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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 the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and several other medical groups have challenged Hobby Lobby’s claim that emergency contraceptives are a form of abortion. Oklahoma is doing the best job in the nation of preventing fraud in the Medicaid system. Oklahoma Policy Institute previously showed how Medicaid is proving its worth in Oklahoma. The non-profit Family & Children’s Services will spend $4.5 million to expand mental health crisis care in the Tulsa area.
Oklahoma Health Department investigators found at least seven men have died while in custody at the Oklahoma County jail because they did not receive proper medical treatment. Inmates are backing up in county jails in part because paroles have dropped sharply since Governor Fallin took office. Patrick McGuigan writes that Gov. Fallin and other state leaders may be derailing criminal justice reform as a power play against former House Speaker Kris Steele. Former Oklahoma governors George Nigh and Frank Keating wrote in NewsOK that Oklahoma should increase funding for the Highway Patrol.
State Senator Kyle Loveless, R-Oklahoma City, wrote in NewsOK that completing the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum would have large economic benefits. Facing a teacher shortage, Oklahoma City school officials are trying to find teachers from other states who’d like to come to Oklahoma. In the Tulsa World, Janet Pearson writes that Oklahoma already has low taxes and debt, and Julie Delcour writes that we can’t cut our way to prosperity. Randy Krehbiel looked at some of the bills that are dead this session. A bill to allow horse slaughter for human consumption is moving rapidly through the Legislature, even though a poll has found that most Oklahomans strongly oppose it.
NewsOK has a Q&A with OU economist Robert Dauffenbach on the economies of Oklahoma and the U.S. The leader of the National Council of Nonprofits visited Oklahoma to rally nonprofit organizations to unite as they face government budget cuts and sequestration. Oklahoma letter carriers rallied for the US Postal Service to keep Saturday delivery. The Number of the Day is the percentage of Oklahomans with a felony conviction. In today’s Policy Note, Planet Money has an in-depth investigation of the skyrocketing number of Americans going on disability over the past three decades.
In The News
Medical group disputes Hobby Lobby’s claim on emergency contraceptives
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and several other medical groups that support the use of emergency contraceptives have challenged Hobby Lobby Store’s Inc.’s claim that the drugs are a form of abortion. The groups moved Thursday to file a friend of the court brief in Hobby Lobby’s court battle over a portion of the Affordable Care Act that requires the company to cover the cost of emergency contraceptives for its workers through its employee health plan. Hobby Lobby argues that the drugs are a type of abortion and that covering the cost of the drugs for its employees would violate the Christian religious beliefs of CEO David Green and his family. The contraceptives Hobby Lobby takes issue with include Ella and Plan B, commonly known as the week-after and morning-after pills, as well as some types of IUDs.
Oklahoma’s efforts have helped avoid Medicaid fraud
A casual examination of a recent Pew Trust report might leave the impression that Oklahoma is not doing everything it can to deter Medicaid fraud and abuse. The statistics, though, suggest something else. Oklahoma’s 1.2 percent error rate, which includes honest mistakes as well as potential fraud, is the nation’s lowest and compares to nearly 9 percent for the country as a whole. “Our payment accuracy program has always been well thought of,” said Kelly Shropshire, director of program integrity and accountability at the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. “Other states have wanted to do what we do, but I don’t know that others have done it.” The Pew report is a compilation of steps taken by each state to combat Medicaid fraud and abuse.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
See also: Medicaid proves its worth from Oklahoma Policy Institute
Family and Children’s Services to spend $4.5M on crisis center to salvage $1.5M grant
Family & Children’s Services has taken a $4.5 million step to salvage a state grant and implement programs to expand mental health services in the Tulsa area. The agency had partnered with Hillcrest Medical Center in August 2012 to secure a $1.5 million grant from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, with the option to renew through 2018 at $2.2 million a year. Through the partnership, the agency was to create a 23-hour crisis intervention unit and Hillcrest would provide 16 permanent psychiatric beds for longer-term care, said Family & Children’s spokeswoman Tina Wells. However, before the agency could close on the property that would house the 23-hour unit, Wells said, Hillcrest officials said they could no longer commit to supplying the beds. After attempts to find a new hospital partner were unsuccessful, Wells said, the Family & Children’s Service’s board of directors voted unanimously to provide reserve funding to open a community-based, structured crisis center in addition to its planned 23-hour crisis unit.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Oklahoma County jail inmate deaths attributed to inadequate medical care
In the days leading up to his death, Charles Holdstock and other inmates in need of medical attention often languished on the 13th floor of the Oklahoma County jail, waiting for assistance, court documents indicate. “I hear they got charged $15 to be taken up and seen by medical staff,” a physician assistant for the jail’s former medical provider testified in a sworn deposition. “We would never see them. They’d be sent back down, and they got charged.” Oklahoma Health Department investigators found another seven men died while in jail custody during a year-and-a-half period before Holdstock’s death because they did not receive proper medical treatment.
Fewer Oklahoma inmates get parole since Fallin took office
In Gov. Mary Fallin’s first two years in office, the number of paroles granted to the state’s inmates has dropped sharply. Last year, fewer than 500 were paroled. In 2004, while Brad Henry was in office, more than 2,000 inmates were paroled in a single year. Alex Weintz, a spokesman for Fallin, said there are a number of reasons for the decline in paroles. Weintz said the Pardon and Parole Board has told the governor’s office that numbers are down because more inmates are accruing earned credits and discharging from prison earlier than expected. He also said more and more offenders are waiving parole so they can participate in the prison system’s relatively new global positioning satellite program. Weintz also remarked that the Pardon and Parole Board has stated that Fallin denies more parole cases than her predecessor.
Oklahoma Prison Reform or bovine scatology?
The first signs of trouble for prison reform came last fall, when state officials could not answer questions about implementation of the “justice reinvestment initiative” (JRI) passed in spring 2012. JRI? Shorthand for a shifting from incarceration of the non-violent, assuring post-release supervision of parolees, and “reinvestment” of resources for treatment and revocation facilities, among other things. Until March 14, there was a JRI Working Group trying to shepherd the new policy into reality. Its two most prominent members resigned at the end of that meeting, but JRI’s troubles did not originate that day.
Former Oklahoma governors: Legislator needs to tend to Highway Patrol
The first session of the 54th Oklahoma Legislature is well under way with many important issues for lawmakers and Gov. Fallin to consider over the coming months. A budget surplus exists for the first time in several years, and the constitutional “Rainy Day” fund is near its all-time high. While the legislative and executive branches of state government will ultimately determine which issues take priority, it’s our hope the current compensation needs of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol can be addressed. Both of us had the pleasure of serving the state as its chief executive officer. We had the unique opportunity to interact with OHP troopers on a daily basis. These public servants provide 24 hour-per-day protection and courteous, quality professional service to Oklahoma residents and visitors.
State Senator: American Indian Cultural Center and Museum needs to be completed
The American Indian Cultural Center and Museum (AICCM) has received much attention about state funding necessary to complete this project. As a conservative Republican, I was once skeptical about this project, its cost and what it would really mean for Oklahoma. However, as my education process on this has evolved, I’ve determined that this is a much-needed economic engine for the state, and specifically my district. I’ve become a convert and feel like an evangelist on the project. The AICCM makes sense on many levels but the most vital to me is the economic impact it will have on the whole state. Candidly, any elected official would be shortsighted if he did not want a Smithsonian-style museum in his district, one that represents and displays the core of the state’s native beginnings and, by the way, would have an economic impact of more than $325 million.
Oklahoma City looks for teachers beyond state borders
Like many school districts in the state, Oklahoma City Public Schools is in need of teachers, so administrators are looking across state lines for help. Officials are touring the Midwest this spring in search of teachers who’d like to come to Oklahoma. It’s the first outreach effort of its kind by the district. “We need to do something different,” Superintendent Karl Springer said. Pay cited in shortage The teacher shortage comes down to pay and funding, said Linda Hampton, president of the Oklahoma Education Association. Oklahoma ranks No. 48 nationally in teacher pay at $44,343. The national average is $55,623, according to the National Education Association.
Oklahoma tax burdens relatively manageable
Does Oklahoma’s individual income tax really put the state at a competitive disadvantage? Is the state’s debt level really that worrisome? Is the state’s tax structure really all that terrible? A just-released, in-depth analysis of state-by-state tax burdens sheds a lot of light on these and other tax-related questions, some of which are currently generating debate in Oklahoma. Bottom line: The analysis demonstrates we really don’t have it all that bad in Oklahoma when it comes to paying taxes and debt. In fact, in most measures, we’re better off than lots of other Americans. The report also makes it clear that tax policy has to be viewed in its totality; focusing on just one type of tax – as our state leaders do in obsessing over the income tax – doesn’t paint the whole picture.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Taxing our way to prosperity
Oklahomans enjoy one of the lowest overall tax burdens in the nation (See Janet Pearson’s column). That’s swell if you overlook Oklahoma’s status as a bottom-feeder on nearly every quality of life survey. Our residents are disproportionately unhealthy and poor; we stiff our kids on per-pupil education spending and our teachers on pay; we try to solve our crime issues with one of the highest per-capita incarceration rates in the nation. Our social-services safety net, and yes, we do need one in a place with such high levels of poverty, is frayed. Oklahoma’s public infrastructure is only so-so at best. Does any Oklahoman brag about the roads and bridges? The new trend by leaders is to turn down federal money whenever possible. Will that include rejecting federal highway money? Phased-in cuts to the state’s personal income tax over the past decade have not exactly made Oklahoma to business and population growth what the Turks and Cacaos or Cancun are to destination weddings.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Some Oklahoma legislation is dead for the year, some may rise again
The Oklahoma Legislature took six weeks to dispose of about two-thirds of the 2,540 bills and resolutions filed this session. It’ll need most of the next eight weeks to handle the remaining 855. Most bills and resolutions not advancing from their chamber of origin by now are, technically, dormant and can be brought up again next session. A few, though, may rise well before then, showing up as amendments to other bills that did survive the first two rounds of deadlines. That said, it is worth noting some of the legislation that, at least for now, is on the discard pile.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Horse slaughter bill appears unstoppable
The horse-slaughter train is roaring down the track and it appears there will be no stopping it. House Bill 1999 would allow the slaughtering of horses in Oklahoma and shipment of the meat to other countries. Horse meat is not consumed as food in the United States. The measure has passed the House, cleared committee in the Senate and might be taken up on the Senate floor as early as Tuesday. There is something about the rush to pass this misconceived legislation that doesn’t smell right. The measure passed a Senate committee last week on a unanimous vote, with no discussion or debate. It is ludicrous to think that an issue as controversial as this would not prompt debate, or at least a few questions raised.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
See also: Poll finds Oklahoma voters strongly oppose horse slaughter from SoonerPoll
Q&A with OU Professor Robert Dauffenbach on the economies of Oklahoma and the U.S.
Q: People who pay attention to economic news can be overwhelmed by data and stories coming from all directions, especially with the 24/7 media. It’s difficult to sift out the politics and sensationalism. Please tell us your view of where the national economy is today. A: Sure. It’s not easy to assess how the overall economy is doing at a given time, and trends can be affected by events unfolding in the U.S. and around the world. Having said that, I look to the rate of employment growth as the best lens to see what is going on now and over time. Personal income data are important, too, but come to us only with a considerable lag.
National nonprofits leader rallies Oklahoma groups as they face sequestration, budget cuts
The leader of the National Council of Nonprofits recently visited Oklahoma to rally nonprofit organizations to unite as they face government budget cuts and sequestration, a struggling economy and other challenges. Tim Delaney, the national council’s president and CEO, urged nonprofits to get involved with public policy as he tossed out statistics involving nonprofits, such as these: Nonprofits saw an 85 percent increase in demand for services in 2011 and expect a bigger jump this year. Nationally, 300 million people were served by nonprofits and 63 million people volunteered. 16 percent of Oklahomans live in poverty, but resources to care for them are decreasing. Congress passed 239 laws in the last two years, but state legislatures passed 69,000 bills.
Oklahoma letter carriers fight for Saturday USPS delivery
Dozens of letter carriers braved the cold to fight for Saturday delivery. Last month, the U.S. Postmaster General announced plans to do away with the service. Postal workers fear the end of Saturday delivery could also mean the end of the USPS,so they’re rallying for support from Tulsans and Congress. True to their motto, the brisk wind and chilly temperature couldn’t keep area postal service supporters from fighting for the agency they all love so much. “All we do is provide a service,” retired USPS worker John Harrison said. “We’re connecting people in this country and overseas that are serving this country with mail.”
Quote of the Day
If I am wrong: Prove it. Implement JRI in good faith, as envisioned in existing law, and as proven effective in Texas and a half-dozen other states. Call it “Smart on Crime” or “Right on Crime” if you prefer, but implement the law enacted last year. Otherwise, repeal the legislation and revert honestly to the “tough-on-crime” approach and its unsustainable costs for all of us — and loss of hope for those who, having broken the law, could be rescued, restored and renewed with programs that have worked elsewhere.
–Patrick McGuigan, writing in CapitolBeatOK that Governor Fallin may be derailing criminal justice reform as a power play against former House Speaker Kris Steele
Number of the Day
8.5 percent
Percentage of Oklahomans with a felony conviction, 2011
Source: Tulsa World via Oklahoma Policy Institute
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
Unfit for Work: The startling rise of disability in America
In the past three decades, the number of Americans who are on disability has skyrocketed. The rise has come even as medical advances have allowed many more people to remain on the job, and new laws have banned workplace discrimination against the disabled. Every month, 14 million people now get a disability check from the government. The federal government spends more money each year on cash payments for disabled former workers than it spends on food stamps and welfare combined. Yet people relying on disability payments are often overlooked in discussions of the social safety net. People on federal disability do not work. Yet because they are not technically part of the labor force, they are not counted among the unemployed. In other words, people on disability don’t show up in any of the places we usually look to see how the economy is doing. But the story of these programs — who goes on them, and why, and what happens after that — is, to a large extent, the story of the U.S. economy. It’s the story not only of an aging workforce, but also of a hidden, increasingly expensive safety net.
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