![OCPA president on Gov. Stitt beginning to reopenOklahoma](https://oklahoma-council.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/img/Open-Sign.jpg?w=768&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&dm=1644339808&s=3515723e3864ca6afc1984f0b95c88ee)
Economy , Culture & the Family
Jonathan Small | April 22, 2020
OCPA president on Gov. Stitt beginning to reopenOklahoma
Jonathan Small
The following statement was issued today by Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.
“This afternoon, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced the state’s plans to begin gradually and safely reopening Oklahoma now that the state’s COVID-19 curve has flattened. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, OCPA has said we must protect Oklahomans from the virus while ensuring that Oklahomans can continue to provide for their families. Governor Stitt’s plan embraces both priorities.
“As Oklahoma re-opens, it is important to continue safety measures to reduce viral spread. At the same time, the state should continue lifting oppressive regulations to empower Oklahomans while also mitigating risks.
“For tens of thousands of Oklahomans, their lives, health and livelihoods have already been negatively impacted by these shutdowns. By taking this first step to begin reopening Oklahoma, Governor Stitt has helped limit these negative impacts and ensured that Oklahoma has a brighter future.”
The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs is a free-market think tank that works to advance principles and policies that support free enterprise, limited government, and individual initiative.
![Jonathan Small President](https://oklahoma-council.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/img/Author-Headshots-01.png?w=300&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&dm=1644340335&s=fc3422f53852c331c59e8210ae24167c)
Jonathan Small
President
Jonathan Small, C.P.A., serves as President and joined the staff in December of 2010. Previously, Jonathan served as a budget analyst for the Oklahoma Office of State Finance, as a fiscal policy analyst and research analyst for the Oklahoma House of Representatives, and as director of government affairs for the Oklahoma Insurance Department. Small’s work includes co-authoring “Economics 101” with Dr. Arthur Laffer and Dr. Wayne Winegarden, and his policy expertise has been referenced by The Oklahoman, the Tulsa World, National Review, the L.A. Times, The Hill, the Wall Street Journal and the Huffington Post. His weekly column “Free Market Friday” is published by the Journal Record and syndicated in 27 markets. A recipient of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s prestigious Private Sector Member of the Year award, Small is nationally recognized for his work to promote free markets, limited government and innovative public policy reforms. Jonathan holds a B.A. in Accounting from the University of Central Oklahoma and is a Certified Public Accountant.