Author: Steve Lewis

New laws should help improve health, well-being for Oklahoma children (Capitol Update)

This was a remarkably good year for legislation on behalf of children and youth, whether they are in the child welfare system, the juvenile justice system or at home and school. Below is a brief synopsis of several forward-looking bills… Read more [More...]

Lawmakers expand private school scholarship tax credits (Capitol Update)

Getting a “nose under the tent” is an expression used regularly at the legislature when a new idea or program is proposed. The expression refers to an alleged Arab proverb that if a camel is allowed to get its nose… Read more [More...]

Legislature tackles major issues of Medicaid expansion funding, budget agreement (Capitol Update)

At the beginning of last week, legislators had two big policy issues to resolve before the end of session: The state budget and Medicaid. The job on Medicaid expansion was made easier by the availability of federal funds for use… Read more [More...]

Budget, managed care remain major items as session winds down (Capitol Update) 

Time is closing in on legislators. The constitutional deadline for sine die adjournment is the last Friday in May, which this year May 28. But in the past few years the Legislature has recessed before the deadline to give itself… Read more [More...]

New law seeks to improve health education in schools (Capitol Update)

Despite all the hoopla this session over the many politically charged bills dealing with wedge issues, there has been some truly positive legislation passed by thoughtful legislators. One of those signed by Gov. Stitt last week is Senate Bill 89,… Read more [More...]

New law provides academic, behavioral supports for students in need (Capitol Update)

Third-year Representative Sherrie Conley, R-Newcastle, has been on a mission to provide for the implementation of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to address the core academic and non-academic needs of all students in Oklahoma public schools. During the 2020 interim… Read more [More...]

State Supreme Court nominations: Unnecessary to ‘fix’ what’s not broken (Capitol Update)

Those familiar with Oklahoma history will remember our Supreme Court was consumed by a bribery scandal in the 1960s. At the time, Supreme Court justices were elected on a partisan ticket. All nine justices were Democrats. A key player in… Read more [More...]

Friction between elected officials rises to public view (Capitol Update)

It seems there’s a bit of early friction this year between the House, Senate, and the governor. Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat complained openly about House actions, apparently holding certain bills hostage for leverage in later negotiations. The House… Read more [More...]

How HB 1888 came back from the dead this session (Capitol Update)

No idea introduced into the legislative process is ever truly dead until the legislature has adjourned Sine Die. Living proof exists this year in House Bill 1888 by Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole, and Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant. HB 1888 says… Read more [More...]

SQ 640 continues limiting lawmakers, needs to be revisited (Capitol Update)

House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, has introduced a plan to lower and eventually eliminate the state corporate income tax and to lower the state personal income tax rate. Acknowledging the difficulty of raising taxes in the future because of State… Read more [More...]