spends over half a billion dollars every year through the State Department of Career and Technology Education, or Career Tech.Trent England | May 15, 2017
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Budget & Tax, Education
Stroud Public Schools not waiting for legislature to raise teacher pay
Teacher pay raises have been a hotly debated issue for several years at the Oklahoma state Capitol, with multiple legislators proposing various methods for funding the increase.Jay Chilton | May 15, 2017
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Budget & Tax
Updated statement from OCPA Chairman and OCPA President on attempts to cap personal itemized deductions
This week, House and Senate committees at the Oklahoma Legislature have passed multiple bills, including House Bill 2347 and House Bill 2403, that cap personal itemized deductions effective January 1, 2017. OCPA Chairman Larry Parman and OCPA President Jonathan Small issued the following, updated statement regarding efforts to have one of these bills approved by the entire Legislature and sent to the Governor for approval.Jonathan Small & Larry Parman | May 12, 2017
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Budget & Tax
Updated statement from Dr. Tom Coburn, former U.S. Senator, on efforts to increase personal income taxes in Oklahoma
This week, House and Senate committees at the Oklahoma Legislature have passed multiple bills, including House Bill 2347 and House Bill 2403, which cap personal itemized deductions effective January 1, 2017. Dr. Tom Coburn has issued the following, updated statement regarding efforts to have one of these bills approved by the entire Legislature and sent to the Governor for approval.Tom Coburn | May 12, 2017
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Budget & Tax
How to read a state budget bill
As the legislature nears the end of session and the passage of a new budget, it is a good time to think about what that bill will look like and how to understand it.Curtis Shelton | May 12, 2017
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Budget & Tax
Capping vital deductions is bad policy
Some lawmakers searching for more revenue are trying to increase personal income taxes on Oklahoma families and small business owners – all while common sense ways to control spending are stymied by bureaucrats, special interests, and tax consumers. The latest tax raising idea proposed at the State Capitol is to cap personal itemized deductions on state personal income tax returns. They claim that the proposed cap, at $17,000, would only impact the rich. The Oklahoma Tax Commission disagrees.Jonathan Small | May 12, 2017
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Budget & Tax, Health Care
The Bogus Budget: Medicaid expanded anyway
Oklahoma lawmakers refused to bow to the demands of the Obama Administration and Oklahoma Health Care Authority.Trent England | May 11, 2017
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Budget & Tax
The Bogus Budget: Revolving funds and spinning politicians
Maybe they’re called “revolving funds” because they help politicians to spin?Trent England | May 10, 2017