 Budget & Tax, Health Care Medicaid costs surge, squeezing Oklahoma’s budget
Oklahoma’s Medicaid program has become one of the fastest-growing pressures on the state budget, crowding out other budget priorities.
Curtis Shelton | February 6, 2026 Medicaid costs surge, squeezing Oklahoma’s budget Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA.  Education Stitt pushes college reforms: faster degrees, new tenure rules
Gov. Kevin Stitt unveiled a higher-education reform package that includes executive orders to create 90-credit-hour bachelor’s degrees, overhaul faculty tenure, and tie university funding to workforce outcomes.
Ray Carter | February 5, 2026 Stitt pushes college reforms: faster degrees, new tenure rules Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA.  Economy SQ 832 could raise prices for everyone
SQ 832 would increase Oklahoma’s minimum wage by tying it to the cost of living in expensive urban centers. Research repeatedly shows that significant minimum-wage hikes push up prices in sectors that are heavy on minimum-wage labor.
Curtis Shelton | February 5, 2026 SQ 832 could raise prices for everyone Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA. Oklahoma House committee advances bill blocking sexually explicit books in school libraries2/5/2026  Education Oklahoma House committee advances bill blocking sexually explicit books in school libraries
House Bill 2978, which prohibits Oklahoma public school libraries from offering students books containing sexually explicit depictions of certain acts, advanced on a 10–1 bipartisan vote in the House Common Education Committee.
Ray Carter | February 5, 2026 Oklahoma House committee advances bill blocking sexually explicit books in school libraries Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA.  Budget & Tax, Education Munson’s claims of education cuts rebutted by revenue reports
House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson claims that recent school-funding increases are simply a recovery from “massive cuts” a decade ago—but state revenue records don’t support her story. It’s not the first time her claims have been contradicted by data.
Ray Carter | February 5, 2026 Munson’s claims of education cuts rebutted by revenue reports Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA.  Law & Principles Speaker Hilbert’s bill to bar illegals from welfare clears first hurdle
Legislation that would implement new safeguards to ensure welfare benefits in Oklahoma are provided only to legal U.S. citizens has easily advanced from a state House committee.
Ray Carter | February 4, 2026 Speaker Hilbert’s bill to bar illegals from welfare clears first hurdle Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA.  Budget & Tax, Health Care Warnings prove true as Medicaid expansion strains Oklahoma state budget
Medicaid is blowing a hole in the state budget, with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority requesting nearly $500 million in new funding. Able-bodied, working-age adults added under the Obamacare Medicaid expansion continue to drive costs upward.
Ray Carter | February 4, 2026 Warnings prove true as Medicaid expansion strains Oklahoma state budget Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA.  Budget & Tax Devon relocation highlights tax issue
Devon Energy’s decision to merge with Coterra and place the combined headquarters in Houston has reignited Oklahoma’s long-running fight over the state income tax.
Ray Carter | February 3, 2026 Devon relocation highlights tax issue Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA.  Budget & Tax, Education Democrats criticize Stitt’s final address, challenge his tax and education priorities
Democratic lawmakers slammed Gov. Kevin Stitt’s final State of the State address, arguing that his $1.6 billion in tax cuts were ill-advised. One exception: Democratic state Sen. Mary Boren backed Stitt’s criticism of OSSAA over its treatment of open-transfer students.
Ray Carter | February 3, 2026 Democrats criticize Stitt’s final address, challenge his tax and education priorities Click the headline to read the full article at OCPA.  Law & Principles Stitt seeks to cap spending, expand school choice, rein in welfare costs
In his eighth and final State of the State address, Gov. Kevin Stitt urged lawmakers to lock in long-term fiscal restraint, expand educational freedom, and give voters the chance to curb runaway government.
Ray Carter | February 2, 2026 Stitt seeks to cap spending, expand school choice, rein in welfare costs 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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