The Oklahoma Legislature was among the most vocal in choosing to pursue that strategy. The bills varied in levels of blatant unconstitutionality, but all 20+ different bills introduced at the Oklahoma Legislature this session shared the goal of chilling speech, criminalizing acts related to protests or accountability, and creating conditions that make people exercising their First Amendment rights less safe, especially when being critical of government actors.
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By:
Paul Shinn
May 17, 2021 // Updated: May 18, 2021
Because budgets affect us all, both immediately and into the future, they should be made in public view with public input. While most states show this is easily accomplished, Oklahoma’s leaders neither inform nor engage the public in their budget deliberations.
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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…
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By:
Dave Hamby
May 16, 2021 // Updated: May 16, 2021
FY22 budget agreement; Budget, managed care remain major items as session winds down (Capitol Update); Nickel and diming our justice system; Proposed tax cuts deflate decent budget proposal; Countdown to Care
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The Criminal Justice Policy Analyst researches and analyzes state policy issues related to criminal justice policy, processes and environment, particularly as it relates to fiscal issues and impacts on all Oklahomans, and collaborates with OK Policy team members and partners on criminal justice issues.
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By:
Dave Hamby
May 13, 2021 // Updated: May 18, 2021
As Oklahoma prepares to expand Medicaid coverage starting July 1, Oklahomans who are newly eligible for health care coverage need to know both that they are eligible to apply and how to apply for coverage.
To fill this information gap,…
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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…
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By:
Dave Hamby
May 9, 2021 // Updated: May 7, 2021
Rural Oklahomans frequently carry larger burden for court fines, fees; Are Medicaid patients overusing the ER?; Follow through on SQ 781 by funding treatment and rehabilitation services; HB 1775 would whitewash our history
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Our analysis suggests that rural Oklahomans are asked to pay just as much, and often more, than their urban counterparts. More worrisome still, urban areas like Tulsa and Oklahoma counties have the most difficulty in collecting fines and fees, meaning rural Oklahomans are effectively contributing more of their money to fund the court system as compared to their urban counterparts.
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Legislators concerned about rising health care costs should worry less about the health care practices of individual SoonerCare members and more about how we can most effectively provide health care for all Oklahomans through the SoonerCare program.
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