The consumer price index jumped by 0.8% in April -- a far larger increase than many had anticipated. The recent spike in the cost of goods and services has led to widespread concerns over inflation. If the cost of living continues to climb at such a rapid pace, it could outpace wage growth, weakening the buying power of the American consumer. Such an outcome would be a reversal of a long-term trend in much of the United States.

Over the last 10 years, real personal income per capita, a measure of annual earnings that is adjusted for inflation, climbed in the United States from $42,287 in 2010 to $53,071 in 2020. There are many potential factors that drove up real personal income, not the least of which is wage growth outpacing inflation.

While every state reported an increase in real personal income per capita, incomes in some states climbed far faster than others. In Oklahoma, personal income per capita climbed from $42,073 in 2010 to $49,361 in 2020. The 17.3% 10-year growth rate is considerably lower than the 25.5% national growth rate over the same time. Of all states, Oklahoma had the sixth lowest real income per capita growth.

In addition to wage growth outpacing inflation, another factor that can affect change in real personal income include changes in the length of the average work week-- which can impact the income of workers. As of 2020, workers in Oklahoma put in an average of 35.1 hours per week,down from 35.6 hours in 2010. Nationwide, the length of the average work week increased from 34.1 hours to 34.5 hours over the same period.

Yet another factor that can affect wage growth is the workforce participation rate. The share of a state's population that are employed and earning incomes can have a considerable impact on per capita income. The share of the Oklahoma population in the workforce fell by 0.7 percentage points between 2010 and 2020. Meanwhile, workforce participation nationwide climbed by 0.9 percentage points over the same period.

Percent growth in real personal income per capita from 2010 to 2020 was calculated using data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Personal income figures were adjusted from current dollars to constant 2012 dollars using the U.S. personal consumption expenditure price index and were also adjusted for regional price differences using regional price parity in accordance with the methodology provided by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. These are the 16 states where incomes are rising the fastest.

RankState10-yr. chg. in real personal income per capita (%)Real personal income per capita, 2020 ($)10-yr. workforce participation chg. (ppt.)10-yr. chg. in avg. weekly hours worked (%)1Utah+39.048,052+4.4-3.42California+35.053,097+2.7+2.43Illinois+32.057,412+1.5+0.34Colorado+31.755,369+1.4-2.35Idaho+31.246,567+2.9+1.26Michigan+30.550,706+1.3+1.57New York+29.756,186+1.3-2.18Arkansas+29.148,263+1.1-0.69Oregon+29.049,328+1.1+0.610Washington+28.855,607+0.5+2.311Pennsylvania+27.956,923-0.4+3.012Montana+27.150,465+0.2+0.613Arizona+26.845,103+1.1-0.614Indiana+26.450,772+1.0+0.315Nevada+25.848,896-0.8016Ohio+25.752,849+1.3+2.417Georgia+25.248,554+1.3-0.318Massachusetts+24.763,468-0.4+0.619Iowa+23.754,460-0.6+0.920South Carolina+23.445,795+0.7-2.021Delaware+22.650,743-1.6+0.322Wisconsin+22.253,296+0.4+1.223Minnesota+22.055,774-0.7+3.324New Jersey+21.956,161-0.4+0.925Texas+21.850,434+0.5026Kansas+21.555,204-0.0+0.627Nebraska+21.556,890-0.7-1.528Wyoming+21.460,259-3.6-4.229Tennessee+21.349,539+2.3-0.630New Hampshire+21.055,179-0.5+2.431Kentucky+20.846,530+0.4032Alabama+20.647,598+0.8+0.633Maryland+20.655,980-1.0+0.934West Virginia+20.345,252-0.9+1.135Hawaii+20.343,546-3.6-0.336Florida+20.248,677+0.9-3.737New Mexico+20.244,320-1.1-2.938North Carolina+19.148,197+0.8+1.539Virginia+19.054,691-0.7-3.740Maine+18.948,518-0.5+0.941Rhode Island+18.153,353-0.4-0.942Missouri+18.050,611+0.5-0.943South Dakota+17.657,098-1.8+1.244Mississippi+17.442,878+0.6-3.645Oklahoma+17.349,361-0.7-1.446Louisiana+16.749,840-2.1-1.647Vermont+16.250,497-1.6-1.548North Dakota+16.258,415-2.2+5.549Connecticut+14.867,336-1.3+2.450Alaska+12.154,624-4.6-0.8

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter (R) announced on May 26 that he would be resigning effective June 1. Hunter cited “personal matters that are becoming public” as the reason for his resignation. The Oklahoman reported that Hunter allegedly had an affair with another state employee.

In a statement, Hunter said, “It has been a distinct and absolute privilege of a lifetime to serve as the state’s attorney general … I cannot allow a personal issue to overshadow the vital work the attorneys, agents, and support staff do on behalf of Oklahomans.”

Gov. Mary Fallin (R) appointed Hunter attorney general of Oklahoma in 2017 after former Attorney General Scott Pruitt (R) was sworn in as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Hunter was then elected to a full term in 2018. Before his appointment as attorney general, Hunter served as secretary of state of Oklahoma from 2016 to 2017 and from 1999 to 2002. Hunter began his political career by serving in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1984 to 1990.

The attorney general is an executive office in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, serving as the chief legal advisor and chief law enforcement officer for the state government. The office is empowered to prosecute violations of state law, represent the state in legal disputes, and issue legal advice to state agencies and the legislature.

The attorney general is an elected position in 43 states and the District of Columbia, including Oklahoma. However, when a vacancy occurs in the Oklahoma attorney general’s office, the governor appoints a successor to serve until the next election.

(The Center Square) – Gov. Kevin Stitt signed school choice expansion legislation that raises the amount of tax credits available for the state's Equal Opportunity Scholarship Act program.

Under Senate Bill 1080, signed by Stitt on Friday, up to $50 million in tax credits will be available, with $25 million for public schools and $25 million for private schools.

The grants can be used by families for scholarships to private schools and by public schools for new programs or classroom support, according to a news release from the governor's office.

“Over the past year, it’s become even more clear that education is not one-size-fits-all,” Stitt said in a statement. “Parents and students across Oklahoma want more options, and this program helps create more opportunities for kids to attend the school that best fits their needs.”

Under the program, individuals and businesses can receive a 50% tax credit for donations made to organizations that offer school scholarships to lower-income families.

EdChoice, a national nonprofit that supports choice programs, hailed the new tax credit limit.

“We’ve been working to expand Oklahoma’s tax-credit program for years so that more students can have access to these scholarships,” Leslie Hiner, director of the EdChoice Legal Defense and Education Center, said in a statement. “This increase will allow many more families to have options that were previously out of reach for their children.”

(The Center Square) – Thanks to rising prices, Oklahoma farmers are optimistic about this year's wheat harvest.

Mike Schulte, executive director of Oklahoma Wheat Commission, said the predictions currently show an average crop, but above the five-year average.

"At Oklahoma Grain and Feed Annual meetings on May 4, 2021, this group of extension professionals, crop consultants and wheat trade estimate harvested acres for Oklahoma wheat will come in at 2,985,042 acres, with an estimated yield of 37 bushels per acre, making the state crop predicted to come in at 110,741,000 bushels," Schulte told The Center Square. "This is slightly above the five-year average which is currently at 98,720,000 bushels for our region."

Per-bushel prices are as much as $2 higher than this time last year. Prices were ranging from $6.11-$6.52 per bushel across Oklahoma, Schulte said.

Schulte said the increase in the price of hard red winter wheat is a result of larger purchases from China and the Far East this past year.

"Domestic flour usage and bread consumption has also contributed to these increases," Schulte said. "We are also seeing more wheat being utilized for feed rations in the United States, as stockpiles of U.S. grains have dwindled due to increasing global purchases over the past year."

The market is also reacting to weather conditions across the nation. Producers have seen increased drought conditions in much of the Northwest, including Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana.

Areas of North Central Texas and Western Oklahoma saw minor improvements after the recent rains, but the Texas and far western regions of the Oklahoma Panhandle continue to see worsening drought conditions.

Schulte said the basis in the Gulf region of the U.S. remains steady, as farmers selling increased this past month due to higher domestic demand, but higher futures prices have dampened export demand.

The COVID-19 pandemic sent economic shockwaves through the U.S. economy, tripling the monthly unemployment to nearly 15% and leading to a more than 30% quarterly decline in GDP -- by far the largest economic contraction in U.S. history.

No corner of the country was untouched by the pandemic's economic consequences -- but some states have emerged better off than others. A range of factors, including industrial diversity, labor force education levels, household income, and long-term GDP growth, have an effect on a state's overall economic strength -- and its ability to withstand the impact of the pandemic.

To determine the states with the best and worst economies, both in the years leading up to the pandemic and during it, 24/7 Wall St. created an index of five measures — five-year economic growth, five-year employment growth, the poverty rate, unemployment rate, and share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

In many key measures, including poverty and economic growth, Oklahoma ranks well below most U.S. states. An estimated 15.2% of the state population live below the poverty line, one of the larger shares in the country and well above the 12.3% national poverty rate.

Oklahoma's GDP growth has been weaker than that of nearly every other state in recent years. Since the end of 2015, the state's economy has contracted at an average rate of 0.6% a year, due in large to steep output declines in the state's educational services, transportation and warehousing, and resource extraction industries. Despite a shrinking economy, Oklahoma is one of the few states to have weathered the COVID-19 pandemic and emerged with more people working today than were at the same time last year.

All index components used to create this ranking were included at equal weight. All data used to create the index came from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau. Additional state level data on economic output by industry from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. This is how all 50 state economies rank.

RankStatePoverty rateMarch 2021 unemployment rateAvg. annual employment chg., March 2016 to March 2021Avg. annual GDP chg., Q4 2015 to Q4 20201Utah8.9%2.9%+2.0%+3.9%2Idaho11.2%3.2%+2.3%+3.9%3Washington9.8%5.4%+1.2%+4.3%4Colorado9.3%6.4%+1.4%+2.8%5New Hampshire7.3%3.0%+0.2%+0.6%6Nebraska9.9%2.9%+0.0%+1.2%7Minnesota9.0%4.2%-0.1%+1.1%8Massachusetts9.4%6.8%+0.2%+1.4%9Georgia13.3%4.5%+1.7%+2.2%10Oregon11.4%6.0%+0.9%+2.8%11Virginia9.9%5.1%-0.2%+1.2%12Kansas11.4%3.7%+0.2%+1.1%13Montana12.6%3.8%+0.5%+1.2%14South Dakota11.9%2.9%+0.6%+0.8%15Florida12.7%4.7%+0.9%+2.2%16Maryland9.0%6.2%-0.6%+1.0%17Arizona13.5%6.7%+1.9%+2.9%18Wisconsin10.4%3.8%-0.2%+0.8%19Vermont10.2%2.9%-1.9%-0.1%20North Carolina13.6%5.2%+0.8%+1.7%21Indiana11.9%3.9%+0.1%+1.5%22South Carolina13.8%5.1%+0.9%+1.8%23Maine10.9%4.8%-0.7%+1.0%24Alabama15.5%3.8%+1.3%+1.1%25Tennessee13.9%5.0%+1.2%+1.0%26Missouri12.9%4.2%-0.0%+0.7%27New Jersey9.2%7.7%-0.9%+0.3%28Iowa11.2%3.7%-0.9%+0.3%29Ohio13.1%4.7%+0.0%+0.7%30North Dakota10.6%4.4%-0.6%-0.4%31Texas13.6%6.9%+0.6%+1.7%32California11.8%8.3%-0.6%+2.4%33Delaware11.3%6.5%+0.4%-0.6%34Nevada12.5%8.1%+1.5%+1.9%35Michigan13.0%5.1%-0.6%+0.4%36Wyoming10.1%5.3%-0.4%-1.6%37Rhode Island10.8%7.1%-0.8%-0.5%38Oklahoma15.2%4.2%+0.4%-0.6%39Pennsylvania12.0%7.3%-0.8%+0.6%40Illinois11.5%7.1%-1.6%+0.2%41New York13.0%8.5%-0.8%+0.8%42Arkansas16.2%4.4%+0.1%+0.6%43Alaska10.1%6.6%-0.8%-0.8%44Connecticut10.0%8.3%-2.4%+0.1%45Kentucky16.3%5.0%-0.1%+0.5%46Hawaii9.3%9.0%-2.1%-0.5%47West Virginia16.0%5.9%+0.3%-0.2%48New Mexico18.2%8.3%-0.1%+1.1%49Mississippi19.6%6.3%+0.1%+0.5%50Louisiana19.0%7.3%-0.8%+0.3%

The U.S. health care system faced new levels of scrutiny in the past year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. There were shortages of medical masks, ICU beds, as well as nurses. But even before the pandemic, some states were much better equipped to handle both everyday health needs -- and the pandemic -- than others.

There are many states in which residents are much more likely to lack health care insurance. In many of these states, there are also fewer medical professionals relative to the population, which can hinder access to care, as well as underfunded medical hospitals.

The health care system in Oklahoma ranks as the 14th worst in the country.

Oklahoma's health care system faces more challenges than most other states – 20.9% of adults in the state reported feeling in fair or poor health, higher than in all but seven other states. Oklahomans are also more likely to lack health insurance and access to health care.

The uninsured rate in the state is 14.3%, the second highest in the U.S. There are also just 60.9 doctors per 100,000 residents, the fifth lowest ratio in the nation and well below the national concentration of 75.8 doctors per 100,000 residents.

Oklahoma has the sixth highest premature mortality rate in the country, at 456.6 deaths before age 75 per 100,000 residents. Nationwide, the premature death rate is less than 340 per 100,000.

To identify the states with the worst health care systems, 24/7 Wall St. constructed an index comprising six health measures for each state: the share of residents without health insurance, state spending on health care as well as on hospitals per capita, and the number of dentists, doctors, and mental health providers per 100,000 people. Each of these measures was weighted equally in the index. These are the 25 states with the worst health care system

RankStateUninsured rateAdults in poor or fair healthPremium contribution, single coverageState spending on health care per capita25Wyoming12.3%15.3%$96.25$51324Delaware6.6%16.3%$127.92$48023Montana8.3%14.1%$93.50$16722Missouri10.0%19.5%$109.83$33221Nebraska8.3%13.8%$112.58$15120Illinois7.4%15.9%$115.17$9719Kentucky6.4%21.8%$121.08$9818North Dakota6.9%13.6%$98.50$18817South Carolina10.8%17.8%$111.58$24716North Carolina11.3%18.0%$115.92$16415West Virginia6.7%23.6%$113.08$16014Oklahoma14.3%20.9%$115.25$22313South Dakota10.2%13.4%$120.17$17812Louisiana8.9%21.4%$122.08$10111Alabama9.7%21.4%$132.75$11710Arkansas9.1%23.3%$104.42$589Florida13.2%19.5%$120.17$2258Idaho10.8%15.1%$73.08$1047Tennessee10.1%21.2%$119.25$1116Indiana8.7%18.2%$121.67$905Nevada11.4%19.1%$104.58$934Mississippi13.0%22.1%$109.08$1333Arizona11.3%18.6%$126.92$812Georgia13.4%18.4%$108.25$1191Texas18.4%18.7%$112.92$109

The cost of a college education can be prohibitively expensive for many students. As of 2019, a student would have to pay an average net price of $9,915 to attend a four-year public college, and $19,220 to attend a non-profit private school, after financial aid is factored in.

While the cost of college has increased virtually everywhere, certain schools stand out as being especially expensive. Whether it is because of their selective admissions standards, unique programs offered, or notable faculty, there are hundreds of schools that charge tens of thousands of dollars per year.

Each state is home to at least one school with an average net price of more than $12,000 per year. Smaller states tend to have fewer universities, and those they do have tend to have lower fees and tuition.

The vast majority of schools that rank as the most expensive in their state are private schools. While many of these are liberal arts colleges, a number of institutions on this list are art schools or music conservatories. Though these schools cost tens of thousands of dollars per year, those with fine arts degrees tend to earn much less than those with other types of college education. These are the college majors that pay off the least.

Though Oklahoma Wesleyan University is the most expensive college in the state, its $24,501 annual net price is lower than the vast majority of other schools on this list. For context, the typical private college in the country has a net price of $19,220.

OWU is located in the northeastern part of Oklahoma. It offers online and in person classes in fields like pastoral ministry, marketing, business administration, and more.

To identify the most expensive college in every state, 24/7 Wall St. used data from the National Center for Education Statistics to rank all bachelor's degree-granting schools based on net price -- the annual cost of tuition, books, room and board, minus any financial aid -- for full-time, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates students who received grant or scholarship aid for the 2018-19 school year. This is the most expensive college in every state.

StateCollegeAvg. net price ($)CityUndergraduate enrollmentAlabamaTuskegee University33,420Tuskegee2,394AlaskaAlaska Pacific University20,426Anchorage337ArizonaEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott36,962Prescott2,894ArkansasJohn Brown University21,912Siloam Springs1,777CaliforniaCalifornia Institute of the Arts54,594Valencia1,021ColoradoUniversity of Denver37,263Denver5,774ConnecticutQuinnipiac University41,636Hamden6,845DelawareWesley College24,705Dover1,035FloridaRingling College of Art and Design52,384Sarasota1,658GeorgiaSavannah College of Art and Design44,460Savannah12,167HawaiiHawaii Pacific University27,281Honolulu3,695IdahoBoise Bible College21,315Boise95IllinoisSchool of the Art Institute of Chicago50,167Chicago2,983IndianaRose-Hulman Institute of Technology45,356Terre Haute2,000IowaClarke University34,424Dubuque685KansasCleveland University-Kansas City35,246Overland Park74KentuckyThe Southern Baptist Theological Seminary26,976Louisville894LouisianaTulane University of Louisiana40,783New Orleans7,980MaineUniversity of New England34,198Biddeford4,275MarylandMaryland Institute College of Art42,750Baltimore1,749MassachusettsThe New England Conservatory of Music46,620Boston497MichiganKettering University39,255Flint1,799MinnesotaCarleton College31,547Northfield2,115MississippiMillsaps College24,457Jackson779MissouriConception Seminary College35,288Conception47MontanaCarroll College25,187Helena1,216NebraskaCreighton University32,145Omaha4,472NevadaChamberlain University-Nevada34,928Las Vegas384New HampshireSouthern New Hampshire University39,743Manchester92,902New JerseyStevens Institute of Technology40,770Hoboken3,659New MexicoSt. John's College24,787Santa Fe317New YorkThe New School50,377New York7,409North CarolinaHigh Point University38,745High Point4,591North DakotaUniversity of Jamestown19,695Jamestown908OhioOberlin College43,612Oberlin2,846OklahomaOklahoma Wesleyan University24,501Bartlesville864OregonPacific Northwest College of Art37,252Portland514PennsylvaniaThe University of the Arts41,658Philadelphia1,699Puerto RicoUniversidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico16,304Hato Rey3,690Rhode IslandBryant University40,038Smithfield3,259South CarolinaFurman University35,621Greenville2,688South DakotaAugustana University24,481Sioux Falls1,818TennesseeBelmont University36,976Nashville6,820TexasSouthern Methodist University40,404Dallas6,710UtahNeumont College of Computer Science27,881Salt Lake City474VermontBennington College38,386Bennington729VirginiaHampden-Sydney College34,853Hampden-Sydney993WashingtonWhitman College41,822Walla Walla1,579West VirginiaUniversity of Charleston21,941Charleston1,907WisconsinMarquette University34,120Milwaukee8,515WyomingUniversity of Wyoming12,880Laramie9,807

(The Center Square) – While many sectors of the economy suffered from reduced activity and government-mandated restrictions during the pandemic, Oklahoma's tourism industry seems to have fared much better than most.

"While we are still getting the full picture of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Oklahoma’s tourism industry, it was no doubt a difficult year," David White, legislative liaison for Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, told The Center Square. "However, we are happy to report that we have fared substantially better than the U.S. numbers in all of the categories."

At the beginning of the pandemic, the state's tourism department shifted focus to highlight the many destinations right outside Oklahomans’ doors by launching the #OKHereWeGo advertising campaign.

White reports that Oklahoma state parks saw 11.5 million visitors in fiscal 2020, a 25% increase over fiscal 2019. There was also increased interest in the Oklahoma Fishing Trail, which consists of six loops across the state, highlights prime fishing opportunities and showcases Oklahoma’s diverse waterways and species. More than 3,000 new fishing licenses were ordered with $8.2 million in projected lodging revenue. With the increase in road trips during 2020, we also saw a dramatic rise in Route 66 trips, 32% overall for the year for a total of 2.8 million out-of-state visitor trips.

"By advertising to an in-state audience, we were able to encourage Oklahomans to find new and surprising attractions," White said. "This campaign resulted in projected lodging revenue of $17.3 million. During the pandemic, people were encouraged to maintain distance. Where better to practice social distance than on a hiking trail, fishing or camping with your family?"

White said that the department continues to be optimistic about the state's future. He said he's looking forward to the Route 66 centennial celebration, which Oklahoma will play a central role in since it houses more than 400 miles of the historic route, and increased camping numbers at Oklahoma State Parks.

"Oklahoma is open for business," White said. "Whether you’re looking for outdoor adventures, world-class museums or a taste of the Old West, we have something for you."

(The Center Square) – Doctors practicing telehealth in Oklahoma are the beneficiaries of recent legislation that will ensure they are compensated as equally well as their colleagues who see patients in person.

Senate Bill 674, authored by Sen. Greg McCortney, ensures that insurance companies pay physicians the same amount for virtual visits as they would be paid for performing the same services face-to-face.

Change is often faced with resistance, Jennifer Dennis-Smith, communications manager for Oklahoma State Medical Association, told the Center Square, and telehealth had been a sleeping giant for a number of years.

"Generally, the medical community had not embraced its use and neither had the insurance industry," Dennis-Smith said. "Insurance carriers would not cover telemedicine visits or would reimburse at a much lower rate, even below cost, than office visits. This would disincentivize the utilization of telehealth as a health care delivery option."

Medicine’s essential goal, Dennis-Smith said, profitable or not, is creating positive health outcomes for patients.

"In the past, there was a question as to whether or not telemedicine would allow a physician to provide telehealth care that is as effective as an in-patient visit," Dennis-Smith said. "However, as we’ve seen over the past year, care can be effectively delivered both in-person and virtually. Therefore, those services should be reimbursed at the same level."

Before the pandemic, telehealth services were limited and mainly used for behavioral and mental health care. In an effort to safely provide patient services after the pandemic began, the medical community realized the benefit of this option for providing access to general health care.

"Telehealth visits have allowed patients to avoid crowded areas, such as offices and waiting rooms, while physicians still maintained the ability to provide easy access to general primary and preventative care," Dennis-Smith said. "Rural Oklahoma still has many areas with poor broadband capability, which is an impediment to telehealth. Access to quality health care through telemedicine will continue to encourage the growth of broadband and higher quality internet services to rural Oklahoma."

The bill is waiting to be signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt.

(The Center Square) – Oklahoma's economic outlook ranks third in the U.S. in the American Legislative Exchange Council Center for State Fiscal Reform's 2021 Rich States, Poor States competitive index.

The report uses 15 equally weighted policy variables to rank the economic competitiveness of states, including various tax rates, regulatory burdens and labor policies.

The index also ranks each state in economic performance by examining data over the past 10 years in cumulative GDP growth, cumulative domestic migration and nonfarm employment growth.

Oklahoma's third-place ranking in economic outlook for 2021 was five spots better than 2020, when it ranked ninth. In the 15 policy variables used to determine economic outlook, Oklahoma ranked in the top 10 for property tax burden (second), having no estate or inheritance tax (tied for first), minimum wage (first at $7.25 an hour), and being a right-to-work state.

The American Legislative Exchange Council is the largest nonpartisan, voluntary membership organization of state legislators in the United States. It is governed by state legislators who comprise the Board of Directors and is advised by the Private Enterprise Advisory Council, a group of private, foundation and think tank members.