Articles
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Local Government
Minnesota’s failed commuter rail offers cautionary tale for Oklahoma
As Oklahoma City-area officials consider a tax hike and a 39-mile commuter rail line, Minnesota’s recent shutdown of its 40-mile Northstar commuter rail service offers a cautionary example.Ray Carter | October 29, 2026
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Economy
Experts urge Oklahoma lawmakers to weigh data centers’ economic and strategic benefits
An economist and a national-security expert urged Oklahoma lawmakers to consider the potential economic and strategic benefits of data-center development, arguing that new facilities need not raise residential electricity rates or place excessive demands on water supplies.Ray Carter | October 28, 2026
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Education
Most Oklahoma districts flagged for poor test scores have shorter school years
New data show that 53 of the 59 Oklahoma public-school districts recently downgraded by the State Board of Education for persistently poor academic performance operate on shortened school calendars.Ray Carter | October 28, 2026
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Education
Oklahoma gets high marks in ‘freedom’ report
Oklahoma ranks 12th among the 50 states in the Cato Institute's 2026 “Freedom in the 50 States” report and fifth in educational freedom.Ray Carter | October 27, 2026
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Higher Education
OU fights lawsuit alleging race-based scholarship awards
The University of Oklahoma is appealing a federal judge’s ruling allowing a class-action lawsuit alleging race-based scholarship awards to proceed.Ray Carter | October 27, 2026
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Education
‘Not good’: At 59 Oklahoma school districts, most students are far below grade level
The Oklahoma State Board of Education has downgraded the accreditation status of 59 school districts after state tests showed that a majority of students in each district scored below basic proficiency in reading or math for two consecutive years.Ray Carter | October 26, 2026
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Economy
Government to blame for higher prices
Government intervention—rather than market failure—is a primary driver of sustained price inflation in housing, higher education, and health care.Jonathan Small | October 26, 2026
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Health Care
Expert links Oklahomans’ rising health care costs to Medicaid expansion, federal policies
An expert who testified before Oklahoma lawmakers says Medicaid expansion has disrupted the state's once-stable Medicaid budget while contributing to higher health care costs for taxpayers and privately insured families.Ray Carter | October 21, 2026
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Law & Principles
Immigration report raises questions about rural Oklahoma and low-turnout elections
A report from the pro-immigration Niskanen Center identifies 21 Oklahoma counties, most of them rural, as potential destinations for immigrants based on local economic and workforce needs.Ray Carter | October 21, 2026
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Education
Poll: Oklahoma voters support school-choice tax credit by more than 2-to-1
A new poll finds that likely Oklahoma voters favor the state’s Parental Choice Tax Credit program by more than two to one, with 59 percent expressing a favorable opinion and 25 percent an unfavorable one.Ray Carter | October 20, 2026