Author: Steve Lewis

Lawsuit challenges OHCA’s managed care proposal (Capitol Update)

For the past several months, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority has been in a race against the calendar to get contracts signed with private insurance companies to manage the state’s $2 billion Medicaid program before the Legislature was to go into session on Feb. 1. [More...]

Proposed bills again seek to undo will of the voters (Capitol Update)

From the beginning of statehood, Article 5, Section 1 of the Oklahoma Constitution has provided that, “The Legislative authority of the State shall be vested in a Legislature, consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives; but the people… Read more [More...]

Confrontations between governor, legislature may continue over managed care proposal (Capitol Update)

Updated to reflect the OHCA board voted 6-3 to move forward with the managed care contracts. —  We have grown accustomed to confrontational government at the federal level. But the degree to which confrontation between the executive and the legislative… Read more [More...]

Legislators must work together to move forward (Capitol Update)

There was some committee work by the Appropriations Subcommittees last week as they began budget hearings with state agencies. But for me and for many, center stage this week was in Washington, D.C. Seventy-eight eventful days from the Nov. 3… Read more [More...]

New state audit agency makes recommendations regarding state revenue certification (Capitol Update)

The Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT), a supercharged legislative audit agency created in 2019, presented its first “rapid response evaluation” to the Legislative Oversight Committee last week. The evaluation was of the State Board of Equalization (BOE) and assessed the accuracy and communication of the revenue certification processes. This is likely because of the uncertainty created last session as the pandemic turned the February certification upside down — and perhaps a feeling by legislators that they did not get accurate data from which certification decisions were being made. [More...]

New GAO report details problems with managed care (Capitol Update)

Recently Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, issued a press release expressing his continued opposition to the Medicaid managed care proposal of Gov. Stitt. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) issued a Request for Proposal for insurance companies to bid on becoming… Read more [More...]

Legislature set for ‘organizational day’ on Jan. 5 (Capitol Update)

Tomorrow (Jan. 5) will be the “organizational day” for the Legislature. Article V, Section 26 of the Oklahoma Constitution provides that the Legislature shall meet in regular session on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January of each… Read more [More...]

Leadership requires courage to make a better future for Oklahoma (Capitol Update) 

Former House Speaker Glen Johnson used to joke about going to visit a House member who was in the hospital. He told the sick legislator that the House had voted to send best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery… Read more [More...]

Three key Senate committee chairs named (Capitol Update)

Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat announced the appointment of Senate committee membership and chairs for the upcoming session. There were three key vacant committee chairmanships for committees with jurisdiction over policies that effect every Oklahoman. These are the Senate… Read more [More...]

An early look at two recently filed Senate Bills (Capitol Update)

There are some early bill filings by Senators for the upcoming session. House members usually do not file their bills until the final day for filing. A couple of bills by Senate leaders caught my attention because of their potential… Read more [More...]