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A law firm representing more than 300 Oklahoma school districts has advised them that a new law intended to end payroll deductions for union dues is unenforceable as currently written. The law appeared to be a way for lawmakers to target retribution against the Oklahoma Education Association for not agreeing with their policies. The Tulsa Area Community Intervention Center for troubled juveniles will likely close March 1 when funding runs out and there will be no more state or local money to replace it.
State Sen. Rick Brinkley resigned from his leadership positions in the Senate Monday, amid allegations that he embezzled more than $1 million from his former employer. KGOU shared four takeaways from Oklahoma’s 2015 legislative session in a conversation with several Capitol reporters. CapitolBeatOK summarized different takes on the recent session by Republican Rep. Leslie Osborn and Democratic Rep. Richard Morrissette.
A judge at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission has ruled against Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company’s plans to spend $400 million on replacing an old generating plant and urged the company to explore the addition of wind energy. Just as the Sierra Clubs of Oklahoma and Kansas prepare for an anti-fracking and earthquake rally on Saturday in the northern town of Medford, the northern part of the state was rattled Monday by two earthquakes. The Catholic Diocese of Tulsa has resigned from membership in the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice because of the organization’s involvement in last Saturday’s Tulsa Pride parade.
More Oklahomans are opting out of vaccinating their children, but one lawmaker plans to file legislation next year that would remove the religious and philosophical exemption options. Sales tax collections are off slightly in Oklahoma City compared to this time last year — but will finish near the goal set for the fiscal year that ends June 30. The Number of the Day is 150 – the projected number of lives saved per year if Oklahoma accepts federal funds to expand health coverage to low-income Oklahomans. In today’s Policy Note, the New York Times examines how income inequality is contributing to the United States falling behind on nearly all indicators of mortality, survival and life expectancy.
In The News
New law banning teacher payroll deductions may be unenforceable
School districts are being advised that a new law intended to end payroll deductions for union dues come November is unenforceable as currently written. House Bill 1749 was slammed by leaders of the Oklahoma Education Association as an attempt to silence educators and school support workers. Attorney Doug Mann, whose law firm represents more than 300 of the state’s public school districts, said the new law is “moot” for Oklahoma school districts because of how it was written.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
See also: Oklahoma Legislature has a funny way of supporting education from the OK Policy Blog
Juvenile intervention center struggling again
Operators of the Tulsa Area Community Intervention Center have fought the good fight, trying to keep a valuable service open that’s produced better outcomes for juveniles and reduced police time. The battle to survive, however, likely ends March 1 when funding runs out and there will be no more state or local money to replace it. For Jim Walker, it will be a disappointing end to a program that’s genuinely helped troubled teens, the community and the Tulsa Police Department.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Oklahoma Sen. Rick Brinkley replaced on Senate leadership team
Embattled state Sen. Rick Brinkley resigned from his leadership positions in the upper chamber on Monday. Allegations that Brinkley, R-Owasso, embezzled money from his former employer, the Better Business Bureau of Tulsa, are being investigated by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. The organization filed a lawsuit against Brinkley on Friday seeking to recover more than $1 million.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
4 takeaways from Oklahoma’s 2015 legislative session
The 55th Oklahoma Legislature wrapped up its first session a little over two weeks ago on May 22, one week ahead of the constitutionally required deadline to adjourn. Lawmakers passed bond issues for widely publicized museums in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa. But the $611 million shortfall in the state budget dominated the conversation from January to May, even though details of the $7.1 billion agreement didn’t emerge until shortly before the gavel fell.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers debate impact of recently completed legislative session
One lawmaker described the recently completed legislative session as “strange,” while another asserted that it was unproductive and “incredibly bad.” The post-mortems were aired on the “Your Vote Counts” program that was broadcast Sunday and later was posted to the Internet. Rep. Leslie Osborn, R-Mustang, said efforts to plug the $611 million hole in the state budget “sucked all the air out of the room.”
OGE suffers setback by Corporation Commission judge
An administrative law judge at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission has ruled against Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company’s plans to spend $400 million on replacing the old Mustang generating plant located in west Oklahoma City. He also urged the giant utility to explore the addition of wind energy, a suggestion that was made by those who spoke at a month-long hearing held by Judge Jackson.
Read more from OK Energy Today.
Quakes rattle northern Oklahoma as Sierra Clubs plan anti-fracking rally
Just as the Sierra Clubs of Oklahoma and Kansas prepare for an anti-fracking and earthquake rally on Saturday in the northern town of Medford, the northern part of the state was rattled Monday by two earthquakes. The U.S. Geological Survey said the first tremor, measuring 3.6 magnitude occurred at 8:20 a.m. about 12 miles northwest of Fairview, a Major County town that is located southwest of Medford.
Read more from OK Energy Today.
Tulsa Catholic diocese drops out of OCCJ over Pride parade participation
The Catholic Diocese of Tulsa has resigned from membership in the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice because of the organization’s involvement in last Saturday’s Tulsa Pride parade. Tulsa Pride is billed as the longest-running gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender festival in Oklahoma. It is the first such festival since various court decisions made same-sex marriage legal in Oklahoma.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
More are ‘opting out’ of childhood vaccinations in Oklahoma
Before the test results came back, the doctor told Kristen and Dustin Smith, “I know what this is. I’ve seen this — years ago.” Their infant son, Aiden Smith, was sick with what started as a small cough. When it got worse, the Smiths drove the two hours from their Elk City home to The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City to get their baby boy checked out. And the doctor’s gut feeling was right: Aiden Smith had contracted pertussis, commonly known as “whooping cough.”
Oklahoma City’s year-over-year sales tax collections are down, but fiscal year ends near budget goal
Sales tax collections are off slightly in Oklahoma City compared to this time last year — but will finish near the goal set for the fiscal year that ends June 30. The June 2015 check received Monday is for $34.4 million. That’s down 0.3 percent from June 2014, when the city received $34.5 million. Sales tax is the single biggest contributor to Oklahoma City’s budget, and is the primary source of revenue for city services including police and fire protection.
Quote of the Day
“I don’t recall something like this ever happening before. Because of the way the law was written, it’s truly unenforceable.”
-Tulsa Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Trish Williams, speaking about a new state law that bans school districts from deducting Oklahoma Education Association dues for teachers and other school employees. A law firm representing more than 300 of the state’s public school districts said numerous flaws in the law make it unenforceable (Source).
Number of the Day
150
Projected number of lives saved per year if Oklahoma accepts federal funds to expand health coverage to low-income Oklahomans.
Source: White House Council of Economic Advisers
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
Income Inequality Is Costing the U.S. on Social Issues
Thirty-five years ago, the United States ranked 13th among the 34 industrialized nations that are today in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in terms of life expectancy for newborn girls. These days, it ranks 29th. In 1980, the infant mortality rate in the United States was about the same as in Germany. Today, American babies die at almost twice the rate of German babies.
Read more from the New York Times.
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