OK PolicyCast

OK PolicyCast episodes:

• 07.09.2019

  OK PolicyCast 50: The past and the future of OK Policy (with David Blatt and Kara Joy McKee)

  Hello 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...

  
• 06.04.2019

  OKPolicyCast 49: Black Wall Street Times (with Nehemiah Frank)

  In 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...

  
• 05.21.2019

  OKPolicyCast 48: Quick takes on the budget (with David Blatt and Paul Shinn)

  A 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...

  
• 05.07.2019

  OKPolicyCast 47: Homeless and a friend (with Tyler Parette)

  Our 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...

  
• 04.23.2019

  OK PolicyCast 46: A sanctuary for immigrants and their families (with Linda Allegro)

  Our 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...

  
• 04.09.2019

  OK PolicyCast 45: The Campaign to Expand Health Coverage (with Angela Monson)

  In 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...

  
• 02.26.2019

  OK PolicyCast 44: 2019 BIll Watch, Part 2

  In 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...

  
• 02.12.2019

  OK PolicyCast 43: 2019 BIll Watch, Part 1

  It'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...

  
• 12.11.2018

  OKPolicyCast 42: The 2018 OK Policy Holiday Gift Guide

  There 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...

  
• 11.13.2018

  OKPolicyCast 41: Fair Wages and Overtime for State Workers (with Sterling Zearley)

  Today 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,...

  
• 10.30.2018

  OKPolicyCast 40: In prison for what's now a misdemeanor (with Damion Shade and Colleen McCarty)

  In 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,...

  
• 10.12.2018

  OKPolicyCast 39: Bad Voter, Good Voter (with David Glover)

  In 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...

  
• 10.02.2018

  OKPolicyCast 38: All The State Questions (with David Blatt and Carly Putnam)

  On 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...

  
• 09.18.2018

  OKPolicyCast 37: Together Oklahoma (with Sabine Brown)

  In 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...

  
• 08.21.2018

  OKPolicyCast 36: Back to School (with Rob Miller)

  The 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...

  
• 08.07.2018

  OKPolicyCast 35: A frank conversation about criminal justice

  Last 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...

  
• 07.24.2018

  Episode 34: No job? No doctor. (with Carly Putnam & Hannah Katch)

  This 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...

  
• 07.10.2018

  Episode 33: Keith Gaddie on the forces shaking Oklahoma politics

    A 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...

  
• 06.26.2018

  Episode 32: Danielle Allen, from South Central Los Angeles to the Declaration of Independence

  We'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...

  
• 06.12.2018

  Episode 31: Elizabeth Nichols on medical cannabis and SQ 788

  For 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...

  
• 05.29.2018

  Episode 30: DeVon Douglass on taking on Tulsa's toughest challenges

  We 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...

  
• 05.15.2018

  Episode 29: What Just Happened

  The 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,...

  
• 04.11.2017

  Episode 28: Mid-Session Update

  Now 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...

  
• 03.28.2017

  Episode 27: So You Want To Effect Change

  Today 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...

  
• 03.14.2017

  Episode 26: The GOP Health Plan

  We 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...

  
• 02.24.2017

  Episode 25: How the criminal justice system really works

  On 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...

  
• 02.12.2017

  Episode 24: All about the revenues

  The 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...

  
• 11.30.2015

  OK PolicyCast Episode 23: Do we have the blueprint for ending poverty?

  This 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...

  
• 02.27.2015

  OK PolicyCast Episode 22: Predatory payday lending in Oklahoma

  This 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...

  
• 02.20.2015

  OK PolicyCast Episode 21: An Economic Check-Up for Oklahoma

  This 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...

  
• 02.06.2015

  OK PolicyCast Episode 20: A final push for health insurance | Takeaways from Governor Fallin's budget

  This 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...

  
• 01.16.2015

  OK PolicyCast Episode 19: Who pays taxes in Oklahoma?

  This 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.

  
• 01.09.2015

  OK PolicyCast Episode 18: An 'emergency room' for legal assistance

  Each 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...

  
• 12.19.2014

  OK PolicyCast Episode 17: Tax Cut Trigger and a Bad News Budget

  Each 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...

  
• 12.12.2014

  OK PolicyCast Episode 16: Who's keeping working-class Americans out of office?

  Each 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...

  
• 12.05.2014

  OK PolicyCast Episode 15: Oklahoma's Racial Wealth Gap

  Each 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.

  
• 11.14.2014

  OK PolicyCast Episode 14: Do you know where your electricity comes from?

  This 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,...

  
• 11.07.2014

  OK PolicyCast Episode 13: Analyzing the Elections

  Each 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...

  
• 10.24.2014

  OK PolicyCast: Episode 12

  Each 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,...

  
• 10.10.2014

  OK PolicyCast: Episode 11

  The 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...

  
• 10.03.2014

  OK PolicyCast: Episode 10

  The 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...

  
• 09.26.2014

  OK PolicyCast: Episode 9

  This 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...

  
• 09.19.2014

  OK PolicyCast: Episode 8

  This 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;...

  
• 09.12.2014

  OK PolicyCast: Episode 7

  In 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...

  
• 09.05.2014

  OK PolicyCast: Episode 6

  Each 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...

  
• 08.29.2014

  OK PolicyCast: Episode 5

  We'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...

  
• 08.15.2014

  OK PolicyCast: Episode 4

  Today'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....

  
• 07.11.2014

  In The Know: July 11, 2014

  Another 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...

  
• 07.10.2014

  In The Know: July 10, 2014

  Oklahoma 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...

  
• 07.09.2014

  In The Know: July 9, 2014

  Full Supreme Court to hear Common Core challenge; Lawmakers move money out of uncompensated trauma care fund; Oklahoma spends least in nation on prisoner health care; & more...