(The Center Square) – Oklahoma took in a record-breaking amount of tax revenue in September, and also for the previous 12-month period ending in September.

September revenue collections totaled $1.38 billion, bringing the 12-month total revenue collected to $14.5 billion, according to the state treasurer. September collections were up 20% over the same month last year.

"It's encouraging, but Oklahoma's small businesses still face a long, difficult recovery from the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic," Jerrod Shouse, Oklahoma state director of National Federation of Independent Business, told The Center Square. "Supply chain disruptions and a lack of job applicants remain a problem and make it hard for small businesses to provide the goods and services their customers need."

Corporate and income taxes generated $530 million in September, $77.3 million more than the same month last year. Sales and use taxes grew by $74 million over the same time last year, reaching $531.8 million, and gross production taxes on oil and natural gas grew by $59.7 million, totaling $106.1 million for September.

The previous 12-month total for corporate and income tax was nearly $5.1 billion, $312.3 million over the previous year's total. Sales and use taxes increased by $565.5 million, topping out at $6 billion. Production taxes on oil and natural gas increased by $227.1 million, totaling $936 million. This is due primarily to the increase in the price of oil, which, in July, hit its highest price per barrel since November 2014.

In comparison with pre-pandemic years, the change seems to be positive, as collections are continuing to come in over projections.

"Looking back exactly two years, Oklahoma General Revenue Fund collections in September 2019 were $554.3 million, which was $9.2 million more than collected in September 2018 but nearly $37 million less than estimated," Shouse said.

Sleep is a key component of a healthy lifestyle. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults get at least seven hours of sleep each night -- and falling short of this target carries a number of risks. Still, nearly 90 million American adults are not getting enough sleep.

Americans who do not get enough sleep are at increased risk of making mistakes in their day-to-day lives -- and mistakes at work or while driving can have serious consequences. Insufficient sleep is also linked to depression and several chronic diseases.

In Oklahoma, about 1,126,800 adults -- or 37.5% of the 20 and older population -- do not get enough sleep, compared to 35.2% of adults nationwide. The share of adults reporting insufficient sleep in Oklahoma is the 18th highest among the 50 states.

Research has shown that sleep duration is linked to both regulation of blood sugar as well as metabolic changes, and that adults who regularly sleep less than seven hours a night are at increased risk of diabetes and obesity. Though it is not always the case, states with higher than average levels of sleep deprivation also often have higher rates of either diabetes, obesity, or both. In Oklahoma, 12.3% of adults have diabetes and 34.5% are clinically obese, compared to the national shares of 10.5% and 29.7%, respectively.

To improve sleep habits, the CDC recommends developing a routine of going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time every day. The CDC also advises regular exercise and avoiding caffeine, large meals, and alcohol before bed time. Removing electronic devices, such as TVs and computers, from the bedroom can also help improve sleep habits.

All data in this story is from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute joint report, 2021 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. States were ranked based on the share of adults reporting insufficient sleep, which is less than seven hours per night on average

RankStateAdults not getting enough sleep (%)Adults with diabetes (%)Adult obesity rate (%)1Hawaii43.2%11.1%24.6%2West Virginia42.5%15.1%37.8%3Kentucky42.1%12.7%34.6%4Tennessee40.8%12.5%33.3%5Ohio40.6%12.2%33.5%6Michigan40.4%11.0%32.4%7Alabama39.6%14.5%36.1%8New York38.9%10.1%26.4%9South Carolina38.8%13.3%34.0%10Virginia38.6%10.7%30.5%11Pennsylvania38.6%11.0%30.8%12Georgia38.3%12.0%32.3%13Indiana38.0%12.1%33.9%14Louisiana38.0%13.0%36.3%15Mississippi37.8%14.6%39.1%16Maryland37.7%11.1%31.6%17New Jersey37.5%9.9%27.0%18Oklahoma37.5%12.3%34.5%19Nevada37.3%10.5%27.1%20Florida37.3%10.8%27.2%21Arkansas37.2%13.5%35.0%22Rhode Island36.7%10.1%28.5%23Delaware36.5%11.8%32.4%24North Carolina36.1%11.5%32.3%25New Hampshire35.3%9.6%28.6%26Missouri35.2%11.4%32.5%27Arizona34.9%9.6%27.9%28California34.5%8.8%24.3%29Maine34.5%10.4%29.8%30Texas34.4%10.2%31.4%31Massachusetts34.3%8.7%25.0%32Kansas34.0%10.5%33.0%33Wyoming33.8%9.0%29.2%34Connecticut33.8%9.2%26.3%35Illinois33.5%9.9%29.7%36Idaho33.4%9.3%29.0%37Alaska33.3%8.3%31.9%38Iowa33.1%9.9%34.3%39New Mexico33.1%9.5%27.3%40Oregon32.8%9.7%29.3%41North Dakota32.8%9.4%33.9%42Wisconsin32.7%9.5%31.7%43Nebraska32.3%10.0%33.4%44Washington31.8%9.3%28.6%45Utah31.2%7.5%27.0%46Montana30.9%8.9%27.1%47South Dakota30.1%10.1%32.4%48Vermont30.1%8.8%27.0%49Colorado30.0%6.6%22.4%50Minnesota29.1%8.5%29.0%

The average cost of a college education in the United States is $35,720 a year -- three times higher than it was two decades ago. While rising tuition costs are discouraging many Americans from enrolling, a college education is an investment that can broaden access to career opportunities, improve job security, and increase earning potential.

Nationwide, an estimated 32.1% of American adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher. Educational attainment rates vary considerably across the country, however, and in every state, there is at least one city where the share of adults with a bachelor's degree is higher than the national average.

In Oklahoma, Edmond, a city of about 92,000 people, ranks as the best educated place. An estimated 53.4% of adults in the area have a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to the 25.5% bachelor's degree attainment rate across the state as a whole.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average weekly wage for a college-educated worker in the United States is about 67% higher than it is for those with no more than a high school diploma -- and in cities with well-educated populations, incomes also tend to be higher than average. In Edmond, the typical household earns $81,473 a year, above the statewide median household income of $52,919.

All data in this story are five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey. We considered all census "place" geographies -- a category that includes incorporated legal entities and census-designated statistical entities. Places with populations of 25,000 or less, or with high margins of error in education data, were excluded from analysis.

Most educated placeAdults with a bachelor's degree (%)Adults with a bachelor's degree; statewide (%)Median household income ($)Median household income; statewide ($)Alabama: Vestavia Hills69.325.5109,48550,536Alaska: Juneau38.429.688,39077,640Arizona: Catalina Foothills67.829.592,92958,945Arkansas: Bentonville50.223.080,39247,597California: Los Altos84.233.9235,27875,235Colorado: Boulder76.040.969,52072,331Connecticut: Westport78.039.3206,46678,444Delaware: Newark53.232.058,43468,287Florida: Coral Gables66.729.9100,84355,660Georgia: Dunwoody72.231.396,05758,700Hawaii: East Honolulu58.333.0133,16581,275Idaho: Moscow55.827.641,89655,785Illinois: Wilmette83.234.7164,68165,886Indiana: West Lafayette71.526.534,65056,303Iowa: Ames62.728.648,10560,523Kansas: Leawood76.933.4157,51559,597Kentucky: Lexington-Fayette43.624.257,29150,589Louisiana: Lafayette38.224.151,26449,469Maine: Portland52.631.860,46757,918Maryland: Bethesda85.940.2164,14284,805Massachusetts: Lexington84.743.7186,20181,215Michigan: Ann Arbor76.029.165,74557,144Minnesota: Edina69.836.1104,24471,306Mississippi: Madison68.522.0114,52145,081Missouri: Chesterfield69.229.2113,31555,461Montana: Bozeman58.732.055,56954,970Nebraska: Lincoln39.631.957,74661,439Nevada: Summerlin South48.824.793,89960,365New Hampshire: Dover46.537.071,63176,768New Jersey: Princeton81.039.7137,67282,545New Mexico: Santa Fe41.727.357,97249,754New York: Ithaca66.936.634,42468,486North Carolina: Chapel Hill76.931.373,61454,602North Dakota: West Fargo44.230.085,12064,894Ohio: Upper Arlington77.128.3123,54856,602Oklahoma: Edmond53.425.581,47352,919Oregon: Lake Oswego71.433.7108,92762,818Pennsylvania: State College70.631.434,00561,744Rhode Island: Warwick33.834.273,75767,167South Carolina: Mount Pleasant63.928.1103,23253,199South Dakota: Sioux Falls35.228.859,91258,275Tennessee: Brentwood76.127.3168,68853,320Texas: University Park87.829.9224,48561,874Utah: Holladay55.834.088,72871,621Vermont: Burlington53.338.051,39461,973Virginia: McLean83.538.8207,18474,222Washington: Mercer Island78.236.0147,56673,775West Virginia: Morgantown55.020.642,96646,711Wisconsin: Brookfield60.730.1108,19861,747Wyoming: Laramie52.727.446,11764,049

(The Center Square) – The Oklahoma Bankers Association says that a new federal proposal from the Biden administration that would track bank transactions over $600 and remit that information to the IRS is government overreach.

Adrian Beverage, president and CEO of Oklahoma Bankers Association, told The Center Square that as the proposal is currently drafted, both business and personal accounts would be impacted. The financial institution would have to submit a report at the end of the year for each account with a minimum balance of $600. That report would show the total dollar amount coming into the account and the total dollar amount coming out of the account. The ultimate goal is to catch those who are avoiding paying their taxes.

OBA and the banks it represents are not in favor of the proposal. The tracking threshold is currently $10,000 in cash.

"The government is always seeing how far they can reach into our lives," Beverage said. "We feel bank customers already provide a treasure trove of information to the IRS and this is crossing the line. The IRS is the most targeted organization on the planet for cyber threats. It makes folks nervous enough that the information they already send to the IRS is at risk because of cyberattacks, and they sure don’t want to send them any more information."

Congressman Kevin Hern told FOX 23 that "the IRS continues to encroach on every aspect of the American people’s lives. I have been vocal about my disdain for this provision, and the continued overreach of the federal government, who salivates at every opportunity to tax and regulate its people. There is no place for this intrusion into the intimate financial details of American families.”

If the proposal does take effect, it will place extra work on banks, some that can't afford the additional staff or strain.

"There will be additional costs for banks to upgrade their systems to track and pull this information," Beverage said. "The majority of community banks in Oklahoma don’t have lots of staff. This proposal would require a current employee to add additional tasks, or the bank would have to hire additional staff."

The United States has some of the highest levels of income and wealth inequality in the world. U.S. Federal Reserve data shows that the wealthiest 10% of Americans control $93.8 trillion, more than double the $40.3 trillion in the hands of the remaining 90% of Americans.

The income and wealth divide only appears to be growing wider. A January 2020 report published by the Pew Research Center found that over the last four decades, income growth for the top 5% of families by earnings has far outpaced income growth for families in lower income strata.

Based on the Gini coefficient, a measure of income inequality based on the distribution of income across a population, income inequality varies considerably across the United States. The Gini coefficient is a scale from 0 to 1 -- 0 representing perfect equality and 1 representing the highest possible level of inequality. Nationwide, the Gini coefficient stands at 0.481.

The Gini coefficient in Oklahoma is 0.474 -- lower than the national average but 20th highest among all 50 states.

Across the state, the average income among the top 20% of households by earnings stands at $192,061. The cohort accounts for 50.8% of all income earned in Oklahoma. Meanwhile, the average income among the bottom 20% of households by earnings is just $12,507, accounting for 3.3% of all earnings statewide.

Causes behind rising inequality are complex and varied. A report published by the National Bureau of Economic Research ties the rising disparity to a range of economic factors, including globalization, technological advancement, a stagnant minimum wage, and the decline of labor unions.

All data in this story, including the Gini coefficient, average household income by quintile, and share of aggregate household income by quintile are from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey.

RankStateGini coefficientAvg. income of top earning 20% of households ($)Avg. income of lowest earning 20% of households ($)1New York0.515291,90613,3722Connecticut0.502306,15316,0373Louisiana0.498190,0389,4264Mississippi0.490169,3189,7155California0.487295,36916,9816Florida0.481217,45614,0267Massachusetts0.480299,18816,4508Illinois0.480245,17314,6679Georgia0.479222,39913,66810New Jersey0.478305,19018,24911New Mexico0.477181,94010,97612Kentucky0.476183,54911,36713Texas0.475228,92414,55614Arkansas0.475173,94111,55515Tennessee0.475199,45613,14416South Carolina0.475198,95112,33417Pennsylvania0.475223,49914,29518North Carolina0.474204,12913,30119Alabama0.474180,46910,91620Oklahoma0.474192,06112,50721Nevada0.471220,20814,42522Virginia0.469265,17117,13823Ohio0.465199,07413,60124West Virginia0.464163,24010,64925Michigan0.463201,67613,97626Missouri0.463194,18513,29427Rhode Island0.463228,95114,82928Montana0.460191,81913,89929Arizona0.459209,81914,75430Indiana0.458193,27913,98731Washington0.458262,11818,57632Maryland0.456280,11518,90233North Dakota0.456209,98515,06434Colorado0.455255,11418,41735Delaware0.451224,89415,94536Kansas0.450200,93215,09037Oregon0.450215,02615,59738Maine0.449190,60614,67439Vermont0.447200,81615,05440Minnesota0.443233,94918,15641Iowa0.442192,97915,27042New Hampshire0.441241,89119,00243Nebraska0.440197,99715,96544Hawaii0.440252,49218,44545Wisconsin0.439197,97716,03446Alaska0.438234,22118,40847South Dakota0.436184,71415,51948Wyoming0.435196,02915,52849Idaho0.434188,03616,19950Utah0.427227,02220,124

(The Center Square) – Many Oklahoma businesses are still reporting that they are having a difficult time finding enough workers.

"Our small-business members, especially in the retail and service sectors, tell us they're still having a tough time finding qualified applicants," Jerrod Shouse, National Federation of Independent Business Oklahoma State director, told The Center Square. "NFIB's August jobs report said a record 50% of owners nationwide reported job openings they couldn't fill. The 48-year historical average is just 22%."

A state Senate interim study found that access to affordable child care, the desire to work from home, and fear of catching COVID-19 in the workplace are playing a part in the worker shortage.

Shouse said many business owners have increased or plan to increase wages, but a record 28% said labor quality remains their number one challenge right now. The state's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, the same as the federal minimum wage.

"The lack of qualified applicants is making it harder for Oklahoma businesses to recover from the COVID-19 slowdown," Shouse said. "A lot of businesses have no choice but to open late or close early, and some businesses have had to close their doors altogether on certain days because they can't find anyone to work."

(The Center Square) – For Oklahoma to optimize its economic recovery, some economic experts say the state income tax must be repealed, not just lowered as was done earlier this year.

"There is no question eliminating Oklahoma’s income tax while moving to a consumption-based tax model would bolster economic growth," Curtis Shelton, policy research fellow at Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA), told The Center Square. "With no [COVID] restrictions in place that can be removed, Oklahoma has to rely on broad pro-growth reforms to spur economic growth. Since the pandemic started in early 2020, six of the nine states without an income tax have outpaced Oklahoma in GDP growth."

In May, Gov. Kevin Stitt signed bills into law that reduce Oklahoma's corporate income tax rate from 6% to 4% and all individual income tax rates by 0.25% (with the top rate cut from 5% to 4.75%.)

But states that do not require income tax have grown much faster than the rest of the country, Shelton said, noting that Florida, Texas and Tennessee have seen consistent income migration year after year. States like California and New York have routinely seen income leave the state with losses of over $200 billion in annual income combined. Oklahoma itself has lost a combined $2.5 billion in annual income to Florida and Texas, two states with no income tax. States without an income tax are often found at the top of the list when it comes to the friendliest states to start a business.

"Reforming Oklahoma’s tax code so that it relies on consumption rather than the income tax would no longer impose a penalty on work," Shelton said. "Letting people keep more of their paycheck incentivizes more people to look for work. This would provide a larger and more diverse population to hire from and creates the environment for upward mobility not found in states that trap people in a cycle of dependency."

Shelton said this penalty on work is one of the most disrupting taxes a state can levy.

"Coupling the elimination of the income tax with an increased reliance on consumption-based taxes, i.e. the sales tax while exempting groceries, would have a neutral effect on state revenues in the short run and lead to greater tax revenue for state government in the long-run due to the economic growth created by the tax changes," Shelton said.

Homeownership is a longstanding aspiration for millions of Americans. According to a Gallup poll, more than nine in every 10 American investors consider owning a home to be either an essential or important component of the American dream. Homeownership can also be one of the best and most practical ways to build wealth -- both through appreciation of equity and tax deductions.

The past year has been historic for the American housing market. A surge in demand, fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic and record-low mortgage rates, helped push the national homeownership rate -- or the share of housing units occupied by their owners -- to 67.9% in the second quarter of 2020, its highest level in over a decade.

Still, homeownership rates vary considerably in the U.S., and in some parts of the country, people are far more likely to own their homes than in others.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey for 2019, the most recent year of available state level data, Oklahoma has the 18th lowest homeownership rate among states, at 65.5%. For reference, the national homeownership that year stood at 64.1%.

Homeownership rates in different parts of the country are impacted by many factors, and one of them is housing costs. Though it is not always the case, states where real estate is more expensive often have lower than average homeownership rates, while areas where home prices are lower often have high homeownership.

In Oklahoma, the typical home is worth an estimated $147,000, less than the national median of $240,500. The low median home price also likely helps explain why homeowners are less likely than average to be paying down a mortgage. An estimated 54.4% of owner-occupied housing units in the state have a standing mortgage, compared to 61.7% nationwide.

All data used in this story, including supplemental data on the median home value of owner-occupied homes and the percentage of housing units with a mortgage, are from the 2019 ACS. States were ranked based on the number of owner-occupied units as a share of all occupied housing units.

RankStateHomeownership rate (%)Median home value ($)Owner-occupied homes with a mortgage (%)1West Virginia73.4124,60046.42Maine72.2200,50060.53Minnesota71.9246,70065.14Wyoming71.9235,20059.25Michigan71.6169,60059.36Idaho71.6255,20064.37New Hampshire71.0281,40064.98Vermont70.9233,20061.79Utah70.6330,30070.110Iowa70.5158,90059.911Delaware70.3261,70065.512South Carolina70.3179,80058.013Indiana69.3156,00065.214Montana68.9253,60055.415Alabama68.8154,00055.316Pennsylvania68.4192,60059.117New Mexico68.1180,90052.918South Dakota67.8185,00055.619Mississippi67.3128,20049.120Wisconsin67.2197,20062.721Missouri67.1168,00060.222Kentucky67.0151,70056.923Maryland66.8332,50071.924Tennessee66.5191,90058.225Louisiana66.5172,10051.726Kansas66.5163,20057.927Nebraska66.3172,70059.528Florida66.2245,10056.329Virginia66.1288,80067.730Ohio66.0157,20062.131Illinois66.0209,10062.432Colorado65.9394,60070.833Oklahoma65.5147,00054.434Arkansas65.5136,20053.035North Carolina65.3193,20063.236Arizona65.3255,90062.437Connecticut65.0280,70066.238Alaska64.7281,20060.839Georgia64.1202,50064.240New Jersey63.3348,80065.641Washington63.1387,60067.742Oregon62.9354,60066.143Massachusetts62.2418,60068.344Texas61.9200,40056.145Rhode Island61.7283,00066.346North Dakota61.3205,40052.147Hawaii60.2669,20064.448Nevada56.6317,80067.449California54.9568,50069.050New York53.5338,70059.6

The quality of American public schools can vary widely between states, cities, and even districts. Not all schools are able to provide students with the same level of education, access to extracurriculars, counseling, or college preparation. While each public school faces its own unique challenges, each state has one public school that stands out as the very best.

The best public high schools tend to be in relatively affluent areas, where incomes are well above the U.S. median household income of $62,843. A wealthier tax base for a school district means that schools have more funding to hire teachers and other faculty and provide more extracurriculars.

In many of the best public high schools in a given state, the vast majority of students graduate and perform well in educational assessments. Nationwide, only 24% of students are proficient in math and 37% are proficient in reading, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Students at top high schools also tend to perform well in college entrance exams like the SAT and ACT, with reported scores well above the 1058 out of 1600 nationwide average for the SAT and the 20.6 out of 36 average for the ACT.

Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics in Oklahoma City ranks as the best public school in the state. The school earned an overall A+ grade as well as A+ scores for its academics, teachers, health and safety, and college prep from school data platform Niche.

The school is small, with just 150 11th and 12th grade students and a 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio. This allows students to be more engaged and receive more attention from teachers, which can help them overcome academic obstacles. The school boasts a 100% graduation rate and college entrance exam scores well above average.

To determine the best public high schools in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2022 K-12 School & District Rankings from Niche, a platform for education data. The Niche ranking is based on academic and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education as well as student reviews submitted to Niche. Data on student count and student-teacher ratio came from Niche.

StateSchoolCity/districtStudentsStudent-teacher ratioAlabamaLoveless Academic Magnet Program High SchoolMontgomery County Schools49116:1AlaskaMat-Su Career & Tech Education High SchoolMatanuska-Susitna Borough School District73219:1ArizonaBASIS Oro ValleyOro Valley6266:1ArkansasHaas Hall AcademyHaas Hall Academy45114:1CaliforniaHenry M. Gunn High SchoolPalo Alto Unified School District1,99619:1ColoradoCherry Creek High SchoolCherry Creek School District3,80621:1ConnecticutStaples High SchoolWestport School District1,82812:1DelawareThe Charter School of WilmingtonWilmington97121:1FloridaPine View SchoolSarasota County Schools1,87717:1GeorgiaGwinnett School of Mathematics, Science & TechnologyGwinnett County Public Schools1,15417:1HawaiiMililani High SchoolHawaii Department of Education2,62018:1IdahoBoise Senior High SchoolBoise Independent School District1,57018:1IllinoisPayton College Preparatory High SchoolChicago Public Schools1,22016:1IndianaIndiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and HumanitiesMuncie2397:1IowaPleasant Valley High SchoolPleasant Valley Community School District1,46118:1KansasBlue Valley North High SchoolBlue Valley Unified School District (Overland Park)1,48315:1KentuckyDuPont Manual High SchoolJefferson County Public Schools1,88717:1LouisianaBenjamin Franklin High SchoolNew Orleans99720:1MaineMaine School of Science & MathematicsLimestone13310:1MarylandPoolesville High SchoolMontgomery County Public Schools1,20519:1MassachusettsMA Academy for Math & Science SchoolWorcester9916:1MichiganInternational AcademyOakland Schools1,520N/AMinnesotaMinnetonka Senior High SchoolMinnetonka Public School District3,38619:1MississippiThe Mississippi School for Mathematics and ScienceColumbus23811:1MissouriLadue Horton Watkins High SchoolLadue School District1,31515:1MontanaBozeman High SchoolBozeman2,24317:1NebraskaMillard North High SchoolMillard Public Schools2,61418:1NevadaThe Davidson AcademyReno1784:1New HampshireHanover High SchoolSau 7074212:1New JerseyHigh Technology High SchoolLincroft29313:1New MexicoArrowhead Park Early College High SchoolLas Cruces Public Schools34318:1New YorkStuyvesant High SchoolNew York City Geographic District No. 23,38421:1North CarolinaNorth Carolina School of Science and MathematicsDurham6807:1North DakotaFargo Davies High SchoolFargo1,29515:1OhioIndian Hill High SchoolIndian Hill Exempted Village School District62812:1OklahomaOklahoma School of Science and MathematicsOklahoma City1506:1OregonSchool of Science & TechnologyBeaverton School District17524:1PennsylvaniaJulia R. Masterman Secondary SchoolPhiladelphia City School District1,20724:1Rhode IslandBarrington High SchoolBarrington Public Schools1,12214:1South CarolinaSouth Carolina Governor's School for Science & MathematicsHartsville27013:1South DakotaWashington High SchoolSioux Falls School District1,95017:1TennesseeHume-Fogg Academic Magnet SchoolMetro Nashville Public Schools90720:1TexasSchool for the Talented & GiftedDallas Independent School District40917:1UtahKarl G. Maeser Preparatory AcademyLindon63417:1VermontSouth Burlington High SchoolSouth Burlington School District88013:1VirginiaMaggie Walker Governor's SchoolRichmond74615:1WashingtonTesla STEM High SchoolLake Washington School District60321:1West VirginiaBridgeport High SchoolHarrison County Schools83317:1WisconsinBrookfield East High SchoolElmbrook School District1,31017:1WyomingJackson Hole High SchoolTeton County School District No. 174013:1

(The Center Square) – Twenty-six U.S. governors requested to meet with President Joe Biden to propose solutions to the ongoing border crisis, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at a Wednesday new conference. Because Biden did not respond to the request, the governors said they decided to take their message to the American people, proposing their own solutions to the drastic increase in illegal immigration this year that's led to what they called a humanitarian crisis across the country.

Convening in the border town of Mission, Texas, Abbott, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and eight others said they've proposed a 10-point plan to help end the humanitarian crisis caused by Biden's open-border policies.

"We’re not going to sit around while Biden refuses to act," Ducey said. "We’ve tried to meet with the president and be part of the solution, but he refuses. No, worse – he ignores us, just like he’s ignoring the border and the well-being of the American people. If the president won’t meet with us, then we’ll share our policy ideas today. Hopefully he will hear our solutions and begin to act."

Abbott and Ducey created an Emergency Management Assistance Compact in June requesting aid from governors to help quell the overflow of migrants entering the country illegally. Many governors sent law enforcement personnel on short-term missions to help Texas’ and Arizona’s efforts.

The governors’ 10-point plan includes the reinstatement of the "Remain in Mexico" policy that requires immigrants to return to their home countries until amnesty hearings are concluded in the U.S.; and finishing securing the southern border with Mexico, including completion of the border wall that was a priority of former President Donald Trump.

A third demand is the reinstatement of Title 42 health restrictions at the border, which require immigrants to be deported if they pose a health risk, including testing positive for COVID-19. Another is ending the Obama-era catch and release program, which they said is incentivizing criminals and cartels to illegally traffic people and drugs into the country.

The proposed solutions also include clearing the judicial backlog that is slowing the legal immigration process, and deporting all migrant criminals, a policy the Biden administration also changed. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ most recent memorandum states that even entering the U.S. illegally is not reason enough to be arrested even though illegal immigration is a federal crime.

The governors also propose the federal government dedicate more resources to eradicate human trafficking and drug trafficking, which they said has over-extended local law enforcement agencies across the south. And they propose re-entering all agreements with Northern Triangle partners and Mexico, which Biden let lapse.

The majority of the proposed solutions are in direct opposition to Biden administration policies.

Prior to engaging the help of other states, Texas launched its own border security measures after Biden took office, costing Texas taxpayers $3 billion so far.

The Texas Legislature also passed several bills, which Abbott signed into law this year to strengthen border security efforts, including a budget authorization to build a border wall in Texas.

New state laws that went into effect this year increase penalties for those committing crimes in Texas, including nine that crack down on human trafficking, and manufacturing or distributing the highly addictive narcotic fentanyl. Several governors at Wednesday's news conference said they have seen drastic increases in fentanyl distribution and overdoses in their states.

"The Biden administration's open border policies have led to complete chaos at the southern border, and pose a threat to the safety of Texans and all Americans," Abbott said. "Texas has stepped up to keep our communities safe and mitigate this crisis ourselves, and our efforts have been made stronger by the support and assistance of governors from across the nation."

Joining Abbott and Ducey were Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Idaho Gov. Brad Little, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw, Texas Military Department Adjutant General Tracy Norris and Deputy Adjutant General Monie R. Ulis, and National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd.