Articles
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Education
As demand nears cap, parents praise school-choice program
As debate continues over raising the cap on the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit program, parents say one thing is not debatable: The program is changing their children’s lives for the better.Ray Carter | March 17, 2026
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Economy
Credit upgrade defies prior doomsday predictions
In 2019, an economist claimed Oklahoma government faced ongoing deficits unless income, sales, and oil-and-gas taxes were increased. Policymakers did the opposite—and credit rating agencies now say Oklahoma is more financially stable than ever.Ray Carter | March 17, 2026
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Health Care
Medicaid-expansion follies show need for initiative-petition reform
Approved by a razor-thin margin in 2020 through the initiative-petition process, Medicaid expansion added hundreds of thousands of able-bodied adults to Oklahoma’s welfare rolls and helped trigger a roughly half-billion-dollar budget shortfall.Jonathan Small | March 16, 2026
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Culture & the Family
Oklahoma remains a top 10 state for movers
A new report from the moving company Hire a Helper shows that Oklahoma remains one of the nation’s strongest magnets for domestic migration, ranking ninth in the country in 2025 with 10,534 more people moving in than out.Ray Carter | March 13, 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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Education
Oklahoma House votes to increase length of school year
The Oklahoma House of Representatives has approved legislation that would increase the length of Oklahoma’s school year. HB 3151 passed the House 62–28 and now proceeds to the Oklahoma Senate for consideration.Ray Carter | March 12, 2026
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Culture & the Family
Oklahoma House passes measure to bar male students from female-only spaces
The Oklahoma House of Representatives has approved legislation that requires K-12 schools and state colleges to maintain sex-specific sleeping quarters, locker rooms, restrooms, and other intimate spaces—defined strictly by biological sex.Ray Carter | March 12, 2026
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Economy, Culture & the Family
Compassion, consequences, and State Question 832
Support for State Question 832 is often framed as an act of compassion, but compassion without prudence can produce damaging results. SQ 832 would permanently tie future wage increases to the cost of living in major cities like New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.Matt Oberdick | March 11, 2026
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Education
Oklahoma House passes bill barring sexually explicit materials from school libraries
The Oklahoma House of Representatives has approved House Bill 2978, legislation that would prohibit school libraries from offering books containing depictions or descriptions of sexually explicit conduct. The measure passed the House on a 74–17 party-line vote.Ray Carter | March 10, 2026
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Law & Principles
What SQ 832 gets wrong about real people
Proponents of SQ 832 may believe they’re promoting fairness, but they’re overlooking the fragile economics and personal choices that keep many of Oklahoma’s small businesses alive. The unintended damage could be lasting.Byron Schlomach, Ph.D. | March 9, 2026