OK PolicyCast
100 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 5 years ago - ★★★★★ - 7 ratingsThe official podcast of Oklahoma Policy Institute. Interviews and lively discussion of the most important issues affecting Oklahoma.
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Episodes
OK PolicyCast 50: The past and the future of OK Policy (with David Blatt and Kara Joy McKee)
July 09, 2019 14:00 - 48 minutes - 33 MBHello and welcome to episode 50 of the OK PolicyCast. This is also my last episode as a host of this podcast, because my last day at OK Policy was July 5th. With OK Policy's founder and long-time executive director David Blatt also passing the torch later this year, we decided to do something special for this episode. David and I sat down with former OK PolicyCast co-host, now Tulsa City Councilor, Kara Joy McKee, to talk about our memories from the last decade with OK Policy, how this org...
OKPolicyCast 49: Black Wall Street Times (with Nehemiah Frank)
June 04, 2019 17:10 - 27 minutes - 12.4 MBIn this episode I spoke to Nehemiah Frank. Nehemiah is the founder and executive editor of The Black Wall Street Times, an online newspaper that covers news relevant to the black community in Tulsa and social justice issues affecting all Tulsans and Oklahomans. If that wasn't enough, he's also a teacher at Sankofa Middle School of the Performing Arts in downtown Tulsa. We talked about the history of Black Wall Street, including some of the aspects of that history that haven't gotten as muc...
OKPolicyCast 48: Quick takes on the budget (with David Blatt and Paul Shinn)
May 21, 2019 16:55 - 27 minutes - 22.4 MBA state budget deal for fiscal year 2020 was revealed last Wednesday, and it's likely to receive final passage in the Legislature today. In most years, the budget is the single most important thing done by our lawmakers, and in the year to come, this budget will decide what Oklahoma invests to operate our schools, provide basic health care, maintain our roads, and so much more. To get more insight into the budget deal, I spoke with OK Policy's Executive Director David Blatt, as well as our...
OKPolicyCast 47: Homeless and a friend (with Tyler Parette)
May 07, 2019 15:09 - 25 minutes - 11.5 MBOur guest on this episode is Tyler Parette, the director of a unique homelessness outreach program in Tulsa with the City Lights Foundation. I wanted to talk with Tyler because he's got a really interesting perspective on dealing with some of the hardest problems in society of homelessness, addiction, and mental illness, not from the remove of a news article or policy paper, but dealing directly with the people affected. Tyler shares with us how powerful it is not just for people they are he...
OK PolicyCast 46: A sanctuary for immigrants and their families (with Linda Allegro)
April 23, 2019 16:14 - 28 minutes - 13.3 MBOur guest today is Linda Allegro, the Project Director of New Sanctuary Network Tulsa. This project was started as a collaboration between Tulsa religious leaders of different faiths and denominations, and it's goal is protect Tulsa residents and families threatened by wholesale deportation. Linda speaks eloquently about how current approaches to immigration enforcement are breaking apart families, hurting public safety, and wasting tax dollars. To learn more about the New Sanctuary Networ...
OK PolicyCast 45: The Campaign to Expand Health Coverage (with Angela Monson)
April 09, 2019 17:46 - 28 minutes - 13.2 MBIn this episode, I spoke with Angela Monson about the campaign to expand health coverage in Oklahoma. Angela has a lot of experience as an advocate and policymaker in Oklahoma. She served in the Legislature for 15 years, and during that time she was the first black woman to become president of the National Conference of State Legislatures. Monson has been involved with health care advocacy going back to the 1980s, and today, she is helping to bring together a coalition to push for bringing o...
OK PolicyCast 44: 2019 BIll Watch, Part 2
February 26, 2019 17:25 - 53 minutes - 24.3 MBIn our last episode, we heard from David Blatt and Carly Putnam about the big issues and bills we're following this year related to the state budget and health care. This episode brings you part 2 of that bill watch series, with criminal justice analyst Damion Shade, education analyst Rebecca Fine, and economic opportunity analyst Courtney Cullison. Links to read more: Bill Watch: Opportunities to make Oklahomans better off economically this session [OK Policy] Bill Watch: A wide rang...
OK PolicyCast 43: 2019 BIll Watch, Part 1
February 12, 2019 18:27 - 35 minutes - 24.4 MBIt's a new year, a new Legislature, a new governor, and many new bills that could have a big impact on Oklahomans' lives. In this episode, Gene Perry talks to OK Policy's Executive Director David Blatt and Policy Director Carly Putnam about the big issues we're keeping an eye on this year related to the state budget, taxes, and health. In a future episode, we'll talk about other bills we're tracking related to education, criminal justice, and economic opportunity. The OKPolicyCast is hoste...
OKPolicyCast 42: The 2018 OK Policy Holiday Gift Guide
December 11, 2018 16:34 - 1 hour - 28.5 MBThere are a lot of reasons why winter is our favorite time of year (Fewer tornadoes! Legislative session starts soon!). However, one big reason is that it's when we're most likely to give and be given books — always dear to a policy nerd's heart. It's also the time when we get to share them with you! In the latest episode of the OK PolicyCast, we discuss some of the books we've read and loved over the last year that we hope you'll consider picking up, whether it's to give them away or keep...
OKPolicyCast 41: Fair Wages and Overtime for State Workers (with Sterling Zearley)
November 13, 2018 18:14 - 24 minutes - 11.3 MBToday our guest is Sterling Zearley, who leads the Oklahoma Public Employees Association. OPEA represents thousands of state workers, including everyone from child welfare caseworkers to transportation engineers, corrections officers, mental health counselors, and more. In recent years in Oklahoma, teachers have gotten the most attention to their stagnant or falling pay and rising class sizes. Many state workers have faced very similar issues, as they try to do jobs that may be less visible ...
OKPolicyCast 40: In prison for what's now a misdemeanor (with Damion Shade and Colleen McCarty)
October 30, 2018 16:18 - 35 minutes - 24 MBIn 2016, Oklahomans voted to approve State Question 780 which changed simple drug possession crimes and low-level, non-violent property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. That law went into effect on July 1, 2017 and is already reshaping Oklahoma's justice system, with many fewer Oklahomans being charged with a felony and sent to prison for drug possession. Yet there are still thousands of Oklahomans serving long prison sentences or living with a felony record and all the serious conseq...
OKPolicyCast 39: Bad Voter, Good Voter (with David Glover)
October 12, 2018 20:55 - 28 minutes - 39 MBIn recent years, Oklahoma has seen some of the lowest voter turnout in the nation. Turnout was well below the nation in the 2012 and 2016 presidential races. In our last governor's race in 2014, Oklahoma had the fewest votes cast for governor going back to 1978. But that wasn't always true in Oklahoma. For decades before the 2010s, Oklahomans voted at rates near or above the national average. Then in June elections this year, Oklahomans showed up at unprecedented levels for a primary race....
OKPolicyCast 38: All The State Questions (with David Blatt and Carly Putnam)
October 02, 2018 18:17 - 41 minutes - 56.9 MBOn November 6, besides voting for a new governor and several other state offices, Oklahoma voters will decide five state questions on topics from optometry to school funding. To help you make informed choices on these state questions, OK Policy has already released fact sheets for each one with background information and a summary of arguments made by both supporters and opponents. To add to this resource, today I spoke with OK Policy's Executive Director David Blatt and our Policy Director ...
OKPolicyCast 37: Together Oklahoma (with Sabine Brown)
September 18, 2018 19:07 - 28 minutes - 23 MBIn this episode, I spoke with Sabine Brown, who is the outreach and advocacy coordinator for Oklahoma Policy Institute. Through that work, Sabine heads up Together Oklahoma, a grassroots coalition with chapters across the state of people joining with their neighbors to advocate for better public policy. We talked about how Sabine got into this work, and how many others have become members and leaders of Together Oklahoma without having a lot of prior experience working on state policy or adv...
OKPolicyCast 36: Back to School (with Rob Miller)
August 21, 2018 16:07 - 31 minutes - 14.6 MBThe OKPolicyCast is hosted by Gene Perry with production help from Jessica Vazquez. You can subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or RSS. The podcast theme music is by Zébre. If you have any questions for the OKPolicyCast, topics you’d like us to cover, or people you want us to interview, you can reach us at [email protected]. This month many kids and teachers are heading back to school in Oklahoma. Also this month, an increase in Oklahoma's teacher pay scale is ...
OKPolicyCast 35: A frank conversation about criminal justice
August 07, 2018 20:47 - 1 hour - 49.6 MBLast week, Oklahoma Policy Institute hosted our annual Summer Policy Institute for about 60 college students from all over Oklahoma. The 4-day event featured speakers and panels on a wide range of topics. For this episode of the OKPolicyCast, we're sharing the live recording of one of those panels — an interesting, frank, contentious discussion of Oklahoma's criminal justice system. If after listening to this you'd like to hear more from panelist Jill Webb, check out Episode 25 of the OKP...
Episode 34: No job? No doctor. (with Carly Putnam & Hannah Katch)
July 24, 2018 01:02 - 37 minutes - 17.4 MBThis year, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin and the state Legislature ordered the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, which runs Medicaid in Oklahoma, to come up with a plan to require Oklahoma adults on Medicaid to work at least 20 hours each week. If they don’t meet this requirement, or if they don’t do the paperwork to report their work or get an exemption in time, they will lose their Medicaid coverage and become uninsured. OK Policy’s Carly Putnam has been doing a lot of work on this issue, ...
Episode 33: Keith Gaddie on the forces shaking Oklahoma politics
July 10, 2018 00:23 - 30 minutes - 13.9 MBA couple weeks ago was one of the most interesting and unexpected elections in Oklahoma in a long time. From a big surge in turnout, strong approval of medical marijuana, and numerous incumbents either being forced into a runoff or voted out altogether, it's clear that something is changing in Oklahoma politics. What happened, what does it mean for the coming runoffs and general elections, and what will our state look like after it all shakes out? To better understand these questions, ...
Episode 32: Danielle Allen, from South Central Los Angeles to the Declaration of Independence
June 26, 2018 01:09 - 1 hour - 48.2 MBWe've got something really special for you today. In this conversation between author Danielle Allen and Tulsa civil rights attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons, they dig deep into how the inequalities of America — racial inequality, social inequality, economic inequality — play out not just in statistics and political debates, but in the personal dynamics of real individuals and families — as Danielle Allen puts it, in the "rending of kith and kin." It was a powerful, impactful conversation, ra...
Episode 31: Elizabeth Nichols on medical cannabis and SQ 788
June 12, 2018 15:04 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBFor this episode, we spoke with Elizabeth Nichols, an attorney who has worked extensively with the emerging cannabis industry in Oklahoma and nearby states. With Oklahomans voting in just two weeks on State Question 788 to legalize medical cannabis, Nichols shared her perspective on how the medical cannabis industry is developing in other states, what she sees as the best models for implementing medical cannabis in Oklahoma, and what she expects from the SQ 788 vote on June 26. You can sub...
Episode 30: DeVon Douglass on taking on Tulsa's toughest challenges
May 29, 2018 15:18 - 24 minutes - 19.2 MBWe spoke with DeVon Douglass, the Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Tulsa, about the work her team is doing to take on Tulsa's toughest challenges, from teen homelessness to deep inequities in housing, transportation, and education. Their recent Tulsa Equality Indicators report assesses many of the barriers to a good life and better opportunities for Tulsans — but DeVon's not only working to describe the problems. She tells us how the Tulsa city and community is gearing up to take on ...
Episode 29: What Just Happened
May 15, 2018 00:38 - 45 minutes - 21.1 MBThe OK PolicyCast is back! In this episode, we look at what just happened in one of the most tumultuous legislative years in Oklahoma history. Bailey Perkins speaks about what it was like being at the state Capitol before, during, and after the teacher walkout. Carly Putnam shares some major developments in health care policy. And Ryan Gentzler talks about this year's most important criminal justice legislation, both the good and the bad. You can subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google ...
Where to find us this week
April 28, 2017 15:45With so much going on at the Legislature, we weren't able to record a podcast this week. BUT you can hear a podcast with OK Policy Executive Director David Blatt and others in the Save Our State Coalition, who have presented a budget blueprint to fix Oklahoma's financial problems. Find it here or subscribe to the STANDcast by Stand for Children Oklahoma.
Episode 28: Mid-Session Update
April 11, 2017 16:28 - 28 minutes - 12.8 MBNow that we're just past the halfway point in the Legislative session, Kara Joy and Gene talk about which key bills are still alive, which are dead, and what's at play in negotiations over the state budget. To find out how you can take action on bills during the rest of session, see OK Policy's Advocacy Alerts page, and to join efforts for a better Oklahoma state budget, visit Together Oklahoma.
Episode 27: So You Want To Effect Change
March 28, 2017 14:33 - 23 minutes - 10.9 MBToday on the OK PolicyCast, we speak with Shay White, a social worker and advocate with Together Oklahoma and ACTION. She spoke to us about what motivated her to get involved with policy change, what keeps her going, and "that one thing that gets us up every morning." If you have any questions for the OK PolicyCast, topics you'd like us to cover, or people you want us to interview, you can reach us at [email protected]. Extra links: Together Oklahoma ACTION Tulsa VOICE OKC
Episode 26: The GOP Health Plan
March 14, 2017 15:37 - 30 minutes - 14.1 MBWe speak with OK Policy health care analyst Carly Putnam about the new plan from the House GOP to replace the Affordable Care Act. We talk about how the bill does and doesn't change the Affordable Care Act, what chance it has to pass, and how it could affect Oklahomans' health care. Extra Links: House Tax Credits Would Make Health Insurance Far Less Affordable in High-Cost States (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)
Episode 25: How the criminal justice system really works
February 24, 2017 21:57 - 34 minutes - 15.9 MBOn this episode we speak with Jill Webb, an attorney with the Tulsa County Public Defender's office. She gives us a tour of how the real criminal justice system is different from popular ideas about police and the courts, embodied by shows like Law and Order. Extra links: Where Americans are sent to prison most (New York Times) The Cost Trap: How Excessive Fees Lock Oklahomans Into the Criminal Justice System without Boosting State Revenue: Executive Summary (OK Policy)
Episode 24: All about the revenues
February 12, 2017 23:25 - 48 minutes - 22.1 MBThe OK PolicyCast is back! Governor Fallin surprised many observer of Oklahoma politics by calling for dramatic revenue increases and major tax reforms in her State of the State address. In this podcast, we discuss the Governor's ideas, what's most likely to make it through the Legislature, and what other ideas Oklahoma Policy Institute has put forward to fix our state's budget hole. Extra links: Governor Fallin's Executive Budget proposal - https://www.ok.gov/OSF/documents/bud18.pdf ...
OK PolicyCast Episode 23: Do we have the blueprint for ending poverty?
November 30, 2015 19:52 - 20.2 MBThis October, Stanford University's Dr. David Grusky visited Oklahoma for a talk at the University of Tulsa. Dr. Grusky's books include Social Stratification, Occupy the Future, The New Gilded Age, The Great Recession, The Inequality Reader, and The Inequality Puzzle. His presentation at TU was titled, "A Blueprint for Ending Poverty... Permanently." Dr. Grusky also spent some time with OK Policy's staff discussing how the research on poverty and inequality is inspiring an ambitious new effo...
OK PolicyCast Episode 22: Predatory payday lending in Oklahoma
February 27, 2015 18:50 - 19 minutes - 26.5 MBThis week we speak with Kate Richey of OK Policy and the Oklahoma Assets Network on her research into payday lending in Oklahoma and how it can trap families in a vicious cycle of debt. On Wednesday, March 4 there will be a Town Hall Forum on predatory lending in Oklahoma. A local panel of experts will discuss how payday lenders target military families, older Oklahomans, single parent households, and other vulnerable communities and demographics. Click here for more information and to RSVP.
OK PolicyCast Episode 21: An Economic Check-Up for Oklahoma
February 20, 2015 17:15 - 1 hour - 113 MBThis week we share a panel discussion from OK Policy's 2015 State Budget Summit. In recent years Oklahoma has seen among the lowest unemployment and highest personal income growth in the nation. At the same time, there's evidence that is rising tide is not lifting all boats. Oklahomans continue to struggle with relatively high levels of poverty, low educational attainment, and falling behind on many measures of quality of life. In this informative and wide-ranging discussion, panelists Shel...
OK PolicyCast Episode 20: A final push for health insurance | Takeaways from Governor Fallin's budget
February 06, 2015 23:40 - 28 minutes - 39.8 MBThis week we talk with Affordable Care Act Navigator Donna Orban on what's being done to get Oklahomans signed up for health insurance during this year's Affordable Care Act enrollment period. We also speak with OK Policy Executive Director David Blatt, who shares some takeaways from Governor Fallin's new budget proposal.
OK PolicyCast Episode 19: Who pays taxes in Oklahoma?
January 16, 2015 20:56 - 22 minutes - 30.7 MBThis week we talk about about a new study on who really pays the highest rates of state and local taxes in Oklahoma, and why it’s not what many people think.
OK PolicyCast Episode 18: An 'emergency room' for legal assistance
January 09, 2015 22:37 - 22 minutes - 31.5 MBEach week the OK PolicyCast brings you the most important news about Oklahoma and what it means. This week, we speak with April Merrill, an attorney with Legal Aid Oklahoma, a non-profit organization that provides free civil legal assistance to low-income Oklahomans throughout the state. She'll tell us about what it's like serving as part of Oklahoma's "emergency room" for legal assistance.
OK PolicyCast Episode 17: Tax Cut Trigger and a Bad News Budget
December 19, 2014 22:33 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBEach week the OK PolicyCast brings you the most important news about Oklahoma and what it means. This week, we speak with OK Policy Executive Director David Blatt about the latest predictions for Oklahoma's state budget, a tax cut that was triggered from 2016, and what it all means for regular Oklahomans. Also in this episode, we share the headlines, some recommended reading, and our closing good news of the week.
OK PolicyCast Episode 16: Who's keeping working-class Americans out of office?
December 12, 2014 21:00 - 33 minutes - 45.9 MBEach week the OK PolicyCast brings you the most important news about Oklahoma and what it means. In this episode, we share some clips from the keynote speaker at OK Policy’s annual Summer Policy Institute. Nick Carnes, a professor at Duke University and graduate of the University of Tulsa, spoke about his research on what’s keeping working class Americans out of public office. Dr. Carnes is the author of, “White-Collar Government: The Hidden Role of Class in Economic Policy Making”.
OK PolicyCast Episode 15: Oklahoma's Racial Wealth Gap
December 05, 2014 21:24 - 23 minutes - 31.9 MBEach week, the OK PolicyCast brings you the most important news about Oklahoma and what it means. In this episode, we talk with Kate Richey about what's created the huge wealth gap between whites and people of color in Oklahoma.
OK PolicyCast Episode 14: Do you know where your electricity comes from?
November 14, 2014 19:56 - 33 minutes - 45.3 MBThis week, we’ll share a clip from OK Policy’s Summer Policy Institute last August. The Oklahoma Sustainability Network’s Montelle Clarke gave a balanced, informative talk on the pros and cons of Oklahoma’s various energy sources - including coal, natural gas, geothermal, and wind energy.
OK PolicyCast Episode 13: Analyzing the Elections
November 07, 2014 17:49 - 23 minutes - 31.6 MBEach week the OK PolicyCast brings you the most important news affecting Oklahoma and what it means. This week, we speak with David Blatt about what this week's elections mean for Oklahoma and the nation. We also share some non-election related news for the week.
OK PolicyCast: Episode 12
October 24, 2014 21:36 - 23 minutes - 32.3 MBEach week the OK PolicyCast brings you the most important news affecting Oklahoma and what it means. This week, we'll discuss a new OK Policy report on the track record of the Medicaid expansion in other states, along with headlines, numbers of the day, and more.
OK PolicyCast: Episode 11
October 10, 2014 19:23 - 18 minutes - 25.1 MBThe OK PolicyCast discusses the most important news in Oklahoma and what it means. This week, we’ll speak with Carly Putnam about economic opportunities for women in Oklahoma, and what we can do to make it easier for women to get ahead. Also this week's headlines, numbers of the weeks, and more!
OK PolicyCast: Episode 10
October 03, 2014 20:14 - 24 minutes - 33.4 MBThe OK PolicyCast brings you the most important news in Oklahoma, and what it means. This week we talk with David Blatt about the state of Oklahoma's democracy. It's election season, but a whole lot of Oklahomans aren't voting or participating in any way in choosing who will take office. What's holding us back? We also share the top headlines, numbers of the week, and more.
OK PolicyCast: Episode 9
September 26, 2014 21:11 - 32 minutes - 44.5 MBThis week we discuss the growing crisis in Oklahoma's prisons and signs that state leaders might actually do something about it; yet another controversy around state Superintendent Barresi; how the Oklahoma governor's race is heating up on the airwaves; & more...
OK PolicyCast: Episode 8
September 19, 2014 19:58 - 18 minutes - 25.3 MBThis week we discuss new Census data that shows what's happening with poverty in Oklahoma; controversy over special needs students and newly released A-F grades for schools; how Oklahoma's doing on the health of our people and the health of our democracy; & more...
OK PolicyCast: Episode 7
September 12, 2014 21:05 - 20 minutes - 28.8 MBIn this week's OK PolicyCast, we talk about a new event series aimed at growing citizen involvement across Oklahoma. We also discuss controversy over militarized police in Oklahoma, and a private firm that has been training police officers to seize cash from drivers at highway stops, even though they have not been charged with a crime. We also talk about a push to increase the tipped minimum wage for Oklahoma service workers, a new study on wage theft, and how rising court fees are feeding ...
OK PolicyCast: Episode 6
September 05, 2014 18:18 - 24 minutes - 33.3 MBEach week we bring you the most important news affecting Oklahoma, and what it means. This week, we discuss a couple of lawsuits before the Oklahoma Supreme Court that could dramatically change tax politics in the state. We also talk about controversies over tax incentives for private businesses, a new campaign by the mayors of OKC and Tulsa to reduce their cities' dependency on sales tax, a state lawmaker's comments that has Oklahoma Muslims upset, key numbers of the week, & more.
OK PolicyCast: Episode 5
August 29, 2014 20:14 - 30 minutes - 41.8 MBWe're back from vacation, rested and ready to share the most important Oklahoma news and analysis. This week, we discuss a recent book by journalist Amanda Ripley, "The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got that Way." The book looks at what countries with the highest performing education systems are doing right, and Oklahoma plays a prominent role in the story. We also talk about the loss of Oklahoma's No Child Left Behind waiver, new details on the investigation of a botched execution...
OK PolicyCast: Episode 4
August 15, 2014 19:26 - 24 minutes - 33.6 MBToday's episode shares highlights from the education panel at the 2014 Summer Policy Institute. Guests include Jenks Principal Rob Miller, Sapulpa Superintendent Kevin Burr, Booker T. Washington high school teacer Dr. Anthony Marshall, and OU professor and education researcher Dr. Curt Adams.
In The Know: July 11, 2014
July 11, 2014 13:49 - 5 minutes - 6.9 MBAnother 5,000 unaccompanied immigrant children may be placed at U.S. military bases; Joe Dorman releases education funding plan; OSU researchers awarded grant from NASA; & more...
In The Know: July 10, 2014
July 10, 2014 14:32 - 4 minutes - 6.6 MBOklahoma City sees surge in low-wage jobs; Oklahoma treasurer points out state fiscal pitfalls; Senate interim study to look at raising speed limit on the Turner Turnpike; & more...