(The Center Square) – A financial watchdog ranked Oklahoma 19th in the nation and stamped a “C” grade on the state for its current fiscal health.

The Financial State of the States report from the nonprofit government watchdog Truth In Accounting (TIA) found that Oklahoma is among 39 states without enough money to pay its bills, leaving every state resident with a taxpayer burden of $2,300.

TIA's report is based on the state’s 2020 audited Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the latest available data.

Fifteen state governments received a near-failing “D” grade for a taxpayer burden between $5,000 and $20,000, determined by calculating the state’s debt divided by the number of taxpayers.

Oklahoma had $16.1 billion available to pay $18.5 billion worth of bills – leaving $2.4 billion in debt, which breaks down to $2,300 per taxpayer.

At the end of the fiscal year 2020, 39 states did not have enough money to pay all of their bills. The total debt of the 50 states amounted to $1.5 trillion.

“The majority of states were financially unprepared for any crisis.” TIA CEO Sheila Weinberg said in a statement. “When states can’t pay their bills, taxpayers are on the hook.”

The top three indebted states were:

Connecticut: per taxpayer burden of $62,500New Jersey: per taxpayer burden of $58,300Illinois: per taxpayer burden of $57,000

The average taxpayer burden across the 50 states was $9,300 for fiscal year 2020, $2,000 worse than the prior year.

The most fiscally healthy states were:

Alaska: per taxpayer surplus of $55,100North Dakota: per taxpayer surplus of $39,200Wyoming: per taxpayer surplus of $19,500

Nationwide, most state debt stems from unfunded retirement benefit promises, such as pension and retiree health care liabilities. For 2020, pension debt totaled $926.3 billion, and other post-employment benefits (OPEB), mainly retiree health care, totaled $638.7 billion.

The COVID-19 pandemic fueled a surge in demand among homebuyers that is only now beginning to show signs of slowing. This historic demand coincided with low borrowing costs, limited housing inventory, and labor and materials bottlenecks that have been hampering new construction. These factors have pushed home values to all time highs, forcing many buyers to take on mortgages that put them deep in debt.

According to a recent report from Experian, a consumer credit reporting company, American homeowners with a mortgage had an average unpaid balance of $229,242 in 2020. Mortgage debt can be impacted by multiple regional factors, and as a result, the amount of debt American homeowners are paying down varies considerably by state.

Oklahoma is one of only four states where most homes are worth less than $150,000. Due in part to relatively low home values, mortgage debt in Oklahoma is also relatively low, averaging just $147,538.

Home values are typically a reflection of what area residents can afford, and just as home values are low in Oklahoma, so too are incomes. The typical household in the state earns $54,449 a year, less than in most other states and well below the national median household income of $65,712.

All mortgage debt data used in this story from the 2020 State of Credit Report by Experian, a consumer reporting agency. Average mortgage debt is a measure of the average first mortgage balance per consumer who had an open first mortgage account. Figures for median home value, median household income, homeownership rates, and the share of owner-occupied households with a mortgage came from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey.

RankStateAverage mortgage debt ($)Median home value ($)Median household income ($)Homeowners with a mortgage (%)50West Virginia128,004124,60048,85046.449Mississippi135,374128,20045,79249.148Indiana140,915156,00057,60365.247Ohio142,293157,20058,64262.146Arkansas143,066136,20048,95253.045Kentucky143,329151,70052,29556.944Iowa146,408158,90061,69159.943Oklahoma147,538147,00054,44954.442Michigan150,482169,60059,58459.341Missouri155,203168,00057,40960.240Kansas155,277163,20062,08757.939Nebraska156,568172,70063,22959.538Wisconsin160,116197,20064,16862.737Alabama160,341154,00051,73455.336Louisiana165,572172,10051,07351.735Maine167,615200,50058,92460.534Vermont172,919233,20063,00161.733South Dakota173,005185,00059,53355.632New Mexico174,292180,90051,94552.931Pennsylvania175,648192,60063,46359.130North Dakota181,930205,40064,57752.129South Carolina183,603179,80056,22758.028Tennessee184,360191,90056,07158.227North Carolina188,520193,20057,34163.226Illinois189,808209,10069,18762.425Georgia196,030202,50061,98064.224Minnesota198,039246,70074,59365.123Texas201,084200,40064,03456.122Montana206,561253,60057,15355.421New Hampshire208,570281,40077,93364.920Idaho208,645255,20060,99964.319Wyoming208,716235,20065,00359.218Delaware210,933261,70070,17665.517Florida214,203245,10059,22756.316Rhode Island217,019283,00071,16966.315Arizona229,332255,90062,05562.414Alaska244,840281,20075,46360.813Connecticut247,241280,70078,83366.212Nevada253,602317,80063,27667.411Utah258,635330,30075,78070.110Oregon261,147354,60067,05866.19Virginia269,570288,80076,45667.78New Jersey270,329348,80085,75165.67Maryland274,311332,50086,73871.96New York274,349338,70072,10859.65Massachusetts292,513418,60085,84368.34Colorado297,813394,60077,12770.83Washington307,407387,60078,68767.72Hawaii387,977669,20083,10264.41California396,229568,50080,44069.0

In much of the country, public pension funding has been one of the most persistent public policy problems. For years, many state governments have failed to make necessary investments in their retirement system, resulting in funding gaps that increasingly present a looming reckoning for taxpayers.

According to a recent report published by The Pew Charitable Trusts, a public policy think tank, many states are now taking earnest measures to reduce their pension funding gap. These measures include increased contributions, cost reduction strategies, and more sophisticated pension management tools. States have also benefited from once-in-a-generation investment returns following the COVID-19 market crash in March 2020.

Still, based on 2019 data, the most recent year of available comprehensive data, the majority of states have a funding shortfall of 25% or more.

Oklahoma's pension funding gap grew slightly over the year. Currently, the state has $41.1 billion in pension liabilities and $33.2 billion in assets, an 80.7% ratio. The year prior, the state had an 81.3% funding ratio.

Still, Oklahoma is better positioned than most other states. At current levels, without any additional investments, Oklahoma's public retirement system could meet its obligations for another 13 years.

All pension funding data used in this story was compiled by The Pew Charitable Trusts and is for 2019. We also considered public-sector, state-level employment, both in raw numbers and as a share of overall employment, using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

RankStatePension funding ratioPension assets ($, billions)Pension liabilities ($, billions)State government employees1Wisconsin103.0%112.1108.989,8002South Dakota100.1%12.512.517,3003Tennessee98.2%41.141.895,5004Washington96.3%100.9104.8142,7005New York96.1%215.2223.9254,6006Idaho94.6%17.718.830,1007Nebraska93.1%15.216.342,5008Utah91.7%35.238.481,2009North Carolina88.4%101.4114.6196,10010Iowa85.4%34.840.767,10011Maine84.3%15.117.924,60012Delaware83.4%10.212.232,20013West Virginia83.4%15.919.146,90014Minnesota82.2%70.886.198,90015Oklahoma80.7%33.241.179,70016Oregon80.2%70.287.541,30017Arkansas80.0%28.635.776,20018Ohio80.0%168.4210.5168,00019Georgia78.7%95.6121.6162,50020Florida78.2%163.9209.5246,40021Missouri77.8%59.977.0100,20022Virginia77.2%79.8103.3157,30023Nevada76.5%44.357.940,20024Wyoming76.5%9.011.813,60025Montana72.5%11.916.427,40026California71.9%474.3659.4521,60027Maryland71.6%54.375.8108,10028Kansas69.9%20.629.550,70029North Dakota69.8%5.98.421,40030Alabama69.4%38.555.5117,00031Texas69.0%186.8270.7426,40032Indiana68.6%30.844.9108,90033Alaska67.4%15.222.622,50034New Mexico67.3%29.243.453,70035Louisiana66.9%36.854.986,80036Colorado66.5%51.877.9126,60037New Hampshire65.5%9.214.122,40038Arizona65.2%49.976.689,80039Vermont63.7%4.57.117,80040Mississippi61.7%28.646.457,40041Michigan61.1%65.0106.4178,80042Massachusetts59.4%58.398.1122,60043Pennsylvania58.0%89.8154.8148,60044South Carolina55.4%32.358.3103,50045Hawaii54.9%17.231.467,00046Rhode Island54.5%6.612.120,40047Kentucky44.6%24.053.790,80048Connecticut44.4%32.072.171,00049New Jersey39.7%82.3207.1138,70050Illinois38.9%92.6237.9147,000

Pick any two cities or towns in the United States, and each will be home to people who work in very similar fields. Certain occupations in areas like education, sanitation, law enforcement, health care, and retail are common across the country as they are practical necessities.

Still, the occupational makeup of different parts of the country varies in other important ways that are influenced by the regions' history, geography, natural resources, local laws, and demographics. These factors can have considerable economic implications and lay the foundation of a given area's industry composition.

In Oklahoma, oil and gas extraction is the largest industry, accounting for 8.7% of the state's total GDP of $202.0 billion. The industry's annual economic output totals $17.7 billion, a 9.1% increase over the last five years.

Overall employment in the industry totals about 16,300, or 1.0% of all jobs in Oklahoma. Among these workers, the average annual compensation is $145,703, compared to the average of $48,023 across all occupations in the state.

All data in this story on employment and output is from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and is for 2019, the most recent year for which data is available. Data on wages is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. With only a few exceptions, the largest industry in each state is real estate. As a result, we did not include the real estate sector in our analysis. We also excluded all government sectors.

Largest industryGDP of largest industry, ($, billions)Largest industry GDP as share of all industries (%)Employment in largest industryAverage annual compensation in largest industry ($)Alabama: Ambulatory health care services10.44.5100,03164,553Alaska: Pipeline transportation4.88.9N/AN/AArizona: Ambulatory health care services17.04.6172,43363,809Arkansas: Ambulatory health care services5.84.459,79664,186California: Computer and electronic product manufacturing110.33.5281,023185,714Colorado: Ambulatory health care services14.03.6139,99663,608Connecticut: Insurance23.08.061,923138,398Delaware: Monetary authorities13.617.67,29198,802Florida: Ambulatory health care services51.44.6521,56864,552Georgia: Monetary authorities32.35.27,56490,592Hawaii: Accommodation6.26.542,79352,973Idaho: Farms3.64.319,60837,642Illinois: Insurance45.75.2139,61199,628Indiana: Chemical manufacturing23.36.131,565120,876Iowa: Insurance18.59.552,04684,186Kansas: Rental and leasing services and lessors of nonfinancial intangible assets6.73.83,83554,411Kentucky: Motor vehicles, bodies and trailers, and parts manufacturing9.34.361,43166,973Louisiana: Petroleum and coal products manufacturing20.88.111,379136,816Maine: Hospitals3.34.833,55964,486Maryland: Ambulatory health care services15.83.7150,60966,638Massachusetts: Hospitals22.13.7198,54676,723Michigan: Motor vehicles, bodies and trailers, and parts manufacturing40.97.6181,24782,813Minnesota: Ambulatory health care services17.04.4156,05076,583Mississippi: Ambulatory health care services5.14.451,53559,647Missouri: Ambulatory health care services12.33.7120,333N/AMontana: Hospitals2.54.725,58365,511Nebraska: Insurance11.18.630,13772,765Nevada: Accommodation17.19.6189,49941,794New Hampshire: Insurance4.34.913,59992,107New Jersey: Ambulatory health care services27.24.3244,62564,942New Mexico: Oil and gas extraction7.57.24,372117,205New York: Monetary authorities174.19.897,155160,912North Carolina: Monetary authorities34.95.99,664108,240North Dakota: Support activities for mining3.45.916,486104,549Ohio: Monetary authorities32.14.632,14072,365Oklahoma: Oil and gas extraction17.78.716,279145,703Oregon: Computer and electronic product manufacturing16.16.338,576136,636Pennsylvania: Broadcasting and telecommunications37.24.635,03396,788Rhode Island: Insurance3.25.210,61286,263South Carolina: Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services9.94.0171,19335,086South Dakota: Monetary authorities8.215.053,79165,539Tennessee: Ambulatory health care services18.24.8155,99566,230Texas: Oil and gas extraction111.66.176,049207,903Utah: Monetary authorities11.15.84,17171,347Vermont: Ambulatory health care services1.64.817,27160,521Virginia: Computer systems design and related services28.65.1N/A125,773Washington: Publishing industries54.08.874,919246,039West Virginia: Mining4.35.414,25887,510Wisconsin: Insurance18.95.471,70978,377Wyoming: Mining3.79.27,83595,068

There are an estimated 39.5 million Americans living below the poverty line, which, in the lower 48 states, is an annual income threshold of $12,880 for an individual and $26,500 for a family of four (Alaska and Hawaii have a slightly higher threshold). Living in poverty can have serious consequences and impacts nearly every aspect of life -- and those problems can be compounded for those who are facing poverty while also living in very poor neighborhoods.

Residents of poor neighborhoods often struggle with higher crime rates, limited employment opportunities, lower school quality, and poor health outcomes. For those living on poverty level income, each of these factors reduces the likelihood of upward economic mobility.

Oklahoma City has the highest concentrated poverty rate of any of Oklahoma's four metro areas. There are about 184,500 people living below the poverty line in Oklahoma City, and 9.2% of them reside in communities of concentrated poverty.

High-poverty neighborhoods are often characterized by privation of amenities many Americans likely take for granted. For example, 1.2% of households in Oklahoma City's poorest neighborhoods lack plumbing, and fewer than 70% of area households have internet access.

All data used in this story are five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey. We only considered census tracts, or neighborhoods, with at least 500 people and college or graduate school enrollment below 50%. Metro areas were also excluded if over 25% of the population in tracts or neighborhoods of concentrated poverty were college or university students.

Metro area with worst extreme povertyPoor residents in high-poverty neighborhoodsOverall poverty rateOverall poverty rate, statewideAlabama: Tuscaloosa16.7%18.2%16.7%Alaska: NoneN/AN/A10.7%Arizona: Phoenix9.9%13.6%15.1%Arkansas: Little Rock7.8%15.0%17.0%California: Fresno28.5%22.5%13.4%Colorado: Pueblo5.9%18.8%10.3%Connecticut: New Haven12.7%11.7%9.9%Delaware: NoneN/AN/A11.8%Florida: Tallahassee21.5%15.8%14.0%Georgia: Albany35.3%24.2%15.1%Hawaii: NoneN/AN/A9.4%Idaho: NoneN/AN/A13.1%Illinois: Danville20.6%18.9%12.5%Indiana: Muncie18.7%17.2%13.4%Iowa: Waterloo9.6%13.4%11.5%Kansas: Wichita5.7%13.0%12.0%Kentucky: Louisville11.2%12.3%17.3%Louisiana: Monroe49.5%24.2%19.2%Maine: Lewiston13.5%11.8%11.8%Maryland: Baltimore9.3%10.0%9.2%Massachusetts: Springfield23.4%14.8%10.3%Michigan: Flint32.4%18.9%14.4%Minnesota: Duluth7.9%13.0%9.7%Mississippi: Jackson21.3%16.9%20.3%Missouri: Cape Girardeau27.9%16.4%13.7%Montana: Great Falls19.8%13.3%13.1%Nebraska: Omaha3.8%10.3%11.1%Nevada: Las Vegas5.1%13.7%13.1%New Hampshire: Manchester2.9%7.8%7.6%New Jersey: Trenton21.3%11.7%10.0%New Mexico: Las Cruces26.1%26.3%19.1%New York: Buffalo27.4%14.0%14.1%North Carolina: Goldsboro12.5%20.2%14.7%North Dakota: NoneN/AN/A10.7%Ohio: Toledo26.0%16.0%14.0%Oklahoma: Oklahoma City9.2%13.7%15.7%Oregon: Medford2.3%15.5%13.2%Pennsylvania: Reading28.8%12.0%12.4%Rhode Island: Providence4.0%12.0%12.4%South Carolina: Columbia7.9%14.4%15.2%South Dakota: NoneN/AN/A13.1%Tennessee: Memphis24.6%17.5%15.2%Texas: Laredo46.4%27.5%14.7%Utah: NoneN/AN/A9.8%Vermont: NoneN/AN/A10.9%Virginia: Roanoke15.9%12.9%10.6%Washington: Yakima8.5%17.4%10.8%West Virginia: Huntington14.8%18.8%17.6%Wisconsin: Milwaukee17.4%13.1%11.3%Wyoming: NoneN/AN/A11.0%

The share of Americans under the age of 65 without health insurance fell every year between 2010, when the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, and 2016, when President Barack Obama left office. Though the U.S. uninsured rate among Americans younger than 65 has inched up over the years since, it remains well below the reported 17%+ figures in the years leading up to the ACA.

Without a universal health care program, most Americans under age 65 -- the age of eligibility for Medicare -- receive employer-based health insurance coverage. Under this system, 10.8% of Americans younger than 65, approximately 29 million people, lacked health insurance in 2019 -- and that was before the COVID-19 pandemic put over 22 million Americans out of work.

While most of those jobs have since been restored, the official uninsured rate for Americans younger than 65 for 2020 will likely be higher than the 2019 rate.

In Oklahoma, an estimated 548,515 residents lack health insurance coverage -- or 16.8% of the under 65 noninstitutionalized population, the second highest uninsured rate among states.

Across the state, 54.8% of the population under age 65 have employer-based insurance, compared to 60.0% of the same age group nationwide. Another 18.7% of the under 65 population in the state are insured through Medicaid, and 9.3% purchased their own insurance directly -- compared to the national rates of 21.0% and 9.7%, respectively.

The rankings in this story are based on one-year estimates of the percentage of Americans under 65 without health insurance from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey.

RankStatePop. under 65 w/o insurancePop. under 65 with employer-based insurancePop. under 65 with directly purchased insurancePop. under 65 with Medicaid50Massachusetts3.5%68.1%10.2%23.0%49Rhode Island4.8%66.8%11.7%21.6%48Hawaii5.0%66.9%9.9%19.5%47Vermont5.6%60.6%10.3%25.8%46Minnesota5.8%69.8%8.4%18.9%45Iowa6.0%67.6%8.5%21.3%44New York6.1%60.2%10.8%26.9%43Wisconsin6.8%69.5%8.8%17.6%41 -- tiedMaryland6.9%65.6%9.3%19.6%41 -- tiedMichigan6.9%63.7%8.9%23.8%39 -- tiedPennsylvania7.0%65.1%9.2%22.0%39 -- tiedConnecticut7.0%64.2%8.5%23.2%38New Hampshire7.6%68.8%9.1%14.6%36 -- tiedKentucky7.7%57.1%7.3%28.3%36 -- tiedWashington7.7%63.7%8.3%21.4%35Ohio7.8%64.4%7.3%22.2%33 -- tiedNorth Dakota8.1%68.3%13.6%12.4%33 -- tiedDelaware8.1%63.6%8.3%23.0%32West Virginia8.3%57.4%5.7%30.0%30 -- tiedOregon8.6%61.4%9.4%23.0%30 -- tiedIllinois8.6%64.9%8.3%19.7%29California8.9%56.9%10.4%26.4%28New Jersey9.2%66.4%8.7%17.4%26 -- tiedVirginia9.3%64.4%9.3%14.5%26 -- tiedColorado9.3%62.4%10.5%18.1%25Nebraska9.8%67.2%12.1%13.4%24Maine10.1%61.4%10.5%20.2%23Montana10.2%55.0%13.6%23.6%22Indiana10.3%64.4%7.8%19.1%21Louisiana10.5%50.9%8.4%31.6%20Utah10.8%68.8%12.5%9.8%18 -- tiedKansas10.9%66.4%10.1%14.3%18 -- tiedArkansas10.9%51.4%9.1%29.1%17Alabama11.7%58.2%9.7%20.8%15 -- tiedNew Mexico12.0%46.1%7.6%37.0%15 -- tiedMissouri12.0%63.3%9.3%15.6%14Tennessee12.1%58.4%9.6%21.0%13South Dakota12.2%61.8%12.8%14.2%12Idaho12.8%58.7%12.9%17.3%11South Carolina13.2%57.0%10.1%20.2%9 -- tiedNorth Carolina13.4%56.7%10.7%19.2%9 -- tiedNevada13.4%59.4%8.7%18.9%8Arizona13.6%56.2%8.5%22.8%7Alaska13.9%55.0%6.4%22.8%6Wyoming14.8%62.6%10.8%12.3%5Mississippi15.4%50.9%8.6%25.1%4Georgia15.5%58.1%9.2%17.5%3Florida16.3%51.4%14.2%18.1%2Oklahoma16.8%54.8%9.3%18.7%1Texas20.8%54.8%8.6%16.2%

After nearly two decades of combat, the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan marks the end of the longest war in American history. Since 2001, nearly 2,500 American service members have been killed in the conflict -- in addition to tens of thousands of contractors, civilians, Afghan and allied military personnel.

The servicemen and servicewomen returning home will join the more than 17 million American military veterans living across the country. Over 20% of veterans served since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2021, the catalyst for the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. Here is a look at the longest wars in history.

Nationwide, veterans account for 6.9% of the adult population. In Oklahoma, 261,559 residents, or 8.8% of the 18 and older population, are military veterans -- the 11th largest share among states. Of all veterans in the state, 25.3% served after Sept. 11 2001, 35.7% served during the Vietnam War era, and 1.9% are veterans of WWII.

The human toll of American military conflicts extends far beyond those killed or missing in action. Nationwide, about 30% of veterans have a disability of some kind. That share is even higher, at 41%, among those who served since September 2001. In Oklahoma, an estimated 37.3% of all veterans are living with a disability. Disabilities connected to military service typically include missing limbs, burns, spinal cord injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, hearing loss, and traumatic brain injuries.

All data used in this story is from the U.S Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey.

RankStateAdults who are veteransVeteran pop. who served since Sept. 11, 2001Veteran pop. from Vietnam War eraVeteran pop. from WWII eraVeteran pop. with a disability50New York4.3%16.9%35.6%3.5%28.3%49New Jersey4.4%14.9%36.8%3.3%28.8%48California4.8%21.8%36.1%2.7%30.2%47Massachusetts5.0%16.6%36.1%3.9%29.3%46Utah5.1%27.1%36.3%2.7%27.7%45Illinois5.3%17.9%36.9%2.8%29.5%44Connecticut5.5%16.8%35.9%3.3%27.3%43Rhode Island5.8%13.7%39.3%4.5%28.7%42Minnesota6.4%16.1%40.5%3.0%28.1%41Louisiana6.5%21.6%36.5%1.4%34.1%40Texas6.5%28.3%32.2%1.5%29.3%39Michigan6.6%14.4%38.2%2.4%31.4%38Mississippi6.8%25.6%34.7%1.8%32.7%37Vermont6.9%17.4%38.0%1.9%34.0%36Wisconsin6.9%18.1%36.8%2.6%28.3%35Pennsylvania7.0%16.0%36.7%2.9%29.6%34Indiana7.1%19.3%35.8%2.6%31.4%33Kentucky7.2%19.5%37.8%2.1%34.3%32Ohio7.3%17.6%36.2%2.7%28.7%31Maryland7.5%28.3%30.1%1.9%23.0%30Kansas7.5%20.9%37.2%2.3%32.5%29Iowa7.6%18.4%36.2%2.8%28.7%28Georgia7.6%25.3%31.3%1.2%29.1%27Nebraska7.7%22.3%36.1%2.4%30.0%26Oregon7.9%17.6%37.8%2.5%34.5%25North Carolina7.9%23.4%33.8%1.9%29.8%24Tennessee8.0%22.1%36.9%1.2%33.2%23North Dakota8.0%29.8%36.1%1.7%28.3%22Arkansas8.0%21.8%38.1%1.5%36.7%21Missouri8.1%19.7%37.1%2.0%33.1%20Florida8.2%19.3%37.0%2.3%30.1%19Colorado8.2%29.2%31.6%1.8%26.6%18Alabama8.4%24.3%35.6%1.1%33.3%17New Mexico8.4%20.1%39.7%2.1%33.9%16Hawaii8.5%28.6%34.4%1.9%28.4%15West Virginia8.5%16.7%38.5%1.8%37.0%14New Hampshire8.5%17.0%37.0%2.1%28.9%13Arizona8.5%21.2%38.5%1.7%31.1%12South Dakota8.6%21.9%36.7%2.7%34.3%11Oklahoma8.8%25.3%35.7%1.9%37.3%10South Carolina8.9%21.4%36.6%1.3%30.0%9Washington8.9%24.6%35.8%1.8%29.6%8Maine8.9%16.7%40.3%2.5%32.5%7Nevada8.9%23.3%34.5%1.6%28.2%6Delaware8.9%16.0%39.5%2.2%30.0%5Idaho9.1%19.1%37.6%1.6%33.1%4Wyoming9.4%22.5%36.3%0.2%29.1%3Virginia10.0%33.1%29.8%1.4%22.4%2Montana10.3%22.6%36.9%1.6%30.6%1Alaska10.7%35.0%30.2%1.0%24.1%

(The Center Square) – Oklahoma counties have yet to see the fruits of two state questions approved in 2016 that would reclassify some crimes and expand mental health treatment access.

State Question 780 reclassified simple drug possession and low-level property crimes to misdemeanors, making them punishable by fines or jail days instead of prison time. The premise is to treat addiction as a health condition, allowing people who battle an addiction to be treated like patients instead of prisoners.

"Research shows people who engage in low-level property crime often do so to survive or to feed an addiction," Kris Steele, executive director of The Education and Employment Ministry (TEEM), told The Center Square. "Addressing root causes of anti-social activities reduces criminal activity, increases public safety and creates healthier communities."

State Question 781 builds on that by diverting the funds that would have been used to hold a 780 individual in prison to substance abuse treatment services and mental health care. Steele said even though the state's prison population has decreased from 112% capacity to 88% capacity since 2017, results from 781 funding have not been seen because the legislature has not reinvested the savings.

"Studies by independent bodies have shown anywhere from $10 [million to] $12 million per year in savings accrued as a result of the passage of SQ780," Colleen McCarty, deputy director at Oklahoma Justice Reform, told The Center Square. "The Oklahoma legislature is responsible for making these allocations to the County Community Safety Investment Fund. To date, since 2017, it has not made an allocation."

Instead, lawmakers have directed money to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, citing concerns that counties would not be able to provide adequate services, and ambiguity around how much should be allocated to the Community Safety Investment Fund.

Lack of aid in counties has meant that those who end up in the county jail with mental health or substance abuse issues will be treated by law enforcement rather than receive adequate mental health care.

"The intent of SQ781 is that counties can assess their own needs and means of local control," McCarty said. "If one county has a big meth problem, they should be able to apply funds toward evidence-based treatment for meth addiction. Others may see more prevalent issues with depression and may need to invest in bringing therapists and psychiatrists to their region. The statute was left vague so that the decision-makers on the ground can make the best choices for their populations."

McCarty said that any and all types of mental health care are needed in the criminal justice system. Many people in the system have Complex-PTSD, childhood trauma, and would benefit from ongoing therapy. Others have serious mental health diagnoses that need ongoing supervision and medications.

"There is a significant need (both inside and outside the correctional system) for increased trauma care, appropriate levels of substance abuse treatment, mental health care, and prosocial activities," Steele said. "The expectation for 781 is for counties to have buy-in and responsibility for establishing their substance abuse services and mental health care priorities. It is my hope the legislature will follow the will of the people and reinvest the savings achieved from 780 and enhance access to treatment and mental health services for all Oklahomans."

(The Center Square) – Oklahoma business owners say filling job openings remains a major concern even as national optimism in the economy is trickling upward.

“Our members say problems with the supply chain and filling jobs are making it harder for them to recover from the slowdown that began a year and a half ago,” NFIB Oklahoma Director Jerrod Shouse said in a statement.

The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index increased to 100.1 in August, up 0.4 percentage points from July, NFIB reported Tuesday. Five of 10 index components improved, four worsened, and one remained unchanged, according to NFIB. NFIB's Uncertainty Index dropped seven points to 69, its lowest level since January 2016, NFIB reported.

“As the economy moves into the fourth quarter, small business owners are losing confidence in the strength of future business conditions,” NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg said in a statement. “The biggest problems facing small employers right now is finding enough labor to meet their demand and for many, managing supply chain disruptions.”

According to the national survey of small businesses, 50% of owners reported trouble filling job openings. That's an increase of one percentage point from July and a 48-year high for the second consecutive month, according to NFIB.

Also, the number of owners "expecting better business conditions over the next six months decreased by eight points to a net negative 28%. This indicator has declined 16 points over the past two months to its lowest reading since January 2013," NFIB reported.

(The Center Square) – Oklahoma's Indian gaming industry paid a record $167 million in exclusivity fees to the state over the last fiscal year.

"The Indian gaming industry makes up a small part of the total Oklahoma budget," said Matthew Morgan, chairman of Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association. "Indian tribes, though, make up a large portion of economic activity in Oklahoma, especially in the rural parts of Oklahoma that sometimes struggle with their economic development."

The state's 132 Indian gaming establishments were shuttered within days of each other in March 2020 as the severity of the coronavirus pandemic began to set in. Federal stimulus funds were essential to helping them reopen and stay afloat, but the facilities did their part as well.

"The gaming industry in Oklahoma, the tribal governmental gaming industry has been strong for decades now in Oklahoma," Morgan said. "Through the pandemic, I think the tribal leaders and operators, regulatory bodies working together with their health systems put together a robust reopening plan that patrons felt very comfortable with. That is shown through the numbers on the exclusivity fees that were sent to the state."

The total of exclusivity fees paid to the state in the last fiscal year, during the height of the pandemic, far exceeded the previous record of $148 million.

"I think a lot of that though is credit to the tribes and their operations," Morgan said. "But you also have to remember Oklahoma is a state of only four million people so it also shows the out-of-state visitors that the tribes are pulling into Oklahoma to frequent their properties. That probably makes up a large portion of their numbers."

Oklahoma's gaming industry falls behind Las Vegas and California.

"So tribes, in general, are very important to the economy of the state of Oklahoma," Morgan said. "As tribes are doing well, the state does well. In a way, they're tied at the hip."