Steve Lewis served as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1989-1990. He currently practices law in Tulsa and represents clients at the Capitol.
By: Steve Lewis
December 9, 2019 // Updated: December 9, 2019
There's an interesting dynamic emerging between the governor and the legislature regarding next year's budget. Usually state agencies are free to make budget requests based, within realistic limits, on what they feel is needed to accomplish their duties and, if funds are available, to increase services. In preparation for the session, agencies appear before the appropriations committees to explain and justify their budget requests. Depending on available revenue, the legislature will decide which, if any, programs deserve either cuts or additional funding. This is done with input from the governor and his staff because, at the end of the day, the governor has the right to sign or veto the appropriations measures. [More...]
By: Steve Lewis
December 2, 2019 // Updated: December 2, 2019
With the recent widely publicized sentence commutations, one might have the impression that the work of criminal justice reform is done. To the contrary, these commutations only serve to emphasize how much progress can be made with passage of just one reform proposal. But even after the commutations, Oklahoma is still near the top of the world in incarceration. [More...]
By: Steve Lewis
November 25, 2019 // Updated: November 25, 2019
Recently, an initiative petition to create an independent, bipartisan redistricting commission to redraw legislative and congressional districts in Oklahoma was filed by a group called "People Not Politicians." [More...]
By: Steve Lewis
November 11, 2019 // Updated: November 11, 2019
There may indeed be an "Oklahoma plan" for Medicaid worth considering, but hopefully the governor won't propose an ill-advised block grant scheme that will fail legal muster and, without Congressional approval, will almost surely never be implemented. [More...]
By: Steve Lewis
November 4, 2019 // Updated: November 4, 2019
With these recent changes, 462 Oklahomans have a shot at a new life due to the wisdom of their neighbors who voted for SQ 780 and to legislators who voted to make right some wrongheaded war-on-drug policies from the past. [More...]
By: Steve Lewis
October 28, 2019 // Updated: October 28, 2019
Last week the Senate Judiciary Committee, at the request of Chairperson Sen. Julie Daniels (R-Bartlesville), held an interim study on an important criminal justice reform issue: Using the criminal justice system, including incarceration, to collect court-imposed fines, costs, fees, and assessments. [More...]
By: Steve Lewis
October 21, 2019 // Updated: October 21, 2019
As the meeting of the OJA board demonstrates, it would be a shame to forfeit the contribution of knowledgeable citizens who volunteer their time, energy, and expertise to make our state policies better. [More...]
By: Steve Lewis
October 7, 2019 // Updated: October 7, 2019
Before SQ 780, thousands of people afflicted with a drug problem were arrested and sent to prison. The people of Oklahoma took control of this issue. It's time now for DAs and sheriffs to quit complaining about it and make it work. [More...]
By: Steve Lewis
September 23, 2019 // Updated: September 23, 2019
For me it's taken living in Tulsa, hearing the tragic story many times and meeting some of the survivors to begin to understand the trauma and legacy of those events. The opportunity to absorb that history will be lost for future Oklahomans and visitors unless the Greenwood History Center is completed. [More...]
OKPOLICY.ORG
There's an interesting dynamic emerging between the governor and the legislature regarding next year's budget. Usually state agencies are free to make budget requests based, within realistic limits, on what they feel is needed to accomplish their duties and, if funds are available, to increase services. In preparation for the session, agencies appear before the appropriations committees to explain and justify their budget requests. Depending on available revenue, the legislature will decide which, if any, programs deserve either cuts or additional funding. This is done with input from the governor and his staff because, at the end of the day, the governor has the right to sign or veto the appropriations measures. [More...]
With the recent widely publicized sentence commutations, one might have the impression that the work of criminal justice reform is done. To the contrary, these commutations only serve to emphasize how much progress can be made with passage of just one reform proposal. But even after the commutations, Oklahoma is still near the top of the world in incarceration. [More...]
Recently, an initiative petition to create an independent, bipartisan redistricting commission to redraw legislative and congressional districts in Oklahoma was filed by a group called "People Not Politicians." [More...]
There may indeed be an "Oklahoma plan" for Medicaid worth considering, but hopefully the governor won't propose an ill-advised block grant scheme that will fail legal muster and, without Congressional approval, will almost surely never be implemented. [More...]
With these recent changes, 462 Oklahomans have a shot at a new life due to the wisdom of their neighbors who voted for SQ 780 and to legislators who voted to make right some wrongheaded war-on-drug policies from the past. [More...]
Last week the Senate Judiciary Committee, at the request of Chairperson Sen. Julie Daniels (R-Bartlesville), held an interim study on an important criminal justice reform issue: Using the criminal justice system, including incarceration, to collect court-imposed fines, costs, fees, and assessments. [More...]
As the meeting of the OJA board demonstrates, it would be a shame to forfeit the contribution of knowledgeable citizens who volunteer their time, energy, and expertise to make our state policies better. [More...]
These are sobering findings for Oklahomans struggling to overcome the political hurdles preventing us from dealing with overincarceration [More...]
Before SQ 780, thousands of people afflicted with a drug problem were arrested and sent to prison. The people of Oklahoma took control of this issue. It's time now for DAs and sheriffs to quit complaining about it and make it work. [More...]
For me it's taken living in Tulsa, hearing the tragic story many times and meeting some of the survivors to begin to understand the trauma and legacy of those events. The opportunity to absorb that history will be lost for future Oklahomans and visitors unless the Greenwood History Center is completed. [More...]
