Earlier this year, we explored the question of what does and does not fall under the supermajority provisions of SQ 640. In these final days of the legislative session, this question has assumed renewed relevance with the introduction and passage of HB 2437, which levies a 1 percent asssessment on health insurance claims and which opponents argue falls under the Constititional definition of a revenue raising bill. Our blog post, which we’re reposting verbatim, can’t provide any definitive answers, but may at least help clarify the questions. 

With Oklahoma facing a gaping budget hole for the upcoming fiscal year of anywhere from $850 million to $1.6 billion,  depending on one’s calculations, the search for new revenues to fill the gap and avoid devastating cuts to services has assumed real urgency. The Governor in his FY ’11 Executive budget proposed a long laundry list of revenue enhancing proposals that were estimated to generate over $700 million in additional revenue for FY ’11. His proposals ranged from appropriating unused balances in agency revolving funds and issuing bonds to raising fees, eliminating tax credits, and collecting taxes on online purchases.

But what about SQ 640? Few discussions of revenue options in Oklahoma get very far before being met with: “But what about SQ 640″?. Last week, for example, House Democrats tried unsuccessfully to argue that a bill containing a fee increase should be ruled out of order due to SQ 640. But while the specter of SQ 640 casts a giant shadow over policy discussions, its actual scope is not always well understood. Read the rest of this entry »

From time to time we publish guest blog posts that help illuminate a policy issue or advance the discussion of public policy in Oklahoma (see our guest blog guidelines). This post was written by Laura Dempsey-Polan of Life Senior Services, a Tulsa senior service care provider. Laura may be reached at (918) 664-9000 X267 or LDPolan@LIFEseniorservices.org. The opinions stated below are not necessarily the opinions of OK Policy, its staff, or its board. This blog is a venue to help promote the discussion of ideas from a variety of different points of view.

Oklahomans and their families prefer in-home supports over institutionalization and we know these supports offer marked savings with much better outcomes. Over two decades, Oklahoma developed five in-home support Medicaid programs (i.e., 1915C Waivers) now serving 31,000 eligible citizens, and 2 more are in the works. Yet, in-home programs are increasingly squeezed by nearly eight years of stagnant reimbursement. Read the rest of this entry »