Authors
Curtis Shelton
Policy Director
Curtis Shelton currently serves as the policy director 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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Health Care
Hospital prices have soared. Government policy helps explain why.
Hospital prices have increased about 291 percent since 2000, far outpacing the price changes for many goods and services in competitive markets.Curtis Shelton | September 23, 2026
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Local Government
Nashville’s commuter rail struggles raise questions about Oklahoma City’s $1.8 billion plan
Nashville’s nearly 20-year-old Music City Star commuter rail line offers a cautionary example for Oklahoma City as metro officials promote a $1.8 billion rail system connecting Edmond, Oklahoma City and Norman.Curtis Shelton | September 16, 2026
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Local Government
Oklahoma should learn from Dallas before betting on rail
When major transit projects run over budget or behind schedule, the consequences can extend beyond the transit agency itself, affecting the cities and taxpayers expected to help finance them. Oklahomans should take note.Curtis Shelton | September 10, 2026
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Budget & Tax
Oklahoma state revenue climbs nearly $1 billion in fiscal year 2026
Oklahoma finished fiscal year 2026 with strong revenue growth as total state tax collections reached $17.91 billion—nearly $1 billion more than the previous year—even after the state's top personal income-tax rate was reduced midway through the fiscal year.Curtis Shelton | July 15, 2026
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Economy
SQ 832 risks killing the very jobs that keep people out of poverty
Most minimum-wage workers are young and quickly move into higher-paying jobs, and that early work experience is often the first step toward long-term economic stability.Curtis Shelton | April 29, 2026
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Economy
California’s wage experiment offers warning as Oklahoma weighs SQ 832
A recent study from the University of California, Santa Cruz, finds that California’s $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers has led to reduced hours, slower hiring, and higher menu prices.Curtis Shelton | April 21, 2026
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Budget & Tax
TSET’s expanding budget spurs debate on accountability, mission creep
Oklahoma’s Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust has quietly grown into a $2.09 billion public fund. As TSET’s budget and ambitions expand, lawmakers warn the trust has drifted far beyond its original mission.Curtis Shelton | April 7, 2026
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Economy
SQ 832 would hit small businesses hard
SQ 832 would raise Oklahoma’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2029 and tie future increases to the cost of living in expensive urban areas nationwide. The measure would pressure small businesses, reduce job opportunities for younger workers, and mirror negative outcomes seen in other states.Curtis Shelton | March 27, 2026
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Economy
SQ 832 sounds compassionate—but it would shrink opportunity
Minimum-wage work is often the first rung on the economic ladder—the place where young and inexperienced workers learn basic skills, build confidence, and move quickly into higher-paying roles. But research shows that mandated wage hikes can erase those opportunities.Curtis Shelton | March 12, 2026
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Economy
SQ 832 copies policies that raised prices elsewhere
States forcing a $15 minimum wage saw prices rise faster than Oklahoma while experiencing weaker wage growth. With SQ 832 mirroring the same policies that drove up costs and reduced opportunities elsewhere, the data suggest Oklahoma should stick with the approach that’s delivering real wage gains without inflation.Curtis Shelton | February 26, 2026
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