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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 House Majority Leader Fred Jordan, R-Jenks, said that he believes the House, Senate and governor are committed to at least $75 million to $100 million in increases to education funding this year. Educators are concerned that Oklahoma schools and students will be in a “perpetual state of testing” when new K-12 standardized testing begins in 2014-15. In Kansas, the relentless push to cut taxes could trigger tuition hikes and mean less state money for a program that provides aviation companies with work-ready employees.
The NewsOK editorial board writes that there’s no guarantee a tax cut will make it through the Oklahoma Legislature this year, and that state Republicans are pushing too many bills driven by ideology that won’t make any difference. OK Policy previously discussed how some lawmakers’ ideological opposition to bonds ignores how the private sector economy works. Kurt Hochenauer writes that Oklahoma’s GOP may be wasting its voter mandate on irrational extremism.
In the Tulsa World, Julie Delcour assesses Oklahoma’s seemingly abandoned commitment to corrections reform, and Barbara Hoberock writes that attempts to reform Oklahoma’s criminal justice system have a long history of failure due to lawmakers ignoring recommendations. The author of a bill that would legalize horse slaughter in Oklahoma denied a financial motivation, even though it could mean monetary gain for the livestock auction house owned by her family. After a mother’s advocacy, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority cancelled a vote on a proposed rule change that would have required private-duty nurses to not be related to the children they serve.
The Number of the Day is the percentage of all Oklahomans receiving income-based government assistance who are living with a disability. In today’s Policy Note, Salon examines the widespread mistreatment of restaurant workers in the United States.
In The News
More funding for education expected, lawmaker says
Common education is likely to come out of this year’s legislative session with more money and some relief from mandates, area lawmakers said Friday during a Tulsa Regional Chamber breakfast. “I think we’re finally going to get to a point where we’re funding (education) appropriately,” said House Majority Leader Fred Jordan, R-Jenks. “The House, the Senate and the governor, I believe, are all committed to at least $75 million to $100 million in increases to education funding this year.” State support of common education has essentially declined in recent years, particularly on a per-pupil basis. State Superintendent Janet Barresi asked for a $300 million increase for the coming budget year, but Gov. Mary Fallin’s budget proposal included only $22 million, all of it committed to teacher benefits and implementing performance assessment reforms.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Educators: New Oklahoma school tests excessive
Oklahoma schools and students will be in a “perpetual state of testing” when new K-12 standardized testing begins in 2014-15, educators say. Through written guidance sent to schools last week, school administrators learned that all third- to 11th-grade students will take nine online tests — each around an hour in length — for English and math under the new testing system. Five of the nine will be in English, and four will be in math. Those tests will replace the Oklahoma Core Curriculum Tests in the two subjects. The additional tests are on top of those students must take in other subjects.
Read more from the Enid News and Eagle.
Kansas universities brace for state cuts to program funding
The relentless push to shrink government and cut taxes could trigger tuition hikes and mean less state money for a program that provides aviation companies with work-ready employees. Competing versions of budget cuts from the House and Senate both include reductions in state aid for universities, a move that could add to ever-increasing tuition rates. Meanwhile, the National Center for Aviation Training in Wichita, essentially a tech college built primarily by Sedgwick County to produce work-ready employees for aircraft manufacturers, is poised to lose $2 million of the $5 million it has become accustomed to receiving from the state. Those cuts also would pluck $2 million each in funding from cancer research at the University of Kansas and animal health research at Kansas State University.
Read more from the Wichita Eagle.
No guarantee tax cut will make it through Oklahoma Legislature
Despite unified Republican control of both chambers of the Legislature and the governor’s office, this may be the second consecutive year without a tax cut after the governor proposed one. Legislative Democrats are on record opposing a tax cut, and have a surprising ally: Senate Republicans, who also oppose a tax reduction in 2014. The governor and House Republicans support a quarter-point reduction of the top rate (to 5 percent) starting next January. Senate Republicans differ from Democrats in supporting a plan to lower the top rate to 4.75 percent in 2015 while also eliminating many individual and business tax breaks.
Oklahoma Dems have reasons to gripe about some GOP proposals
Concerns voiced by Democrats in the Oklahoma House of Representatives about the work being done — or not done — by Republicans shouldn’t be dismissed as sour grapes from a party toiling under a GOP supermajority. Democrats have some good reasons to be bothered. No one in Republican leadership seems to have an interest in using a bond issue to responsibly repair the Capitol building, or build a new medical examiner’s office, or take care of other pressing state infrastructure needs. Instead they argue that all debt is bad debt, and that Oklahoma isn’t about to travel the same path as politicians in Washington.
See also: Running government like a business means taking on debt from the OK Policy Blog
Will extremism ignite state GOP demise?
I find it unusually discouraging that Oklahoma City-area state Rep. Sally Kern, the nationally known gay-hate activist, has found solace in the Oklahoma House from her GOP colleagues for a paranoid, conspiratorial bill that attacks the United Nations and the world community. I know the GOP owns state government right now, but why does it waste its time with the nonsense of Kern and other extremist Republicans who push crazy, needless legislation year after year? Oklahoma conservatives who might reasonably push for reasonable change—despite progressive and overall Democratic opposition—lose credibility when they don’t speak out against the craziness.
Prison growth: Are taxpayers really safe?
Isn’t it ironic: On Ides of March Eve, chairmen of a prison reform group – trying to implement an initiative to save Oklahoma millions of dollars – resigned after being repeatedly betrayed by back-stabbing state leaders. Former House Speaker Kris Steele and Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater, co-chairmen of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative panel, quit on Thursday, essentially telling Gov. Mary Fallin’s legal counsel that his boss had been disingenuous about supporting JRI. Ditto to two-faced legislative leaders who, come May, probably would renege on necessary JRI start-up monies.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Attempts to reform Oklahoma’s criminal justice system have long history of failure
Efforts to reduce the state’s growing prison population go back decades and haven’t managed to put much of a dent in the state’s prison population. A highly touted criminal justice reform measure passed last session may be yet another failed effort. Last week, the leaders of a working group overseeing the implementation of what is called the Justice Reinvestment Initiative abruptly resigned, pointing fingers at the Governor’s Office, which they say is not serious about following through with the law she signed.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Oklahoma horse slaughter bill author denies financial motivation
The author of a bill that would legalize horse slaughter in Oklahoma agreed it could mean monetary gain for the livestock auction house owned by her grandparents and managed by her family. Rep. Skye McNiel said that gain would be shared equally by all the state’s horse auctioneers and is not substantial compared to the financial gain to the state’s horse owners who are seeking an avenue to dispose of animals that have lost their use. The Bristow Republican, whose grandparents opened Mid America Stockyards in Bristow more than 40 years ago, said she proposed House Bill 1999 because she saw a problem firsthand and decided to help solve it.
After mother’s advocacy, board decides against Oklahoma Medicaid rule change
When Ashley Zeno decided to speak out, it wasn’t because she was worried about losing her job. Rather, she was worried that a proposed rule change from Oklahoma’s Medicaid agency would disrupt the daily nursing care her son receives. On Thursday, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority had planned to vote on a proposed rule change that would have required private-duty nurses to not be related to the children they serve. Zeno serves as one of Joey’s private-duty nurses and is reimbursed for the care through Oklahoma’s Medicaid system. However, earlier this past week, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority board determined it would not vote on the measure.
Quote of the Day
House Speaker T.W. Shannon, R-Lawton, recently wrote that borrowing $200 million would cost the state $80 million in interest over two decades. “Only in government does it make sense to pay $280 million for something that costs $200 million,” he wrote. Apparently GOP lawmakers don’t hold mortgages on their homes.
Number of the Day
35 percent
Percentage of all Oklahomans receiving income-based government assistance that are living with a disability, compared to 30 percent nationally in 2011
Source: U.S. Census
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
Restaurant horror show: How waitstaffs are mistreated
Nearly one in 10 U.S. workers is employed in the restaurant industry, a total of 13.1 million people, according to the National Restaurant Association. Yet of all employment categories tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, restaurant employees receive the lowest wages. According to a ROC report, nearly 90 percent of restaurant workers don’t receive paid sick days, vacation or health insurance. In this sense, restaurant workers are increasingly representative of the situation of American labor in the early 21st century: employed at-will, without benefits, for a wage that’s constantly shrinking in buying power.
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