For the first time in more than a year and a half, monthly state tax receipts grew in January as Oklahoma's economy emerged from recession, state Treasurer Ken Miller said Wednesday.

"Low prices and curtailed production in the oil field led us into the latest downturn, and it appears rising prices and production are leading us out," Miller said Wednesday.

"Several data points — rising state GDP, rig counts, business conditions, and employment — give reason for cautious optimism."

Last month, tax receipts to the Oklahoma treasury expanded by $5.1 million, or 0.5 percent, compared to January 2016. This is the first such increase in 20 months. Tax collections from oil and gas production drove the improvement.