Authors
Ray Carter
Director, Center for Independent Journalism
Ray Carter is the director of OCPA’s Center for Independent Journalism. He has two decades of experience in journalism and communications. He previously served as senior Capitol reporter for The Journal Record, media director for the Oklahoma House of Representatives, and chief editorial writer at The Oklahoman. As a reporter for The Journal Record, Carter received 12 Carl Rogan Awards in four years—including awards for investigative reporting, general news reporting, feature writing, spot news reporting, business reporting, and sports reporting. While at The Oklahoman, he was the recipient of several awards, including first place in the editorial writing category of the Associated Press/Oklahoma News Executives Carl Rogan Memorial News Excellence Competition for an editorial on the history of racism in the Oklahoma legislature.
Recent Articles
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Education, Health Care
Experts tell Oklahoma lawmakers healthier school meals can improve health and test scores
Experts told Oklahoma state lawmakers that improving the nutritional quality of school meals could help combat diet-related disease, reduce future health-care costs, and improve students’ academic performance.Ray Carter | October 19, 2026
-
Budget & Tax
As property taxes soar, experts urge Oklahoma to adopt ‘Truth in Taxation’
As rising property values push up Oklahomans’ property tax bills, policy experts are urging lawmakers to adopt a “Truth in Taxation” system modeled on reforms in Utah and Kansas.Ray Carter | October 19, 2026
-
Education
New report challenges claims that school choice excludes special-needs students
A new report challenges the claim that private school-choice programs exclude students with disabilities, estimating that students with disabilities account for 15.5% to 17.2% of private-school choice enrollment nationwide, compared with 15% of traditional public-school students.Ray Carter | October 15, 2026
-
Education
Idaho ends automatic teacher-union dues deductions; Oklahoma still allows them
Idaho recently ended public schools’ practice of automatically deducting teachers’ union dues from employees’ paychecks, requiring unions to collect payments directly from members—a reform Oklahoma lawmakers have considered but not enacted.Ray Carter | October 13, 2026
-
Economy
Experts tell Oklahoma lawmakers government is making things more expensive
Experts from several policy organizations told Oklahoma lawmakers on Monday that government regulations and spending policies can contribute to rising costs for housing, higher education, and health care.Ray Carter | October 13, 2026
-
Judicial Reform
Can judicial candidates call themselves conservative? Federal judge limits Oklahoma restrictions
A federal judge has temporarily barred the Oklahoma Council on Judicial Complaints from investigating or recommending discipline against judicial candidates for publicly identifying their political-party affiliation while a First Amendment lawsuit proceeds.Ray Carter | October 12, 2026
-
Local Government
OKC mayor says rail will ease traffic. Transportation experts disagree.
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt is pitching a proposed 39-mile passenger rail system (and tax increase) as one way to ease traffic congestion. But according to one expert, “It’s an established fact among researchers that transit does not meaningfully reduce congestion, and nobody should argue that it does.”Ray Carter | October 8, 2026
-