Oklahoma was once ranked among the worst states in the nation when it came to the financial stability of our state pensions . That meant many state workers, including teachers , were at risk of reaching retirement without sufficient income.

Fortunately, reforms that took full effect roughly a decade ago have now made Oklahoma a national model for other states.

Oklahoma lawmakers wisely voted in 2011 to end the bankrupting practice of lawmakers granting unfunded benefit increases. Then in 2014 lawmakers prudently voted to place all new state government hires into a 401(k)-style “defined contribution” plan called Pathfinder rather than the “defined benefit” plans that generated so much financial strain.

Over time, those reforms completely changed the trajectory of state finance

See Full Page