
In the midst of crisis, Oklahoma can and should better equip returning citizens to succeed. An accessible path from prison to employment can help those with felony convictions find high-wage employment immediately following incarceration.
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By:
Steve Lewis
June 15, 2020 // Updated: June 15, 2020

Rep. Monroe Nichols, D-Tulsa, has announced he will introduce three measures next session dealing with police use of deadly force. The bills will be:
establish a state task force to review and recommend community policing standards in Oklahoma regarding use…
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By:
Dave Hamby
June 14, 2020 // Updated: June 13, 2020

Policy Matters: Budgets should reflect community values; Capitol Update: Building a new momentum; SoonerCare 2.0 federal comment period now open.
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State Treasurer Randy McDaniel announced that gross receipts to the state in May were down 14.1 percent from the previous May, a drop of $150.5 million following a drop of 30 percent in April. Presumably, these declines were already accounted…
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By:
Dave Hamby
June 7, 2020 // Updated: June 7, 2020

Addressing systemic racism; Ask OK Policy: A 2020 Legislative session overview (video); A first look at the 2021 state budget; Unemployment insurance is critical need during difficult times.
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Unemployment insurance will be a critical piece of our ability to weather and recover from this economic and public health emergency. It is in everyone’s best interest for the system to be robust and accessible to all who need it.
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State agencies will be appropriated a total of $7.715 billion in FY 2021. This is a decrease of $283.2 million (3.5 percent) compared to the initial FY 2020 budget approved last May, and just $46 million (0.6 percent) above FY 2019 (see Figure 1).
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In what was likely the most unusual — and contentious — budget process in state history, the Legislature passed the state budget for FY 2021, which starts on July 1. Most allocations to agencies are in the state’s General Appropriations bill (SB 1922), which the Legislature passed despite the Governor’s veto.
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Tulsa Race Massacre Remembered
The 99th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre was commemorated, which brought national attention in light of nationwide protests about racism in America. Below are articles from Tulsa and publications from around the nation.
Tulsa-area Coverage…
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One victim of the abbreviated 2020 Legislative session was criminal justice reform. In the 2019 session, numerous reform bills made their way through the legislative process only to stall at the end. Kudos to the authors who carried those measures.…
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