Articles

There is fat, plenty of it, to trim in state spending. There are conservative elected officials, plenty of them, working on the next state budget. Whether they have the Tom Delay Disease or not, we’ll soon find out.

In the long term, to maximize the economic-development impact of the ROZ and to establish the north-south corridor of processors, Oklahoma should continue to pursue a methodical, responsible phase-out of its income tax.

Fifty years ago the state of Oklahoma began collecting money for union dues from the paychecks of public school teachers. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been collected free of charge, to benefit the union activity and political agenda of both the Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) and the Washington, D.C.-based National Education Association. As a matter of principle, politics do not belong in the paychecks of teachers.

The state of Kansas is on a “march to zero.” The state’s political leaders have decided to eliminate the state individual income tax for all income earned in Kansas.

If public schools lose 60 students total because of a school choice program, the education establishment will do everything it can to put a stop to it. But Oklahoma public schools lose 60 students every day as dropouts. The annual cost to taxpayers is a staggering $800 million—each and every year.

Conservative policymakers in Kansas care more about your family budget than the state budget.

People will have varied opinions on the need for common education to have revenue increases. One thing is certain. Oklahoma policymakers should oppose any sort of tax hike on cigarettes, tobacco, or other related products. Such tax hikes are bad policy, unstable, and bad for the program they are intended to help.

Should the state officials you elect be informed about federal funds spent in Oklahoma? For that matter, should citizens have access to data that reveal the strings attached to federal dollars in our state?

Should the state officials you elect be informed about federal funds spent in Oklahoma? For that matter, should citizens have access to data that reveal the strings attached to federal dollars in our state?

Will the Oklahoma Supreme Court rule that “raising” means “lowering”? That is one possible outcome in a case currently before the Court.