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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 an ecumenical faith group asked Gov. Fallin and the state Legislature to reconsider the refusal of federal funds to expand Medicaid in Oklahoma, calling on elected leaders to look beyond politics to the moral consequences of their decisions. A proposal to allow Oklahoma public school teachers to bring handguns into the classroom was revived in the House.
More than 2,000 high school seniors haven’t passed enough state-mandated end-of-instruction exams to graduate this year, according to survey data released by the state Education Department. A greater percentage of Oklahoma high school graduates are taking Advanced Placement exams and receiving passing scores than in previous years, but the state still lags behind the national average.
The OK Policy Blog features a guest post looking at Oklahoma’s foster care system through the eyes of a child. Oklahoma Corrections Department Director Justin Jones and board member Steve Burrage clashed over whether the department has been open about three agency revolving funds. Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn (R) introduced an amendment stop allowing professional sports leagues to qualify as tax-exempt organizations.
The Number of the Day is the percentage of babies born in Oklahoma that are low birth weight. In today’s Policy Note, Wonkblog debunks a story making the rounds that Congress is trying to exempt itself from Obamacare.
In The News
Group of Oklahoma pastors urge Gov. Mary Fallin to accept federal Medicaid expansion
Calling on elected leaders to look beyond politics to the moral consequences of certain decisions, an ecumenical faith group on Thursday asked Gov. Mary Fallin and the state Legislature to reconsider the refusal of federal funds to expand Medicaid in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Conference of Churches, a group of 16 Christian faith organizations in Oklahoma, submitted a “pastoral letter” to Fallin’s office regarding her decision last year to reject Medicaid expansion funding through the federal Affordable Care Act also known as Obamacare. The Rev. William Tabbernee, the conference’s executive director, said the diverse faith communities’ commitment to aiding the poor was integral in their decision to unite on the issue.
Bill to allow guns in the classroom revived in House
The proposal to allow trained Oklahoma public school teachers to bring handguns to schools, which misfired earlier this session, has new life. But it may be short-lived. A week after the governor signed four bills into law recommended by a special panel as a way to keep students safe, the House of Representatives approved an amendment Thursday that contained the text of House Bill 1062, which called for the arming of qualified teachers or administrators. HB 1062 passed the House last month, but the chairman of a Senate committee decided not to give it a hearing.
Survey says more than 25 percent of Oklahoma City seniors have not completed graduation tests
More than 2,000 high school seniors haven’t passed enough state-mandated end-of-instruction exams to graduate this year, according to survey data released Thursday by the state Education Department. Statewide, school districts report 7 percent of seniors haven’t passed enough EOIs to graduate, according to state Education Department data. In Oklahoma City, more than 1 in 4 seniors haven’t passed enough exams to graduate, even though graduation for most high schools is a month away. Oklahoma City Superintendent Karl Springer said the numbers are wrong. “They’re not accurate,” Springer said Thursday evening. “Probably it’s a communication problem.”
Oklahoma students lag nation in Advanced Placement test exams, scores
A greater percentage of Oklahoma high school graduates are taking Advanced Placement exams and receiving passing scores than in previous years, but the state still lags behind the national average growth in both respects, officials said Thursday. At a state Board of Education meeting, administrators from the Oklahoma State Department of Education shared the latest statistics from the AP program, which enables students to take college-level courses and earn college credit or placement through exams while still in high school. Among 2012 high school graduates from Oklahoma, 22.6 percent had taken at least one AP exam during their schooling, compared to the national average of 32.4 percent. That ranked Oklahoma 29th in the nation. The state fared much worse – 39th in the nation – in a state-by-state comparison of high school graduates who had earned a passing score. That figure was 11.2 percent in Oklahoma, compared to a national average of 19.5 percent.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child (Guest Post: Camille Landry)
This is the third article in Camille’s series, “Neglected Oklahoma”, focused on Oklahomans who find themselves in a position where the basic necessities of life are hard to come by. The people whose stories we tell are real people and their stories are true. Details have been changed to protect their privacy. FEBRUARY: We are at home watching TV when the police and a lady come to our door. They say we all have to go with them. My little brother starts to cry and I pick him up. The policeman pulls him out of my arms. They put us all in a car. The lady comes out with a garbage bag full of stuff and my backpack. I say where is my mom? They say she is okay. But I hear them talking and they say my mama is in jail.
Read more from the OK Policy Blog.
Oklahoma Corrections director clashes with board member over financial transparency
Oklahoma Corrections Department Director Justin Jones and board member Steve Burrage publicly clashed Thursday over whether staff members have been open with board members and state officials in discussing $22 million in three agency revolving funds. “We were very transparent about it,” Jones told board members, citing reports given to the governor and legislative officials during the budgeting process. “The transparency is there. Could it be better? Absolutely.” Burrage challenged Jones’ claim of transparency. Burrage said it took him “several requests” to obtain specific information from staff members regarding beginning balances, receipts and disbursements from the three funds.
Sen. Coburn seeks to remove nonprofit status of professional sports leagues
Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn (R) today introduced an amendment to the Marketplace Fairness Act that would end the practice of allowing professional sports leagues to qualify as tax-exempt organizations, a move that would hit leagues like the National Football League, the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour, and the National Hockey League, among others. Since 1966, the tax code has allowed leagues to classify as 501(c)(6) charitable organizations — a classification used by trade and industry organizations — under the assumption that the leagues were promoting the general value of their sports. But Coburn’s amendment asserts that the leagues are not non-profits engaged in the promotion of their sports but instead are businesses interested solely in the promotion of their business.
Read more from Think Progress.
Quote of the Day
The choice is between sustaining the lives of the poor versus speculation about financial sustainability three years from now. In the meantime the health care-related economy should grow and nonurban medical care will be bolstered. Most importantly, lives will be saved, as will the dignity of the poor and working poor.
–Rev. Stan Basler, in a NewsOK letter to the editor urging Gov. Fallin to accept federal funds to extend Medicaid
Number of the Day
8.2 percent
Percentage of babies born in Oklahoma that are low birth weight, compared to 6 percent nationally in 2013
Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
No, Congress isn’t trying to exempt itself from Obamacare
There’s a Politico story making the rounds that says that members of Congress are engaged in secret, sensitive negotiations to exempt themselves and their staffs from Obamacare. Well, they were secret, anyway. If this sounds unbelievable, it’s because it is. There’s no effort to “exempt” Congress from Obamacare. No matter how this shakes out, Congress will have to follow the law, just like everyone else does. Based on conversations I’ve had with a number of the staffs involved in these talks, the actual issue here is far less interesting, and far less explosive, than an exemption.
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