OKPOLICY.ORG
As Oklahomans, we hold to the Oklahoma Standard. When disaster strikes, we come together to make sure our neighbors are safe and to rebuild even stronger than before.
We need to bring that spirit of resilience and looking out for each other to take on another kind of disaster. Poverty and the high barriers to opportunity in Oklahoma have already done more damage than the worst tornado or ice storm.
These storms afflict Oklahomans in every part of the state, especially rural families and young parents. Oklahoma’s American Indian, Black, and Hispanic communities disproportionately feel the impact. And when so many families — including many of our state’s youngest children — are denied a chance to reach their full potential, the whole state economy is harmed for years to come.
That’s why OK Policy has developed an agenda for this year’s Legislature focused on addressing Oklahoma’s most difficult barriers to opportunity.
We are offering proven solutions to poverty and the lack of opportunity that holds Oklahoma back from becoming a truly prosperous state. With this agenda and with all of you, we may finally fulfill the Oklahoma Standard and rebuild an economy and society that works for all.
Education
- Increase preK-12 state aid funding to restore school staffing and programs
- Restore higher education funding to ensure a well-educated workforce
Criminal Justice
- Reform cash bail and court fines and fees
- Fund public defenders and courts to reduce caseloads and reliance on fines and fees
- Make the sentencing reforms of SQ 780 retroactive
- Add racial impact statements on criminal justice legislation
Health
Economic Opportunity
- Strengthen working family tax credits
- Improve regulation and prevent expansion of predatory lending
- Protect renters from eviction if they withhold rent when landlords fail to maintain adequate housing standards
- Limit restrictions on occupational licenses for those with prior felony offenses
Can you all not come up with better solutions to this crisis with justice reforms. Can’t you all figure out the problem is with the excessive sentences the courts are allowed to make. It starts with losing the threshold of mandatory minimum sentences and smarter sentencing guidelines. Wake up and do something of potential magnjtude this year.
Is there a sense of accomplishment that higher pay levels have been arranged for Oklahoma’s teachers and other state employees? Fine, but also remember that Oklahoma’s RETIRED teachers and state employees have not have any cost-of-living increase in their pensions in over ten years. Why was that issue not even mentioned in the display?
A modest increase in state retiree benefits should be sought in 2019.
Ok Legislators. Today is the day to begin making something good happen in this state .I hope there is not another year of nothing being done of substantial progress with the criminal justice reforms . Every surrounding state has come up with reforms that have made a significant change to their prison cycles. This state allows District. Attorneys to influence their leaders. It time to listen to the will of the people. We want justice reforms that make a difference not ones that are just talk only .We want to see something happening. Its gone on to long and our families are suffering , the next generations are suffering now. LEADERS LETS MALE SOME POSITICE CHANGES BECAUSE WHAT THEYVE BEEN DOING ISNT WORKING. PUT A END TO MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCES AND STOP PUTTING OUR PEOPLE IN PRISON FOR EXCESSIVE SENTENCES
The retirement systems can afford pay increases for retirees and it would help the state economy.
And if there is a concern that the retirement systems cannot afford much of a cost-of-living increase, the costs could be held in check by making the increases on a progressive basis. For example, give an 8% increase (the percentage that OPEA is asking for) on the first $500 gross that a retiree receives. After that, maybe 6% for amounts between $500 and $1000, and 4% for the gross that is over $1000. Perhaps the raises could also be capped so that none would be more than $300 a month.
Just a suggestion. Reactions, anyone?
Get on board with Mississippi, Louisiana, change the 85% .
Here is an update on the issue of whether there will be a cost-of-living allowance increase this year on the pensions of Oklahoma’s retired teachers and other retired state employees. The last increase was voted in 2008, a very long time ago.
This week the issue is at a critical stage. A modest 4% pension increase was just approved by the House of Representatives, but in the Senate there is opposition. Please cover this, Okpolicy!