Category Archives: State

OK: 49th Least Financially Literate

By David Arnett

Financial literacy can help people weather the difficulties of economy and be prepared for temporary economic downturns and periods of great growth.

But what are we doing to help future generations build prosperity? Not enough, it would seem from a recent report by WalletHub. For example, we ended 2025 with nearly $1.39 trillion in total credit card debt, and nearly 2 in 5 Americans say they will have more credit card debt by the end of 2026. Of states, Oklahoma appears at the bottom of the states list, the forty-ninth least financially literate.

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Tax Burden by State: OK 41st

By WalletHub

Each April, Uncle Sam claims a portion of the previous year’s earnings. Because the tax code is so complex, it can be difficult for the average person to understand exactly how they’re affected. One helpful measure that simplifies things is the “tax burden.” Unlike tax rates, which can differ significantly depending on an individual’s situation, tax burden looks at the share of total personal income that residents pay in state and local taxes. This burden isn’t the same across the United States.

“It’s easy to be dismayed at tax time when you see just how much of your income you lose. Living in a state with a low tax burden can alleviate some of that stress. Some states charge no income tax or no sales tax, although all states have some form of property taxes and excise taxes,” said Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

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It Works for Seniors and Families

By Pam Pollard

Politics has been part of my life for a long time now. I’ve worked on campaigns, balanced budgets, and watched Washington debate programs line by line, year after year. Experience has taught me that policy decisions rarely stay in Washington. They show up in people’s homes, in their routines, and in the way that families manage everyday life. That’s especially true when it comes to health care.

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New Synthetic Opioid Extreme

By David Arnett

OSU Medicine has issued a media advisory on a new emerging synthetic opioid known as Cychlorphine that is causing alarm among health and law enforcement officials across Oklahoma, with experts warning of its extreme potency and growing presence in the illicit drug supply.

According to the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, Cychlorphine has already been identified in the state and linked to at least one fatal overdose. The drug may be significantly more potent than fentanyl and, in some cases, more difficult to reverse with standard overdose treatments.

“Cychlorphine represents a dangerous shift in the opioid crisis,” said Dr. Rachel Wirginis, board-certified addiction medicine and family medicine physician at the OSU Addiction Recovery Clinic in Tulsa, and associate program director of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program at OSU Center for Health Sciences. “We are seeing increasingly powerful synthetic opioids that require rapid recognition and aggressive intervention to prevent fatal outcomes.”

Dr. Rachel Wirginis, DO
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School Board Stipend Increase: No Joke!

By David Arnett

Is it an Oklahoma thing to give more money to criminals, shelter them from responsibility, then re-elect them?

Opinion: Questions came to mind yesterday with the arrival of notice that the Oklahoma Senate approved a bill by Tulsa’s Sen. Regina Goodwin to update the stipend school districts may provide to board members for attending board meetings.

Only the largest school districts pay stipends as most school board members in Oklahoma serve for the benefit of their community’s children. The state’s two largest districts, Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) and Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) do pay and such payment don’t much improve local education. Together both districts draw our national education rankings down the drain and both have failed audits by the Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector office. They fail to teach or account.

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