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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 school leaders are questioning majors expansions of funding to for-profit online charter schools in the Department of Education’s mid-year allocations. Sen. Patrick Anderson has filed legislation to replace Oklahoma’s income tax with a flat tax. The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality is scrambling to come up with $2 million to comply with new federal clean drinking water rules, or else regulation will be taken over by the EPA.
Hobby Lobby will shift the beginning of its employee health plan to temporarily stave off millions of dollars in fines for not offering contraception coverage. Nico Gomez, a longtime employee of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, has been named the new chief executive of the agency. Oklahoma Policy Institute is pleased to announce the addition of a new health policy analyst, Tiece Dempsey, who will amplify our position as a respected, credible voice on state health care issues.
An FBI agent was shot in the leg in what authorities say was an accidental shooting at an Edmond gun range used exclusively by law enforcement. Rep. Mike Reynolds is suing Gov. Fallin and other state officials demanding that they recover more than $2 million in state tax dollars given to a private, nonprofit livestock show.
The Number of the Day is the number of mothers and infants provided food, diapers and basic health care by Planned Parenthood’s West Tulsa WIC clinic last year; the clinic closed after the state terminated their contract. In today’s Policy Note, Mother Jones examined research showing that gasoline lead is responsible for a good share of the rise and fall of violent crime over the past half century.
In The News
State aid to for-profit online schools questioned
The annual process of adjusting schools’ state aid allocations mid-year has brought more disappointment than relief, even in Tulsa’s fastest-growing suburbs. For the second year in a row, expansions primarily by online charter schools drew a significant share of the funds set aside that previously would have been distributed among traditional public schools. Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy, a new statewide charter school sponsored by the Choctaw-Nicoma Park school district in Oklahoma County, has about 2,265 students this year and received nearly $10.5 million in midyear allocations. By comparison, the Harrah school district in the same county has virtually the same number of students, at 2,231, but lost more than $75,000 in mid-year adjustments for a total of just $6.05 million.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Anderson files bill to replace state’s income tax with flat tax
Sen. Patrick Anderson has filed legislation to replace Oklahoma’s current income tax with a flat tax of 2.95 percent. Anderson, R-Enid, said his plan, outlined in Senate Bill 240, is simple, fair and revenue neutral. He also said his plan would result in Oklahoma having the lowest income tax rate of the 43 states that impose an income tax. SB 240 would eliminate all income tax deductions, credits and exemptions, Anderson said. House Democratic leaders came out against Anderson’s proposal. “It may be revenue neutral to the state,” said House Democratic Leader Scott Inman, D-Del City, “but it’s devastating to the poor, to the disabled, to veterans and to retirees.”
Read more from the Enid News & Eagle.
Oklahoma needs $2 million to prevent federal takeover of drinking water regulation
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality is scrambling to come up with the money to comply with new federal clean drinking water regulations. If it can’t, the state could have its power to regulate the safety of drinking water revoked by the Environmental Protection Agency. The DEQ says they need $2 million to cover the costs of complying with three EPA rules put in place in 2005 and 2006. The state environmental agency has asked the Oklahoma Legislature for the funding for three years.
Read more from StateImpact Oklahoma.
Hobby Lobby shifts health plan to avoid penalties for not covering contraception
Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. will shift the beginning of its employee health plan to temporarily stave off potentially millions of dollars in fines while its legal challenge to a federal mandate on emergency contraceptives proceeds. The shift will allow Hobby Lobby to dodge penalties for several months that are part of the Affordable Care Act, the company said Thursday. The health care law requires the company to cover the cost of the emergency contraceptives for its employees or face up to $1.3 million in fines each day it fails to comply with the law, beginning at the inception of their insurance plan year.
Okla. Medicaid panel taps Gomez to head agency
A longtime employee of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority has been named as the new chief executive of the agency that oversees the Medicaid program in the state. The authority’s governing board voted unanimously Thursday to appoint 41-year-old Nico Gomez to head the agency that has about 470 employees and an annual operating budget of more than $5 billion. The board approved an annual salary of $152,000, plus additional incentives to be determined later.
Welcome to our new policy analyst, Tiece Dempsey
Oklahoma Policy Institute is pleased to announce the addition of a new health policy analyst, Tiece Dempsey, who will amplify our position as a respected, credible voice on state health care issues. We strive to provide data-driven information, analysis and ideas on Oklahoma’s most urgent and pressing health matters, and we’re very excited to be expanding that work with a dedicated new staff member. Tiece is an Oklahoma City native and holds a B.S. in General Business from Oklahoma State University and a Masters in Health Administration from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She worked in the healthcare industry for approximately five years before deciding to attend law school. She graduated from Oklahoma City University School of Law and was admitted to practice law in Oklahoma in September 2012.
Read more from the OK Policy Blog.
FBI agent wounded in Edmond gun range shooting
An FBI agent was shot in the leg in what authorities say was an accidental shooting at an Edmond gun range used exclusively by law enforcement. FBI spokesman Rick Rains said the agent is in stable condition at an Oklahoma City hospital after the Thursday afternoon shooting. Rains declined to release the agent’s name or to say whether he shot himself or was shot by another agent while about 10 agents were taking part in a training exercise at the gun range.
Gov., others sued over Oklahoma Youth Expo money
An Oklahoma lawmaker is suing Gov. Mary Fallin and other state officials demanding that they recover more than $2 million in state tax dollars given to a private, nonprofit livestock show in what the lawmaker says was an “informal” deal that was never approved by the Legislature. Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, filed the lawsuit more than two months after he hand-delivered letters to Fallin and the other officials demanding that they recover the money. Reynolds’ attorney, Andrew Karim, said Thursday that Reynolds filed the lawsuit after he received no response to his letter, which was signed by 146 Oklahoma taxpayers, including Reynolds.
Read more from the Associated Press.
Quote of the Day
Online schooling is big business, and it would be a mistake for Oklahomans to fail to keep a watchful eye on it.
–Bixby Superintendent Kyle Wood, who said he is disturbed by the amount of state aid being diverted to for-profit virtual schools
Number of the Day
6,474
Mothers and infants provided food, diapers and basic health care by Planned Parenthood’s West Tulsa WIC clinic last year; the clinic closed after the state terminated their contract.
Source: Oklahoma State Department of Health
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
America’s Real Criminal Element: Lead
New research finds lead is the hidden villain behind violent crime, lower IQs, and even the ADHD epidemic. We now have studies at the international level, the national level, the state level, the city level, and even the individual level. Groups of children have been followed from the womb to adulthood, and higher childhood blood lead levels are consistently associated with higher adult arrest rates for violent crimes. All of these studies tell the same story: Gasoline lead is responsible for a good share of the rise and fall of violent crime over the past half century.
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