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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. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions.
Legislative leaders and Governor Fallin have reached a budget agreement for next year that provides flat funding to common education flat and cuts appropriations for colleges and universities by $24.1 million. OK Policy released a statement calling on lawmakers to reject the budget and demand a balanced plan that includes sustainable revenue options. The budget would cut most state agencies by up to 7.25% while using up hundreds of millions in one-time revenues that will immediately create another large budget hole for next year. You can see a list of all of the proposed appropriations here and a summary of the budget agreement here.
While the Department of Agriculture’s appropriations have dropped by more than 25 percent since 2008 and would see another $1.2 million cut in the proposed budget, Oklahoma House members spent much of yesterday complaining about rules that would increase fees for the Department’s testing services by about $200,000. Lawmakers ultimately approved those rules and more than 300 others while disapproving three, including one that would include harassment based on sexual orientation in the definition of a hostile work environment for alcohol wholesalers.
Today OK Policy will be live blogging our analysis of the budget from the state Capitol. You can follow our updates here. On the OK Policy Blog, we described some of the ways that under-investment by the state is harming Oklahoma families and the economy. A $25 million bond proposal to build a museum of popular culture in Tulsa has cleared the Oklahoma Senate, one day after the same bill failed when a senator said he mistakenly pressed the wrong button.
University of Oklahoma President David Boren issued a statement defending his position as a member of the Continental Resources Board of Directors, after Bloomberg News reported that the company’s CEO Harold Hamm tried to get OU researchers fired for linking earthquakes to the oil and gas industry. Stillwater officials continue to refine new regulations for oil and gas drilling inside city limits as they wait for the Legislature to finalize a bill that would stop cities from banning drilling. The deaths of 9 oilfield workers who inhaled fumes from chemicals, including one in Oklahoma, have prompted federal officials to warn about the dangers around crude production tanks.
The Oklahoma chapter of The National Alliance on Mental Illness celebrated its 30-year anniversary, looking back at efforts to advocate in the Legislature for Oklahomans affected by mental illness. With more rain expected this week, Oklahoma is on track for its wettest month ever recorded.
The Number of the Day is $74.3M – the overall decrease in funding for state services in Oklahoma’s fiscal year 2016 budget proposal compared to this year. In today’s Policy Note, The American Prospect examines what the contrast between Minnesota and Wisconsin tells us about the best policies for achieving high wages and economic growth.
In The News
No hike for common ed, cuts for colleges in budget deal
State lawmakers unveiled a fiscal year 2016 budget Tuesday that would keep funding for common education flat but cut appropriations for colleges and universities by $24.1 million. Oklahoma’s common education system would receive $2.484 billion, the same amount it received in 2015. The flat common-education budget will likely dash a proposal to increase teacher pay and expand the number of school days.
Read more from Oklahoma Watch.
See also: STATEMENT: Lawmakers should reject unbalanced budget deal from Oklahoma Policy Institute; 2016 Budget Appropriations; Budget Agreement Summary
Oklahoma House spends most of Tuesday griping about Ag Department fees
While budgetmakers struggled to offset a $611 million general revenue drop for the fiscal year that begins July 1, the Oklahoma House of Representatives spent the better part of Tuesday fussing about $200,000 in new fees from the state Department of Agriculture. The department, which is looking at $1.2 million (4.5 percent) less in appropriations during the coming budget year, implemented the fees for services provided by its testing laboratories.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
The real damage of budget cuts, and the latest bad excuse for tax cuts
Lawmakers are planning a budget for next year that from most reports looks likely to cut funding for most state agencies while refusing to halt a scheduled tax cut or reign in tax breaks. As some pre-budget spin in defense of these decisions, The Oklahoman editorial board and the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs have pointed to $40 million spent on “swag, advertising, and memberships” as evidence that Oklahoma can afford to reduce taxes further even during a budget shortfall.
Read more from the OK Policy Blog.
Pop culture museum plan clears Oklahoma Senate on second try
A $25 million bond proposal to build a museum of popular culture in Tulsa has cleared the Oklahoma Senate, one day after the same bill failed when a senator said he mistakenly pressed the wrong button. The state Senate voted 28-18 on Tuesday for the bill by Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman of Sapulpa.
OU’s Boren denies conflict of interest
University of Oklahoma President David Boren responded this week to a recent Bloomberg News story about Continental Resources CEO Harold Hamm telling a University dean that researchers linking earthquakes to the oil and gas industry should be fired. Boren issued a statement saying his position as a member of the Continental Resources Board of Director was not a conflict of interest and that to cut ties with Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry would be a “poor decision.”
Read more from OK Energy Today.
Stillwater, Oklahoma, officials refine proposed drilling regulations as they wait for Legislature
Stillwater officials continue to refine new regulations for oil and gas drilling inside city limits as they wait for the Legislature to finalize a bill that would stop cities from banning drilling. Senate Bill 809 remains alive in the last weeks of the session and ensures the Oklahoma Corporation Commission remains the state’s primary regulator for oil and gas drilling.
Feds issue warnings about chemicals causing oilfield deaths
The deaths of 9 oilfield workers who inhaled fumes from chemicals, including one in Oklahoma, have prompted federal officials to warn about the dangers around crude production tanks. Other deaths were reported in Colorado, North Dakota, Texas and Montana in the past five years. Federal agencies and industry-safety groups are sending out alerts to the oil industry, warning of the potential for imminent danger from inhaling hydrocarbons.
Read more from OK Energy Today.
Mental health organization celebrates 30 years in Oklahoma
Mary Main remembers reading any and every piece of legislation that had to do with mental health. Main was a founding member of the Oklahoma chapter of The National Alliance on Mental Illness, which recently celebrated its 30-year anniversary by looking back at its progress and legislative efforts. The national organization was founded in 1979 by two mothers who cared for sons with schizophrenia.
Oklahoma on track for its wettest month ever recorded
Tulsa’s Oklahoma Mesonet site at the northeast TCC campus has 7.6 inches of rain recorded this month, as of today. This is slightly above the statewide average of May 18 for the month, which is 7.16 inches, reports Oklahoma Climatologist Survey state climatologist Gary McManus. With 13 days left of May, this means that two state records are in danger of falling: – 10.54 inches, wettest May (1954) – 10.75 inches, wettest month (October 1941).
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Quote of the Day
“The governor and legislative leaders promised to hold common education funding flat, and that’s what they did.”
-Shawn Hime, executive director of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association, who said flat funding for education means Superintendent Joy Hofmeister’s push to increase teacher pay and expand the school year is dead for this year (Source).
Number of the Day
$74.3M
Decrease in funding for state services in Oklahoma’s fiscal year 2016 budget proposal compared to this year.
Source: FY 16 Budget Agreement Summary
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
The High Road Wins: How and why Minnesota is outpacing Wisconsin
Minnesota and Wisconsin offer something close to a laboratory experiment in competing economic policies. Since the 2010 elections of Democratic Governor Mark Dayton in Minnesota and Republican Governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin, these neighboring states with similar populations and economies have pursued radically different strategies.
Read more from The American Prospect.
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