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New from OK Policy
Two bills creating the lion’s share of anticipated revenue reduction for FY 2024 (Capitol Update): The State Board of Equalization met recently and certified $190 million less in revenue available for appropriation for Fiscal Year 2024, which begins this week on July 1. The state constitution requires the board to meet in June each year to increase or reduce the funding available for appropriation as the result of measures passed affecting the state’s revenue during the session just ended. Anticipating the loss of revenue, legislators have already taken this reduction in funding into account as they finalized the budget last month. [Steve Lewis / OK Policy]
Oklahoma News
Override of Gov. Stitt’s veto on tribal compacts fails by one vote: The legislative attempt to extend Oklahoma’s agreements with tribes on the collection of tobacco tax and motor vehicle registration revenue has failed, at least for now. Gov. Kevin Stitt had vetoed two bills that would have extended the compacts for another year, but the state Senate fell one vote short of overriding one of the bills on Monday. After the failed vote, Senate leadership adjourned without taking up the other. [The Oklahoman]
- Tobacco compact veto override fails [Journal Record]
- Senate fails to override Stitt veto of compact extension bill [Tulsa World]
Even with SCOTUS decision, Oklahoma AG still expecting ‘much litigation’ on religious charter school: A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding a lower court ruling regarding charter schools may have implications for a recently approved online Catholic charter school in Oklahoma. [Tulsa World]
Federal Government News
Oklahoma receives nearly $800 million from federal program to improve broadband internet access: Oklahoma has nearly $800 million from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to expand broadband access across the state. It’s part of a $42.5 billion federal program called Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) — a component of the Biden-Harris administration’s “Internet for All” initiative. [KOSU]
Oklahoma senator challenges union leader to cage fight: U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin challenged Teamsters leader Sean O’Brien on Monday to a cage fight as the feud between the two men escalated on social media. [The Oklahoman]
- Sen. Markwayne Mullin accepts fight challenge from Teamsters boss [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma ranchers express hopes for bill in Congress: Federal legislation introduced recently by U.S. Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., has farmers and ranchers in the state hopeful for a reprieve from a new antibiotic regulation, according to the American Farmers and Ranchers Cooperative. [Journal Record]
USDA exec visits Summer Feeding Program site at Union school, Cherokee WIC program: As part of a visit across eastern Oklahoma, Deputy Under Secretary of Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Stacy Dean met with students and staff at Union’s Ochoa Elementary School for cereal, fresh peaches, milk and juice. [Tulsa World]
Tribal Nations News
Supreme Court: Tribal sovereign immunity doesn’t extend to bankruptcy court: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday morning that tribes are like any other state or government and cannot use sovereign immunity in Bankruptcy Court. [ICT News]
Supreme Court rejects Navajo Nation’s water rights trust claim: The U.S. Supreme Court said the United States is not required “to take affirmative steps to secure water for the Tribe” because that provision is not explicitly stated in the Navajo Treaty of 1868, according to its ruling in a 5-4 vote in Arizona v. Navajo Nation, released Thursday. The case was the third and final federal Indian law case this term. [ICT News]
Health News
OKC clinic offering affordable, inclusive fertility for all people: Mate Fertility, a startup that opened its flagship clinic in OKC in 2021 and has seen more than 30 babies born, offers fertility services at 30% below the national average and has a mission to bring access to fertility care to populations who haven’t traditionally benefited. [The Oklahoman]
Criminal Justice News
Dan Kirby trial begins with emotional testimony, questions over impairment: Twice-resigned politician Dan Kirby’s involuntary manslaughter trial began today in federal court and featured emotional testimony from a friend of the victim and questions about the conduct of an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper who investigated the scene of Kirby’s fatal motorcycle wreck that killed his girlfriend. [NonDoc]
Economy & Business News
Oil, gas production tax collections trend down in Oklahoma: Recent declines in oil and gas production tax revenues have cut into overall tax collection totals recorded by the state, and a reported decline in expectations for business performance in coming months may indicate a further shift away from record recent tax revenues. [Journal Record]
Average employer costs lower in Oklahoma than in most, BLS reports: A recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reflects that typical hourly costs to private employers associated with individual employees, such as costs of average pay, are lower in the South, the region that includes Oklahoma, than they are in other parts of the United States. [Journal Record]
Starbucks union says Pride weekend strikes closed 21 US stores, vows to disrupt dozens more: The union organizing Starbucks workers said Monday that a strike timed to Pride month closed 21 stores over the weekend, including the company’s flagship Reserve Roastery in Seattle. The strike will continue through this week and is expected disrupt operations at more than 150 stores, Starbucks Workers United said. [Tulsa World]
General News
Power restored to nearly all homes, businesses in NE Oklahoma: Almost all of the homes and businesses in the Tulsa area left without electricity in the wake of a powerful storm on June 18 had been reconnected by Monday. According to PowerOutage.us, only 430 electric utility customers in Oklahoma remained without power on Monday afternoon, as compared to more than 200,000 left in the dark following the night of violent weather. [Journal Record]
Oklahoma Local News
- ‘Missing opportunities’: Edmond officials float bond election to expedite road projects [NonDoc]
- Extra bond money, state funding give boost to Oklahoma City Public Schools [The Oklahoman]
- Broken Arrow school board approves staff stipends, support staff pay raise [Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“No one in Oklahoma besides our federal delegation has the ability to impact what Indian land and the definition is. That’s a plenary power of Congress reserved to them by the U.S. Constitution. I don’t know if the governor doesn’t understand that, or just doesn’t like it. But we’ve still got to follow the law.”
– Oklahoma Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, in response to a statement by Governor Stitt last week when he expressed that he wants to clarify that the tribal-state tobacco compacts only apply to parcels of land held in trust by the federal government on behalf of tribes. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
30%
Rate of children whose parents lack secure employment in Oklahoma. [KIDS COUNT]
Policy Note
Inflation, Health Costs, Partisan Cooperation Among the Nation’s Top Problems: The public’s list of the top problems facing the nation includes inflation, health care affordability, drug addiction and gun violence. Yet the ability of Republicans and Democrats to work together rates about as high on the problems list as these other concerns. And it is one of the few, among 16 problems included, on which there is no partisan divide. [Pew Research Center]
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