Category: Capitol Updates

An early look at requested interim studies in the House (Capitol Update)

Typical of an election year, there were only 88 interim study requests in the House of Representatives this year compared with 146 last year. The Senate has not published its interim study requests. In the House, studies must be approved… Read more [More...]

Medicaid expansion can address Oklahoma’s mental health and criminal justice needs (Capitol Update)

Last week, the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) board approved the agency’s FY 2021 spending plan. The bad news is the budget contained a $14 million cut from the previous year. ODMHSAS had requested a… Read more [More...]

Current events demonstrate need for task force reviewing community policing standards (Capitol Update)

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… Read more [More...]

Building a new momentum (Capitol Update)

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… Read more [More...]

State obligated to address systemic racism through legislative action (Capitol Update)

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.… Read more [More...]

Examining the rift between legislators, Governor (Capitol Update)

It looks like a lot of work will need to be done if the relationship between the Legislature and Gov. Stitt is to be repaired. What began as a lovefest in 2019 deteriorated to a slugfest by the closing days… Read more [More...]

Legislature takes action to fund Medicaid expansion (Capitol Update)

The complicated picture of Medicaid expansion in Oklahoma is beginning to clear as a result of actions taken by the Legislature last week. The Affordable Care Act was signed into law in March 2010. As passed, it guaranteed health care… Read more [More...]

Drafting a budget during uncertain times (Capitol Update)

Given the substantial information gap under which legislators were operating, they did a good job of writing and passing the state budget last week. The budget reflects tremendous work by the appropriations committee members — especially the respective chairmen, Sen.… Read more [More...]

Current economic situation creates uncharted territory for state budget process (Capitol Update)

It seems a new conflict develops weekly now between the Governor and legislative leaders. This week the conflict again relates to the budget. Previously, the Governor had refused to sign a stopgap appropriations bill using money from the Rainy Day… Read more [More...]

Finding an upside of recent budget battle (Capitol Update)

Other than budget measures, how much legislative action will occur between now and the end of May is still uncertain. [More...]