Budget Briefing: Unchanged Poverty and Oklahoma’s ‘Uneven Recovery’

Census Shows Poverty Level Stable in Oklahoma – “‘The fact that poverty basically stayed the same even though the overall economy is improving shows that we are looking at a very uneven recovery,’ said Gene Perry, policy analyst for the Oklahoma Policy Institute, a Tulsa-based think tank.” Tulsa World

Oklahoma Ambulance Providers, Legislators Explore Funding Options – “EMS providers said at least 40 ambulance services – many in rural areas – have closed in recent years as revenue has declined and expenses have risen. An aging population and low population density makes it hard for ambulance services to recover their costs when they respond to a call, they said.” Associated Press

Inhofe Introduces Food Stamp Act – “‘My bill will take the food stamp program out from under federal government control, placing the responsibility of future food stamp programs at the state level where it belongs,’ Inhofe said.” The Norman Transcript

Republican State AGs Resisting Cooperation With CFPB – “Pruitt of Oklahoma has spearheaded the work among attorneys general on challenging the constitutionality of Dodd-Frank, according to the person briefed on the lawsuit. “ Businessweek

State Awaits Word on FEMA Appeal – “hough Oklahoma is well-known for its natural disasters – namely wildfires, tornadoes and ever-frequent ice storms – getting federal assistance to help with disaster recovery isn’t always easy.” The Journal Record