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What’s up this week at Oklahoma Policy Institute? The Weekly Wonk shares our most recent publications and other resources to help you stay informed about Oklahoma. Numbers of the Day and Policy Notes are from our daily news briefing, In The Know. Click here to subscribe to In The Know.
This Week from OK Policy
Summer Intern Leslie Briggs advocated for bail reform as a solution to over crowded jails – about 80% of Oklahoma County jail inmates haven’t yet been convicted of a crime, but can’t afford bail to get out of jail while they await trial. Executive Director David Blatt walked us through some of the options that might be taken up in special legislative session to fix the budget hole created by the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s finding that the $1.50 per pack cigarette fee is unconstitutional.
In his Journal Record column, Blatt implores the legislature to make good use of this second shot at the state budget and to avoid repeating the mistakes of the regular session. Steve Lewis’s Capitol Update echoes that theme, encouraging lawmakers to avoid political gamesmanship and engage in real statesmanship to fix our budget crisis.
OK Policy in the News
Blatt was a guest on Studio Tulsa to discuss the legislature’s options for filling the budget hole that was created by the striking down of the cigarette fee – you can listen to the entire episode here. Policy Director Gene Perry spoke with The Oklahoman and the Red Dirt Report about the state of education funding in light of the petition drive in Oklahoma City proposing a temporary city income tax to raise money for teacher stipends.
Weekly What’s That
Oklahoma Health Care Authority
The Oklahoma Health Care Authority is a state government agency responsible for administering the state’s Medicaid program. OHCA’s mission is to “responsibly purchase state and federally-funded health care in the most efficient and comprehensive manner possible; to analyze and recommend strategies for optimizing the accessibility and quality of health care; and, to cultivate relationships to improve the health outcomes of Oklahomans.”
Look up more key terms to understand Oklahoma politics and government here.
Quote of the Week
“They can fix the ill-conceived revenue measures that have been struck down or will be struck down by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. They can raise revenue. They can make our children a priority and fund education properly. Then and only then will our efforts cease.”
– Oklahoma City Public Schools board member Mark Mann, at a press conference on Thursday announcing the district’s threat to sue the state Legislature over education funding (Source)
Editorial of the Week
Arnold Hamilton, Journal Record
Crafting an entire state budget is undoubtedly a complex process. Fixing the mess the Oklahoma Legislature created this spring is not. You might think otherwise, given leadership’s handwringing in the week since the state Supreme Court’s cigarette tax ruling blew the 2017-18 spending blueprint $215 million out of balance. Here’s the reality: All it would take is one legislative action to more-than-plug the hole and set state government on a smarter, more sustainable fiscal course. Best of all, it could be done in a day, costing taxpayers only $30,000 rather than a half-million dollars or more if a special session drags out over an entire month. The fix: Return the gross production tax to 7 percent. Period. No exceptions. Depending on oil and gas prices, it would generate between $250 million and $350 million for state coffers.
Numbers of the Day
- 4 minutes – Average wait time for voting in Oklahoma in 2014, 18th highest in the US
- 25.9% – Percentage of households in Choctaw County, Oklahoma, participating in SNAP, the highest participation rate in Oklahoma
- 25.84% – Percentage of mail ballots unreturned in Oklahoma in 2014, 9th highest in the US
- 19.4% – Turnover rate for Oklahoma state employees in 2016. The regional average was 15.2%
- 57.1% – Oklahoma households that have a savings account, 2015
See previous Numbers of the Day and sources here.
What We’re Reading
- Will Congress force me to deny health care to children once again? [Dorothy R. Novick/Washington Post]
- The Practical Case for Parole for Violent Offenders [New York Times]
- The doctor will analyze you now [Politico]
- Throwing Money at Businesses Has Been a Bad Idea Since the Start [Governing]
- The Danger From Low-Skilled Immigrants: Not Having Them [The New York Times]
