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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.
The Oklahoma House has narrowly passed legislation that would to make chicken egg producers eligible for state subsidies under the Quality Jobs Act. State payments to private businesses through the Quality Jobs Act has grown rapidly in recent years, even as most other state programs saw budget cuts. Higher education Chancellor Glen Johnson said Oklahoma is falling behind other states in funding for its degree completion efforts.
Unless legislators take action to boost revenues, low-income pregnant women, children, seniors, and disabled Oklahomans who get health care through Medicaid could face huge cuts in next year’s budget. Lawmakers are looking at cuts to Medicaid even as they allow a $150 million tax cut to go forward that mostly benefits the wealthiest Oklahomans. Former Oklahoma Secretary of Finance Scott Meacham wrote that Oklahoma has been stuck in crisis budgeting for years because of problems created by state policies.
Rep. Glen Mulready wrote an op-ed arguing that Oklahoma should convert Medicaid to a privatized managed care plan to save costs. Trish Emig, chairwoman of the State Council on Aging, wrote that Rep. Mulready’s plan could force elderly and disabled Oklahomans into nursing homes because managed care will limit their choices to receive needed care. An OK Policy report found that privatized managed care could be more costly and less efficient than Oklahoma’s current Medicaid program.
The Tulsa World editorial board argued in favor of a powdered alcohol ban being considered by the Legislature. Two insurance industry-backed measures that would disrupt the Unclaimed Property Fund appear dead for this legislative session. Governor Fallin signed into law measures that would make attempting to reach or gain control of a law officer’s weapon assault and battery and would make it a state offense to shine a laser pointer at an aircraft.
House Environmental Law chairman Rep. Kevin Calvey (R-Tulsa) claimed that state revenue will fall by “Dust Bowl proportions” unless the Legislature prohibits cities from regulating oil and gas drilling. The committee also advanced a bill intended to help Attorney General Scott Pruitt sue the federal government to block higher air quality standards. An Oklahoma tribe and its allies are fighting a legal, advertising and social-media war in Connecticut, claiming a right as a sovereign government to make unlicensed short-term loans at astronomical interest rates in defiance of state usury laws. These type of predatory, high-interest loans are still legal and widespread in Oklahoma.
The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced that low-interest federal disaster loans are available to Oklahoma businesses and residents affected by last month’s severe storms. KGOU examined the challenges for the new vice president for diversity at the University of Oklahoman’s, where there are still very few minority faculty members. The anti-poverty organization CAP Tulsa was named one of the top nonprofit employers in the country in a recent report by the NonProfit Times.
During the debate over whether the state should let teachers deduct union dues from their paychecks, a fake lobbyist pretending to represent the Oklahoma Education Association approached at least one lawmaker and argued against abortion restrictions. The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs had previously attempted to link OEA to abortion policy while advocating for ending teachers’ payroll deductions.
The Number of the Day is 75.9% – the percentage of Oklahomans ages 25 to 54 who had a job in 2014, down from 77.0% in 2007. In today’s Policy Note, USA Today shared the struggles of an uninsured cancer victim in a state that is refusing federal funds to expand Medicaid.
In The News
House votes to extend Quality Jobs subsidies to egg producers
The Oklahoma House has narrowly passed legislation that would extend the state’s Quality Jobs Act to chicken egg producers. House members voted 51-43 on Tuesday for the Senate-passed measure. Oklahoma’s Quality Jobs Act provides cash incentives to companies that create jobs that have good salaries and benefits.
See also: Report examines growing cost of Quality Jobs program from Oklahoma Policy Institute
Oklahoma’s degree completion goal at risk, chancellor says
Oklahoma is falling behind other states in funding for its degree completion efforts. Most of the 33 states participating in Complete College America had a larger percentage increase in state-appropriated dollars for fiscal year 2015, with Oklahoma ranking 26th. Oklahoma’s fiscal year 2015 funding increase was zero, and the outlook for fiscal year 2016 isn’t any better, higher education Chancellor Glen Johnson said.
Medicaid back on the chopping block
As the Oklahoma Legislature enters the final months of session, state agencies and the populations they serve are bracing for another round of painful budget cuts. A stark example of the high stakes involved in this year’s budget shortfall is the state’s Medicaid program, which provides health care to over 800,000 low-income children, pregnant women, seniors, and persons with disabilities.
Read more from the OK Policy Blog.
See also: Halt the Tax Cut from Together Oklahoma
Budgeting for the win when Oklahoma has been in crisis mode for several years
I recently attended a planning session for an upcoming Oklahoma Academy Town Hall on the State Budget. The discussion centered on best practices from other states, such as performance-based budgeting driven by goals and outcomes to determine budget priorities. During that discussion, it suddenly dawned on me the extent to which we have been in a mode of crisis budgeting in Oklahoma since the Great Recession, even though until recently our economy has been growing at a rate that was the envy of the rest of the nation.
Trish Emig: Elderly and disabled Oklahomans are being hung out to dry
Sen. Kim David, Sen. Greg Treat and Rep. Glen Mulready have authored Senate Bills 752 and 640, as well as House Bill 1566 which would transition Medicaid patients in Oklahoma, to a capitated Medicaid managed-care program. And why would the for-profit nursing home industry support HB 1566 as well as SB 640 and 742? Because if any of these bills are passed by the Legislature and added to law, it will force many of frail, elderly and disabled populations into nursing homes because managed care will limit their choices to receive needed care.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
See also: Rep. Glen Mulready: A clear solution for Oklahoma’s Medicaid program from the Tulsa World; Proposal to transform Medicaid could reduce health care access, increase costs from Oklahoma Policy Institute
Problems in a pouch — Lawmakers should say no to powdered alcohol
Oklahoma lawmakers have the right idea: ban a new federally approved product — Palcohol — before it ever comes on the market here. A measure to do just that has passed the Senate and is expected to be considered by a state House committee on Tuesday. Palcohol, powdered alcohol, is a powder keg waiting to explode if allowed for sale in Oklahoma.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Oklahoma lawmakers sidetrack insurance industry-backed bills
Two insurance industry-backed measures that would disrupt the Unclaimed Property Fund appear dead for this legislative session. The measures, which state Treasurer Ken Miller had described as “shameful,” are in two committees and leaders of each say these bills will not come to a vote. Miller has said repeatedly the legislation would hinder his ability to link life insurance benefits to Oklahomans who didn’t realize the money was owed to them.
Gov. Mary Fallin signs bills on attempts to grab law officers’ weapons, laser pointers
Gov. Mary Fallin on Tuesday signed a measure designed to crack down on those who attempt to grab the weapon of a law enforcement officer. Senate Bill 55, by Sen. Kim David, R-Porter, and Rep. Lisa Billy, R-Lindsay, would make attempting to reach or gain control of a law officer’s weapon assault and battery. It would make the act aggravated assault and battery if the person made physical contact with the officer. Fallin also signed Senate Bill 62, by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, R-Tulsa, and Rep. Terry O’Donnell, R-Catoosa, that makes pointing a laser at an aircraft a state offense.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
State revenue will fall by ‘Dust Bowl proportions’ if local ordinances governing drilling aren’t curbed, lawmaker says
State revenue will fall by “Dust Bowl proportions” unless local ordinances governing oil and gas drilling are curbed, the chairman of a key House committee said Tuesday. “We need this bill to preserve the tax base, preserve the drilling, etc.,” said Rep. Kevin Calvey, R-Tulsa, in debating for Senate Bill 468, by Sen. Bryce Marlatt, R-Woodward, during a meeting of the House Environmental Law Committee that Calvey chairs. The bill was one of three intended to protect oil and gas interests advanced by the committee on Tuesday.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Okla. Tribe Fights to Make High-Interest Loans in Connecticut
An Oklahoma tribe and its allies are fighting a legal, advertising and social-media war in Connecticut, claiming a right as a sovereign government to make unlicensed short-term loans at astronomical interest rates in defiance of state usury laws. Acting on consumer complaints, the state Department of Banking last fall imposed a $700,000 fine and ordered two online lenders owned by the Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Red Rock, Okla., to cease making small, short-term loans to Connecticut borrowers at annual interest rates of up to 448.76 percent.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
See also: Quick Cash and Debt Traps: Predatory payday lending in Oklahoma from Oklahoma Policy Institute
Small Business Administration To Provide Disaster Loans
The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced that low-interest federal disaster loans are available to Oklahoma businesses and residents affected by the severe storms that raked parts of the state last month. Tuesday’s disaster declaration makes SBA assistance available in Canadian, Cleveland, Creek, Grady, McClain, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Osage, Pawnee, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Tulsa, Wagoner and Washington counties.
New University Of Oklahoma Diversity Chief Faces A Campus With Few Black Professors
The University of Oklahoma announced it’s new vice president for diversity Tuesday. Former state lawmaker Jabar Shumate will be in charge of boosting OU’s low multicultural numbers at both the faculty and student level. OU is the last Big 12 school to add a high-level diversity position. According to OU’s 2015 fact book, only two percent of faculty are black. And in recent weeks, that’s been a vocal complaint among minority students.
CAP Tulsa ranked No. 4 among best large nonprofit employers in U.S.
A local anti-poverty organization was named one of the top nonprofit employers in the country in a recent report by the NonProfit Times. The publication’s 2015 Best Places to Work report ranks CAP Tulsa No. 4 among large agencies — those with 250 or more employees — and No. 43 overall. CAP Tulsa, the largest anti-poverty organization in the state, has 541 employees.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Fake lobbyist puts lawmaker, OEA to the test
Someone claiming to represent the Oklahoma Education Association approached at least one legislator on abortion policy earlier this session, the association confirmed Tuesday. Amanda Ewing, OEA chief lobbyist and associate executive director, said the incident occurred during the debate over whether the state should let teachers deduct union dues from their paychecks. The group does not lobby for or against any abortion policy, and no one matching the description of the supposed lobbyist works for the organization, she said.
Read more from the Journal Record.
Quote of the Day
“Without a doubt, being raised by immigrant parents taught me about the importance of public service. Both my parents were born into poverty, and were only given the bare necessity to make a living: an education. My grandparents told my parents not to pay them back, but to pay it forward by using their education to change the world for the goodwill of others. That’s how my parents’ American Dream began, and how it continues to exist through me.”
– Oklahoma high school senior Gloria Tso, who was recently accepted at four Ivy League universities (Source)
Number of the Day
75.9%
Percentage of Oklahomans ages 25 to 54 who had a job in 2014, down from 77.0% in 2007.
Source: Pew Charitable Trusts.
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
Medicaid expansion, or not: An uninsured cancer victim stuggles
Tracy Foster’s bladder is nearly bulging out of her body. But the 40-year-old divorced mother of two has no insurance and no money to treat what she believes is recurrent bladder cancer, so she spends much of her time in a recliner, with a heating pad over her swollen abdomen. She sometimes drops to her knees on her bathroom floor and prays for relief, worrying she’s simply biding time until she dies.
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