 Law & Principles House lawmakers vote to prevent illegal aliens from using welfare
By a margin of more than four to one, members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives have approved two bills that will make it harder for illegal immigrants to obtain taxpayer-funded welfare benefits in Oklahoma.
Ray Carter | February 26, 2026 House lawmakers vote to prevent illegal aliens from using welfare Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA.  Economy SQ 832 copies policies that raised prices elsewhere
States forcing a $15 minimum wage saw prices rise faster than Oklahoma while experiencing weaker wage growth. With SQ 832 mirroring the same policies that drove up costs and reduced opportunities elsewhere, the data suggest Oklahoma should stick with the approach that’s delivering real wage gains without inflation.
Curtis Shelton | February 26, 2026 SQ 832 copies policies that raised prices elsewhere Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA.  Education ‘Break glass in case of emergency’: Oklahoma Senate joins reading debate
Oklahoma lawmakers in both chambers have advanced major reading reforms that would end social promotion and force early intervention for struggling students.
Ray Carter | February 25, 2026 ‘Break glass in case of emergency’: Oklahoma Senate joins reading debate Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA.  Education Effort to handcuff school-choice program fails in Oklahoma Senate committee
An Oklahoma Senate committee has defeated legislation that would have undermined the state’s Parental Choice Tax Credit program.
Ray Carter | February 23, 2026 Effort to handcuff school-choice program fails in Oklahoma Senate committee Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA.  Education As demand rises, Oklahoma Senate panel votes to raise Parental Choice Tax Credit ceiling
Oklahoma lawmakers are moving to expand the state’s Parental Choice Tax Credit program as rising demand pushes the current $250 million cap to the breaking point. SB 1380 passed a Senate committee on a 10-2 vote that broke along party lines, with Republicans in support and Democrats opposed.
Ray Carter | February 23, 2026 As demand rises, Oklahoma Senate panel votes to raise Parental Choice Tax Credit ceiling Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA.  Education OCPA: Say no to watering down educational excellence
OCPA President Jonathan Small urged lawmakers to oppose Senate Bill 1391, which is scheduled for a vote in the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee. The bill effectively forces private schools to adopt a public-school curriculum by mandating that private schools administer state tests based on the public-school curriculum.
Staff | February 23, 2026 OCPA: Say no to watering down educational excellence Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA.  Law & Principles Foreign billionaire’s money backs minimum-wage effort?
A group accused of helping move foreign money into U.S. ballot campaigns has quietly pumped $50,000 into Oklahoma’s State Question 832—the measure that would tie Oklahoma’s minimum wage to the cost of living in expensive cities.
Jonathan Small | February 23, 2026 Foreign billionaire’s money backs minimum-wage effort? Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA.  Law & Principles Oklahoma House panel advances measures mandating immigration verification for welfare
Two bills to bar illegal immigrants from receiving taxpayer-funded welfare benefits have cleared committee and are headed to the Oklahoma House floor. One Democrat lawmaker countered that the bills may deter illegal immigrants from seeking welfare benefits for family members.
Ray Carter | February 19, 2026 Oklahoma House panel advances measures mandating immigration verification for welfare Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA. House panel advances bill requiring school districts to post share of funds going to instruction2/19/2026  Education House panel advances bill requiring school districts to post share of funds going to instruction
Oklahoma schools would have to prominently disclose what share of their budgets goes to classroom instruction under House Bill 3711. The bill’s author says any district confident in its priorities should have no problem showing the public how much is actually spent on instruction.
Ray Carter | February 19, 2026 House panel advances bill requiring school districts to post share of funds going to instruction Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA.  Budget & Tax, Health Care Oklahoma’s Medicaid bill comes due
The Obamacare Medicaid expansion was sold as a program fueled by “free” federal dollars, but Oklahoma is now seeing the real bill. Spending at the Oklahoma Health Care Authority has climbed by nearly $3.5 billion since 2020.
Curtis Shelton | February 18, 2026 Oklahoma’s Medicaid bill comes due Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA. |
   
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs For 25 years, OCPA has served as Oklahoma’s largest and most influential free-market based think tank. We conduct research and analysis of public issues in Oklahoma from a perspective of limited government, individual liberty, and a free-market economy. 
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