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In The Know is a daily synopsis of Oklahoma policy-related news and blogs. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.
A two-month amnesty period for overdue state taxes was proposed in an Oklahoma House committee meeting as a way to help close a $611 million budget hole. New plans have been unveiled in the Legislature to finish the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum in Oklahoma City and build an OKPOP museum in Tulsa. A lawsuit by former state Rep. Mike Reynolds claims that Oklahoma’s last three state budget bills are unconstitutional because they also contain transfers.
The Oklahoman editorial board argued against a proposal that’s emerged in the Legislature to fund teacher pay raises by raiding teacher retirement funds. KOSU examined what’s behind the large teacher shortage in Oklahoma public schools. Oklahoma’s prekindergarten enrollment continues to be among the highest in the nation, according to a study released Monday. You can see the full study here and the Oklahoma fact sheet here.
OK Policy launched a complete redesign of our website that will be more accessible on mobile devices. Gov. Mary Fallin has vetoed legislation that would prohibit private entities from banning firearms in parks, recreational areas or fairgrounds. An Oklahoma man faces a possible life sentence for selling less than an ounce of marijuana. An op-ed by former Congressman J.C. Watts argues that the tide is turning toward criminal justice reform in Oklahoma.
Sen. Kyle Loveless has filed a bill aimed at restricting civil asset forfeitures, which allow law enforcement to seize cash, vehicles and other property without any charges being filed. The OK Policy has examined this controversial practice of policing for profit in Oklahoma. The Tulsa County Sheriff’s spokesman has been placed on paid leave pending a performance evaluation. The spokesman Maj. Shannon Clark had denied the existence of a 2009 memo detailing concerns about the training of a volunteer deputy who killed a restrained suspect, but the memo was later released. The Frontier examined how the story from the sheriff’s office has changed numerous times.
Attorneys contesting Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co.’s request to hike electricity rates said the company is asking ratepayers to take on too much of the risk for a $1 billion environmental compliance and replacement generation plan. The Oklahoma Corporation Commission said an initial effort to reduce the risks from man-made earthquake activity has led to more than half of the wastewater disposal wells being shut down or volumes reduced in the Arbuckle formation. The Tulsa County Health Department is ramping up mosquito control efforts and testing for diseases like West Nile following heavy rains in Oklahoma.
The Number of the Day is $3,671 – the 2014 state spending per child enrolled in pre-K in Oklahoma, down nearly 25 percent from 2010. In today’s Policy Note, Governing finds that for all the pushback against the Common Core educational standards, more than 40 states are still on board.
In The News
Tax amnesty proposed to help offset budget shortfall
A two-month amnesty period for overdue state taxes was proposed in an Oklahoma House of Representatives committee meeting Monday as a way to help close a $611 million drop in general revenue for the coming budget year. House Bill 2236 essentially replays a 2008 law that waived penalties and interest for most delinquent taxes paid during a two-month period in the fall. Oklahoma Tax Commission Executive Director Tony Mastin said that effort brought in about $120 million, with some cases going back more than 40 years.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Lawmakers try again to complete Indian cultural center, OKPOP museum
Lawmakers may vote as soon as Monday on paying to finish the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum in Oklahoma City. But rather than simply borrow $40 million to finish a museum honoring Oklahoma’s 39 tribes, legislators have been told to expect a second proposal associated with it. Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, said that one borrows $25 million to build a tribute in Tulsa to the influence of Oklahoma artists on popular culture.
Read more from the Muskogee Phoenix.
Ex-Oklahoma lawmaker challenges general appropriations bills
Oklahoma’s last three general appropriations bills are unconstitutional because they also contain transfers, according to a lawsuit filed by Oklahoma City attorneys Jerry Fent and Ted Pool, with former State Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, as the plaintiff. Fent and Pool on Friday filed suit against Gov. Mary Fallin, State Treasurer Ken Miller, Finance Secretary Preston Doerflinger and others. Reynolds is seeking damages, attorney fees and/or return of all unconstitutional and unlawful money handled in each of the three general appropriations bills.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Raiding Oklahoma teacher pensions would be a bad idea
Oklahoma lawmakers are entering the final weeks of a legislative session in which they face a $611 million shortfall but still want to spend new money on politically popular proposals. So it’s not surprising the resulting tension is generating some poorly conceived plans. One idea that appears especially short-sighted would fund teacher pay raises by raiding teacher retirement funds.
Why are there 1,000 unfilled teaching jobs in Oklahoma?
As the school year winds down, administrators are ramping up their search for next year’s teachers. But that search is tougher and more competitive than normal. The state is currently in need of 1,000 teachers, according to State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister. But there’s a shallow pool of applicants. Emily Wendler reports on what’s causing the teacher shortage, what schools are doing to fill in the gaps, and how it’s affecting kids.
Oklahoma’s early education enrollment numbers rank near top in national report
Oklahoma’s prekindergarten enrollment continues to be among the highest in the nation, according to a study released Monday. The National Institute for Early Education Research conducted the annual review, which found that Oklahoma served 76 percent of 4-year-olds during the 2013-14 school year, compared to 29 percent nationally. Only the District of Columbia (98.6 percent), Vermont (90.6) and Florida (79.5) ranked higher.
See also: The State of Preschool 2014 and Oklahoma fact sheet from the National Institute for Early Education Research
Introducing the new okpolicy.org
We’ve redesigned the website from the bottom up to make it more beautiful and accessible. A growing percentage of visitors to okpolicy.org are arriving on mobile phones or tablets, so a big priority for our redesign is to provide a much better experience across devices. The new site has a responsive layout for easy reading and navigation, whether you’re holding a phone, tablet, or a mouse.
Read more from the OK Policy Blog.
Gov. Fallin vetoes firearms legislation opposed by Oklahoma City Chamber
Gov. Mary Fallin has vetoed legislation opposed by the Oklahoma City Chamber that would prohibit private entities from banning firearms in parks, recreational areas or fairgrounds. Fallin vetoed the bill Monday after chamber officials expressed concern that it could threaten dozens of Oklahoma City events, including horse shows, basketball tournaments and the Women’s College World Series.
Read more from the Associated Press.
Oklahoma man faces life in prison for less than an ounce of marijuana
An Oklahoma man faces a possible life sentence after he allegedly sold 4 grams of marijuana to a pair of confidential informants working with police in the city of Enid, an hour and a half drive north of Oklahoma City. He has three prior felony convictions, including failure to register as a sex offender. Because of his rap sheet, he faces 12 years to life in prison — a stunning sentence for an amount of marijuana that would have been legal in Colorado, which shares a border with Oklahoma.
J.C. Watts: Tide is turning toward criminal justice reform
Oklahoma has much to take pride in. In the case of incarceration, however, the Sooner State falls toward the bottom of the heap. With the third-highest incarceration rate in the nation, Oklahoma taxpayers foot a prison tab that surpasses $450 million each year. Worse yet, the state’s tremendous investment in incarceration has had no discernable impact on public safety.
Sen. Kyle Loveless presses to ensure due process in asset forfeiture cases
Sen. Kyle Loveless, R-Oklahoma City, has filed the “Personal Asset Protection Act,” Senate Bill 838, aimed at restricting the legal practice known as civil asset forfeiture. The process allows the government to seize cash, vehicles and other property used or gained from the commission of a crime without any charges being filed.
See also: Policing for profit in Oklahoma from the OK Policy Blog
Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Placed on Leave
Sheriff Stanley Glanz announced in a statement that the agency’s spokesman Maj. Shannon Clark is on administrative leave, with pay, pending a performance evaluation. In April, Clark denied the existence of a 2009 memo in which employees detailed concerns about the training of a volunteer deputy who this year fatally shot a restrained man. The memo was later released by an attorney representing the Harris’ family.
Read more from the New York Times.
See also: Tangled truths from Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office from The Frontier
OG&E, intervening parties spar over wisdom of $1 billion environmental case
Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. is asking its ratepayers to take on too much of the risk in its $1 billion environmental compliance and replacement generation plan, attorneys for several parties said in closing arguments Wednesday at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. But the utility said its plan was in the public interest and has protections for ratepayers from the high costs stemming from compliance with federal emissions rules.
Half of disposal wells targeted by Oklahoma regulators over earthquake risks have lowered depths or volumes, Corporation Commission says
An initial effort to reduce the risks from man-made earthquake activity by Oklahoma regulators has led to more than half of the wastewater disposal wells being shut down or volumes reduced in the Arbuckle formation, the Corporation Commission said Monday. The announcement came as a coalition of concerned residents and environmentalists delivered petitions to Gov. Mary Fallin at the Capitol asking for a moratorium on high-volume disposal wells in 16 Oklahoma counties.
Health Department ramps up mosquito control efforts
Rain, rain and more rain means most of northeast Oklahoma is having a wet spring. While the rain is great for drought conditions, it is creating a perfect environment for mosquitoes. The Tulsa County Health Department is gearing up and takes mosquito season seriously. The department is testing for diseases like West Nile. They have set up 50 traps across Tulsa County then wait, picking up the traps a week later.
Quote of the Day
“Imagine if you have a classroom full of first graders, where they need to be learning the fundamentals of reading, and yet they don’t have someone there who knows where they started when the year began.”
-State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, who said Oklahoma is losing hundreds of teachers due to low teacher pay and disruptive policies by the Legislature (Source)
Number of the Day
$3,671
2014 state spending per child enrolled in pre-K in Oklahoma, down from $4,885 in 2010.
Source: National Institute for Early Education Research
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
Common Core critics are loud but losing
Common Core has become a toxic brand, the most contentious issue on the education landscape, reviled by partisans at both ends of the political spectrum. That doesn’t mean it’s going away. For all the pushback against the Common Core — a set of standards that outline the content and skills students are expected to master at each grade level — more than 40 states are still on board.
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