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In The Know is a daily synopsis of Oklahoma policy-related news and blogs. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.
Today you should know that a measure that would no longer make second and subsequent charges of possessing marijuana a felony in Oklahoma remains alive, despite skepticism from several members on a legislative committee. Under current state law, a second marijuana possession conviction is a felony carrying a penalty of two to 10 years in prison.
State Superintendent Janet Barresi told parents that authors of a report criticizing the state’s new A-F grading system have since privately renounced their analysis, but the report’s authors say that isn’t true. Oklahoma higher education Chancellor Glen Johnson said he expected Oklahoma’s public colleges and universities to fare well in a new federal scorecard.
A House panel approved a measure that shifts the burden of proof from employers to terminated employees to show they weren’t fired for misconduct in order to receive unemployment insurance. The state Chamber of Commerce and a coalition of local chambers released their legislative agenda which includes reforming workers’ compensation, maintaining tax credits and exemptions for business, and expanding access to health insurance.
On the OK Policy Blog, we debunk claims made by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs about our state’s spending. David Blatt’s Journal Record column discusses Oklahoma Policy Institute’s fifth anniversary. NewsOK writes that legislative shortsightedness on water may harm Oklahoma.
The Number of the Day the average annual earnings for servers in Oklahoma. In today’s Policy Note, NPR’s Planet Money shares the jobs with the biggest and smallest pay gaps between men and women.
In The News
Bill seeks to make some marijuana possession no longer a felony
A measure that would no longer make second and subsequent charges of possessing marijuana a felony in Oklahoma remains alive, despite skepticism from several members on a legislative committee. Williams, D-Stillwater, agreed Wednesday to stop a committee hearing on his measure so he could do more work on it, in particular, coming up with a maximum number of charges in which a simple marijuana possession could result in a felony. Under current state law, first-offense marijuana possession is a misdemeanor. But marijuana possession within 10 years of a prior conviction is a felony, carrying a penalty of two to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000. Possession of marijuana 10 or more years after a prior conviction also is a felony, with a penalty of one to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000.
Authors dispute claim by Barresi that they backed away from criticism of A-F grading system
State Superintendent Janet Barresi told some parents Tuesday that authors of a report that concluded that the state’s new A-F grading system is flawed have since privately renounced their analysis. But the report’s authors say that isn’t true. “I have no idea where that idea on the part of the superintendent came from,” said senior project coordinator Patrick Forsyth, professor of education and co-director of the Oklahoma Center for Education Policy at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa. “We are perplexed by that and don’t know what to make of it.”
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Higher ed chancellor expects Oklahoma to fare well on new college scorecard
U.S. Department of Education officials rolled out a new tool Wednesday that officials say will help students and parents compare colleges more easily. The department’s new College Scorecard, announced by President Barack Obama in Tuesday’s State of the Union address, allows users to compare colleges and universities against their peer institutions on a number of factors, including average cost, graduation rate and employment prospects. Oklahoma higher education Chancellor Glen Johnson said he expected Oklahoma’s public colleges and universities to fare well in the scorecard. Citing recent national rankings in which Oklahoma performed well in terms of affordability and average student debt, Johnson said affordability is a major priority for the state’s higher education system.
House panel OKs conditions on unemployment benefits
A measure that requires terminated employees to prove they weren’t fired for misconduct such as willfully disregarding regulations or chronic absenteeism in order to receive unemployment benefits passed a legislative committee Wednesday. Backers said House Bill 1911 would cut down on fraud, which would result in more benefits being available for the state’s unemployed. Opponents said the measure, written by The State Chamber and others with business interests, would make it harder for the unemployed to receive money for food and housing costs. The bill shifts the burden of proof from the employer to the terminated employee to show that the action that led to termination was not misconduct.
Workers’ comp, economic development, health care lead issues for Oklahoma’s chambers of commerce
Workers’ compensation and health care reforms, as well as continued funding for economic development programs, are among the issues that The State Chamber of Oklahoma and a coalition of local chambers of commerce will advocate for this year at the state Capitol. The group, including the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and Tulsa Regional Chamber, unveiled the legislative agenda for the year Wednesday. Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Regional Chamber. The chambers support a plan to reduce the number of uninsured Oklahomans, including the creation of a private sector health insurance network and developing a strategy to fund Oklahoma’s Medicaid program that would fully reimburse state hospitals for Medicaid services.
The dangers of cherry-picking facts
In a recent column for the Journal Record, Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs President Michael Carnuccio discussed Oklahoma’s latest Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). The column was headlined “Fact are stubborn things.” Unfortunately, it left out many of the facts. Carnuccio points out that total state expenditures have increased every year since 2001, even during the recession. Yet other than making for a convenient ideological talking point, this number does not by itself tell us whether our government is growing, nor does it help us to understand why. To answer those questions, the numbers must be put into context.
Read more from the OK Policy Blog.
Prosperity Policy: Five years strong
Five years ago, the Oklahoma Policy Institute was launched to provide timely and independent policy information and analysis on the major issues facing Oklahoma. In January, we celebrated our fifth anniversary with a festive dinner at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa. A sold-out crowd, including political leaders from both parties, business leaders, philanthropists and engaged citizens, joined us to honor two of Oklahoma’s most distinguished public servants. Tulsa’s Robert LaFortune and Seminole’s Melvin Moran received the OK Policy Good Sense/Good Cents award. These two gentlemen demonstrate that the values we most deeply believe in and work to promote – responsible fiscal stewardship, civic dialogue and concern for the least fortunate – are not Democratic values or Republican values, but core Oklahoma values.
Read more from The Journal Record.
Legislative shortsightedness on water may harm Oklahoma
You might think the ongoing drought would cause lawmakers to carefully consider long-term water needs. Instead, state legislators appear headed in the opposite direction. The Water for 2060 Act passed last year with strong bipartisan support. It included language setting a goal for Oklahoma to consume no more fresh water in 2060 than in 2012. That’s only a goal — not a mandate — but state Rep. Paul Wesselhoft, R-Moore, finds it “reckless.” He filed House Bill 1562 to repeal that language. HB 1562 got committee approval with bipartisan support. We support repeal of obsolete laws and agree that an unenforceable statutory “goal” is ultimately meaningless. HB 1562’s passage won’t affect conservation efforts — but lawmakers’ dismissive attitude toward long-term planning could.
Quote of the Day
We want to expand access to health care in the state and keep federal tax dollars in Oklahoma.
–Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Regional Chamber
Number of the Day
$18,473
Average annual earnings for servers in Oklahoma, not even half of the average annual earnings for all occupations $38,191, 2011
Source: Oklahoma Employment Security Commission
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
The Jobs With The Biggest (And Smallest) Pay Gaps Between Men And Women
Women are paid significantly less, on average, than men — even when they’re doing the same jobs. But the gap varies dramatically for workers in different jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics sent us some data on how much women made in comparison to their male counterparts in hundreds of different jobs; here are the jobs where the wage gap is smallest, and those where the gap is biggest. The gap is based on comparisons of full-time workers. Part of the gap in pay is driven by choices, even within single job categories. Among physicians, for example, women are more likely than men to choose lower-paid specialties (though this does not explain all of the pay gap among doctors). But not all of the difference be explained by choices such as these.
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