Dave Hamby

Policy Matters: We know what works. Lawmakers are cutting taxes instead. Every session, Oklahoma lawmakers say the budget is too tight to spend money on services that help everyday residents.

Every session, Oklahoma lawmakers say the budget is too tight to spend money on services that help everyday residents. Yet somehow, they still find money for tax cuts that favor the wealthy and corporate giveaways. #PolicyMatters #PrioritiesPlease

Analysis of Tax Provisions in the House Reconciliation Bill: National and State Level Estimates The poorest fifth of Americans would receive 1 percent of the House reconciliation bill's net tax cuts in 2026 while the richest fifth of Americans would receive two-thirds of the tax cuts. The riches...

Wondering just how big of a tax cut would the richest 1% in your state get from the bill the House passed this morning? We've got you covered: itep.org/analysis-of-...

Another quote from the MAHA Report that should set off alarm bells all over the U.S.:

“Unlike other pharmaceutical products, vaccines are unique in that all 50 states enforce some form of vaccine mandate for public school enrollment”.

This is because they PROTECT CHILDREN FROM CONTAGIOUS DISEASE.

Cooperation - not competition and gamesmanship - is how Oklahoma can best leverage the government-to-government relationship between the state and the 38 sovereign Tribal nations in our state. nondoc.com/2025/05/22/b...

A bad time for a tax cut (Commentary) - Oklahoma Policy Institute I've seen 12 Oklahoma legislative sessions, and I am at this point pretty well accustomed to the mounting drama at 23rd and Lincoln as sine die draws near. However, this spring has been even wilder th...

Imagine your house is on fire, your sprinklers are broken, and your neighbors are throwing fireworks — and your BIG IDEA is to sell the fire extinguisher.

Welcome to Oklahoma’s latest tax cut deal.

📉 Learn why RIGHT NOW is a particularly bad time for a tax cut in our commentary. #PrioritiesPlease

At his press conference today, the governor dodged the question: how much proposed tax cuts actually save Oklahomans, and when? Most families might see just a few dollars a week — and it might not kick in until 2027. That’s a lot of sizzle for no steak. okpolicy.org/ok-policy-st...

Statement: Gov.’s veto of SB 128 rejects bipartisan solution that would have helped landlords and kept Oklahomans in their homes - Oklahoma Policy Institute Gov. Stitt's veto of Senate Bill 128 is more than a missed opportunity — it's a step backward for housing stability in Oklahoma. This bipartisan bill would have added just five days to the eviction tr...

Gov. Stitt's veto of bipartisan SB 128 is a step backward for housing stability. Right now, large corporate landlords can exploit OK's eviction laws to extract extra revenue from tenants. SB 128 wouldn’t have stopped evictions, it would have just slowed the clock.

okpolicy.org/statement-go...

While the world watches the Vatican for white smoke, Capitol watchers in Oklahoma are scanning the horizon for something else: a glimpse of this year’s state budget. #OKLeg leaders promised transparency this year — so where is it? okpolicy.org/budget-trans...

The governor is ratcheting up his sell job for across-the-board tax cuts. What's noticeably missing from his sales pitch? How this impacts your wallet.

(Hint: If you're reading this, you're probably not gonna get much back ... especially compared with the top 1%.)

okpolicy.org/fact-check-h...

Impact: The Frontier and ProPublica are semifinalists for a national investigative reporting prize Harvard University’s Goldsmith Prize honors the best investigative reporting on government, politics and public policy.

Harvard University’s Goldsmith Prize honors the best investigative reporting on government, politics and public policy.

www.readfrontier.org/stories/impa...

Tell lawmakers to oppose separating Oklahoma children from their parents (HB 1362) HB 1362 targets Oklahoma’s immigrant communities and would be detrimental to our state’s families and workforce. Use your political voice to tell lawmakers to vote NO on HB 1362!

The Oklahoma House Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight committee on Thursday is scheduled to hear HB 1362, which targets Oklahoma’s immigrant communities and separate children from their parents. Use your voice to tell lawmakers to vote NO on HB 1362!

secure.everyaction.com/gk9C0ZtzVE6N...

In case you were wondering, Oklahoma had the nation’s 9th highest rate for childhood vaccination exemptions for the 2023-24 school year.

www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes...

Black Health: Dying in Oklahoma (Commentary) - Neither the United States Constitution nor the Bill of Rights guarantee health care as a basic right for any American. Our nation and our neighbors struggle with access to affordable health care and p...

In a new commentary, OK Policy's Kandis West addresses health disparities for Black Oklahomans, where a lack of access to health care quickly turns into a death sentence. okpolicy.org/black-health...

Honored to call Angela a colleague and friend. She’s an inspiring person every damn day.

What change will you make today?

When Oklahoma introduced its private school tax credit (aka vouchers), we said the program needed thorough, independent, annual evaluations of the cost, effectiveness, and budget impacts of the tax credits. Everything old is new again.

okpolicy.org/private-scho...

Anti-immigration raids harm all communities (Commentary) - Oklahoma Policy Institute This commentary was authored by Vivian Morris, Tribal-State Policy Analyst, and Gabriela Ramirez-Perez, Immigration Policy Analyst. As the new administration issued a flurry of executive orders during...

Sweeping anti-immigrant acts have created chaos & fear within all communities of color, regardless of immigration status. Law enforcement officials are increasingly stopping individuals because of their appearance, including Native Americans. okpolicy.org/anti-immigra...

How much would the governor’s half-percent personal income tax cut cost? Depends on when you ask.

okpolicy.org/governors-co...

Gov. Stitt today called for cutting then eliminating the state's personal income tax. Who would benefit the most from these cuts? And how much would it cost in state revenue?

(Answers: Mostly the richest 1%. And, a lot.)

okpolicy.org/fact-check-h...

Judge allows Bixby superintendent's defamation suit against Ryan Walters to proceed Bixby Superintendent Rob Miller's defamation lawsuit against State Superintendent Ryan Walters will continue to move forward.A day before Christmas Eve,

MOTION DENIED -Judge allows Bixby superintendent's defamation suit against Ryan Walters to proceed. #OKLAED
ktul.com/news/local/j...

We’re hiring! Please help share this, especially with folks in southwest Oklahoma.

Hundreds of thousands of families w/children, older adults, people with disabilities, & other low-income people across the country had their SNAP food benefits stolen. The recent budget compromise excluded the restoration of those benefits. Congress had the ability to fix it; just not the will.

OK Policy Executive Director Shiloh Kantz spoke with the Oklahoman about what lawmakers should prioritize in the coming #okleg session. As long as 1 in 5 Oklahoma children live in poverty, our lawmakers should be putting child well-being front and center.

www.oklahoman.com/story/news/p...

Thanksgiving from a Natives Lens Thanksgiving is often celebrated in the United States as a time for gratitude, family, and feasting.

The story of Thanksgiving often erases the broader context of colonization, which brought disease, displacement, and violence to Indigenous peoples. While the feast in 1621 did occur, it was not the idyllic partnership many are taught to believe. nativenewsonline.net/currents/tha...

Heads up, OKC metro folks. This is a great, locally owned bookstore. Nice selection and a great vibe.

New from us: caveat city, of course no one really knows where Trump's proposed tariffs might actually land.

BUT: if it was what he proposed on the campaign trail, here is the breakdown across income groups.

Tax hikes for all, with the impact getting larger the poorer you are.

Medicare Advantage is a huge disadvantage for my rural hospital | Opinion Medicare Advantage plans come between the doctor and patient and have created a serious financial threat to rural hospitals. Congress must fix this.

Roger Knak, CEO for Fairview Regional Medical Center, published an op-ed in today's Oklahoman raising concerns that Medicare Advantage plans will have on rural hospitals. He called for changes to preserve the rural health care safety net for future generations. 1/

www.oklahoman.com/story/opinio...

Yes, libraries are invaluable for their collections and public services they offer, but also social contact without the expectation to interact with anyone or spend any money is so important to so many people

For folks who want to deep dive into research on poverty and what it takes to thrive in America, Urban Institute today released its new report, "Measuring the True Cost of Economic Security." 1/

www.urban.org/research/pub...

Imagine that