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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. E-mail your suggestions for In The Know items to gperry@okpolicy.org. You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail. In the Know will be on break over the holidays and will resume January 3rd.
The Senate budget committee chair said tax cuts should still be on the table, even after news of a potential $150 million budget shortfall. The OK Policy Blog explained that new revenue numbers show a slow, incomplete recovery that will fall far short of restoring key services to pre-downturn levels. The Oklahoma Commission for Human Services voted to settle a federal class-action lawsuit against the state’s foster care system.
Gov. Fallin thinks repairing the crumbling state Capitol building should be a priority. Oklahoma City Councilman Ed Shadid said the city is wasting millions of dollars paying incentives to a company to move to Oklahoma City, when it was going to do so anyway. The Oklahoma Supreme Court threw out part of a new workers’ compensation law that excluded chiropractors from serving as medical examiners.
The OK Policy Blog shared some of our favorite Oklahoma bloggers. In today’s Policy Note, the National Women’s Law Center reports that a female worker still makes 77 cents for each dollar earned by a man in a comparable job; the gap hasn’t budged in the last decade. The Number of the Day is Oklahoma’s rank among the states for percentage of women in the state legislature.
In The News
Reducing Oklahoma’s income tax is still possible, officials say
“We’re going to have a very difficult time in flat out doing an elimination, but I think the discussion will be a healthy one,” said Sen. Clark Jolley, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “It will be something that the Legislature will have to take a look at. “We need to look at taking every step possible to making sure that Oklahomans get to keep what they earn,” said Jolley, R-Edmond. “You’ve got a major competitor in Texas and with the discussions that Kansas is having on eliminating the income tax I think it’s imperative for Oklahoma to aggressively try to make sure the income tax is as low as it can possibly get.” Spending estimates approved by a state budget board Tuesday indicate Oklahoma could have a shortfall of about $150 million next year.
Read more from NewsOK at http://newsok.com/reducing-oklahomas-income-tax-is-still-possible-officials-say/article/3633725#ixzz1hB0o7XgB
Revenue forecast confirms need for caution
On Tuesday, the Board of Equalization certified a preliminary estimate of the revenues available for next year’s budget. The numbers confirm that while the worst of the fiscal crisis is over, the state is experiencing a slow, incomplete recovery that will fall far short of restoring key services to pre-downturn levels. The preliminary FY ’13 estimates, developed by the Oklahoma Tax Commission and Office of State Finance, will form the basis for the Governor’s Executive Budget that will be delivered in early February; the Board will meet again in mid-February to provide revised estimates that will be binding on the 2012 Legislature.
Read more from the OK Policy Blog at https://okpolicy.org/revenue-forecast-confirms-need-for-caution/
DHS foster care suit settlement OK’d
The Oklahoma Commission for Human Services voted 6-3 late Tuesday to settle a federal class-action lawsuit over the state’s foster care system. The suit, filed three years ago, alleges abuses in the state’s child welfare system. The commission, which governs the Department of Human Services, began meeting in executive session with Attorney General Scott Pruitt and federal Magistrate T. Lane Wilson about 6 p.m. At 10:50 p.m., the commission reconvened and voted to settle the lawsuit.
Read more from the Tulsa World at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=14&articleid=20111221_11_A1_CUTLIN219934
Repairing Oklahoma Capitol should be priority, Fallin says
Repairs to the crumbling state Capitol should be a high priority, even if it means paying for them with a bond issue, Gov. Mary Fallin said Tuesday. “I am certainly open to a bond issue with targeted needs,” Fallin said. “Certainly the state Capitol is one of those items that should be on a potential bond-issue list.” Covered scaffolding has been in place since September on the southeast entrance of the Capitol to protect those entering and leaving the building from falling pieces of limestone. Cautionary fencing also is placed along the south steps of the Capitol; those entering the building on the southeast side must use the handicapped entrance and walk under the 20-foot-long wood-covered scaffolding.
Read more from NewsOK at http://newsok.com/repairing-oklahoma-capitol-should-be-priority-fallin-says/article/3633726#ixzz1hBBD6lKM
$7.2M job creation incentives deal with Continental Resources is approved by Oklahoma City Council
A $7.2 million job creation incentives package with Continental Resources was approved Tuesday by the Oklahoma City Council, but not without dissent by a member who argued the company planned to move to downtown Oklahoma City from Enid without such assistance. The $7.2 million is from a $75 million general-obligation limited tax bond issue approved by voters in 2007. The same fund was tapped to sway Boeing into moving more than 200 aircraft maintenance jobs from Long Beach, Calif. “I’m personally heartbroken,” Councilman Ed Shadid said. “We’re borrowing $7.2 million for something that was going to happen anyway. We’re not getting anything for this money that wasn’t going to happen anyway.”
Read more from NewsOK at http://newsok.com/7.2m-job-creation-incentives-deal-with-continental-resources-is-approved-by-oklahoma-city-council/article/3633685#ixzz1hBDzdQJJ
Part of Oklahoma’s new workers’ comp law is tossed out
The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out part of a new workers’ compensation law that excluded chiropractors from serving as independent medical examiners in workers’ compensation cases. The law, which enacted a new workers’ compensation code, prohibited all but licensed medical doctors or licensed doctors of osteopathy from serving as independent medical examiners for the state’s workers’ compensation court. The law was passed and signed into law this year and went into effect Aug. 26.
Read more from NewsOK at http://newsok.com/part-of-oklahomas-new-workers-comp-law-is-tossed-out/article/3633765#ixzz1hBF39Gjx
Blogging about blogs
Last year, we listed some of Oklahoma’s best politics and policy blogs of the left, right, and center. We shared 15 blogs that are written by Oklahomans, have a political or policy focus, and are likely to keep you informed, amused, enlightened or outraged. Follow the link to rediscover those blogs, most of which continue to post regularly. Rather then repeat ourselves this time around, we are broadening our focus to look at blogs covering other aspects of Oklahoma.
Read more from the OK Policy Blog at https://okpolicy.org/blogging-about-blogs/
Quote of the Day
We should celebrate the positive indicators of recovery while proceeding with thoughtfulness and caution in the coming fiscal year.
Number of the Day
49th
Oklahoma’s rank for percentage of women in the state legislature, 12.8 percent in 2011.
Source: Center for American Women in Politics
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
The Wage Gap: Women Still Make Less Than Men
Women have supported families; entered formerly male-only institutions and workplaces; and demanded better working conditions and pay, facilitated by a growing societal appreciation for gender equality. The insidious undercurrent to this progress, unfortunately, is our nation’s persistent wage gap. Women still make less than men.
Read more from the National Women’s Law Center at http://www.nwlc.org/our-blog/wage-gap-women-still-make-less-men
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