Authors
Curtis Shelton
Policy Research Fellow
Curtis Shelton currently serves as a policy research fellow for OCPA with a focus on fiscal policy. Curtis graduated Oklahoma State University in 2016 with a Bachelors of Arts in Finance. Previously, he served as a summer intern at OCPA and spent time as a staff accountant for Sutherland Global Services.
Recent Articles
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Economy
Inflation-indexed minimum wages: Washington’s cautionary tale
Over the past 25 years, Washington state raised its minimum wage by 150 percent and, in 2021, locked in automatic annual hikes—just like those proposed under Oklahoma’s State Question 832. The results have been predictable.Curtis Shelton | November 24, 2025
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Budget & Tax
How Oklahoma can deliver property-tax relief the smart way
Rising property valuations are driving up tax bills, and Oklahoma homeowners are feeling the pinch. Here are some sensible reforms that state lawmakers should consider.Curtis Shelton | November 11, 2025
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Budget & Tax
Oklahoma faces $226 million SNAP penalty unless error rates improve
Oklahoma could face up to $226 million in annual penalties under new federal rules targeting states with high SNAP error rates, but one straightforward fix could dramatically reduce that risk.Curtis Shelton | November 6, 2025
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Economy
Oregon’s inflation-tied minimum wage offers Oklahoma a warning
Oklahoma voters weighing a minimum wage hike tied to the cost of living should take a close look at Oregon, where a similar policy is in effect. Since 2000, Oregon’s minimum wage has climbed from $6.50 to $15.95, while the labor-force participation has dropped.Curtis Shelton | November 5, 2025
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Economy
Data show $15 minimum wage tied to restaurant job losses
A proposed $15 minimum wage under State Question 832 would backfire on the very workers it claims to help. The Employment Policies Institute estimates the measure would eliminate more than 12,000 restaurant jobs in Oklahoma.Curtis Shelton | October 21, 2025
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Economy
To infinity and beyond: SQ 832’s minimum-wage plan is a flight of fantasy
If State Question 832 is approved, Oklahoma could one day have the nation’s highest minimum wage. It may feel bold and heroic, but it defies economic gravity and would send jobs, young workers, and small businesses crashing back to earth.Curtis Shelton | October 8, 2025
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Law & Principles, Economy
Minimum-wage hike hits Gen Z hardest
Thanks in part to steep minimum-wage hikes, youth employment in California has collapsed.Curtis Shelton | October 3, 2025
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Budget & Tax
OSSAA generates millions annually
The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA), the governing body for high school sports and competitions, collected $9.7 million in revenue in 2024, with net income of $1.3 million, while paying its executive director nearly a quarter-million dollars annually.Curtis Shelton | August 19, 2025
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Law & Principles
When raising the wage means shrinking the workforce
Since 2000, California has steadily raised its minimum wage far above the federal level. During that same period, the state’s labor force participation rate has dropped sharply, with low-skilled workers leaving the workforce at the fastest pace.Curtis Shelton | August 18, 2025
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Budget & Tax
The real cost of ‘top two’: Taxifornia shows us what happens
Since adopting the “top-two” election model in 2010, California has seen a dramatic spike in taxes and an exodus of residents and income.Curtis Shelton | August 5, 2025
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