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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.
The Tulsa World reported that supervisors at the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office were ordered to falsify a reserve deputy’s training records, giving him credit for field training he never took and firearms certifications he should not have received. A deputy who made a callous comment to a man who had just been shot claims he did not hear the gunshot and didn’t know the man had been wounded. Ginnie Graham wrote that the incident has added to Oklahoma’s recent pattern of inspiring hashtags of shame on social media.
The Tulsa World editorial board wrote that a generous compensation package for new Superintendent Deborah Gist could create a perception problem with the district’s poorly paid teachers. Outgoing Tulsa Superintendent Keith Ballard wrote a NewsOK op-ed praising the district’s collaboration with Teach for America. With testing already underway, public schools are having troubling finding enough volunteer test monitors. Jenks Principal Rob Miller wrote that Oklahoma’s system of high-stakes testing resembles a coach being evaluated on a single game that he’s not allowed to attend at a school where every child is required to play football.
The Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics is struggling to keep its doors open amid a funding crisis, as legislators discuss making even more cuts. Oklahoma Health Commissioner Terry Cline said there could be dire consequences if the Legislature doesn’t fund a new public health lab during the current session. A new poll shows that 60 percent of Oklahoma voters support delaying or canceling a planned income tax cut during the budget shortfall, and 74 percent of voters believe the state is not spending enough on education. Oklahomans can contact legislators about cancelling the tax cut using this online form.
David Blatt’s Journal Record column called on legislators to honor the memory of Rep. David Dank by taking real action to end wasteful tax breaks. The Oklahoma House has approved legislation that eliminates a tax credit for the state’s wind energy industry. Several issues related to wind power development have been lively topics of debate in this year’s Legislature.
Oklahoma’s drug overdose death count set a new record in 2014, despite efforts to curtail overprescribing and raise public awareness of the crisis. Terminally ill patients in Oklahoma would have access to experimental medications that are not yet available in pharmacies under a bill that is heading to the governor’s desk. The Senate voted to legalize cannabis oil for kids who have uncontrollable seizures. NewsOn6 reported on a couple struggling to get care for their autistic son, because Oklahoma is one of just 10 states that doesn’t require insurance companies to cover autism.
A bill to end restrictions on beer sales in Oklahoma has been sent to a conference committee, where it is expected to stay until next session. A bill that sets up a regulatory framework in Oklahoma for ridesharing programs such as Uber and Lyft passed the state Senate on Wednesday, but not before a provision protecting gay and transgender passengers from discrimination was removed. Tulsa’s updated zoning code could increase the amount of affordable housing in the city. A Seattle zoo has sent two elephants on their long journey to a new home in Oklahoma City after a federal appeals court declined to block the transfer.
The Number of the Day is 25.6% – the percentage of Oklahomans claiming itemized deductions on federal taxes in 2012. In today’s Policy Note, the Huffington Post reported that a federal law change finally allows Native American tribal courts to investigate and prosecute non-Native men who abuse Native women on reservations.
In The News
Sources: Supervisors told to falsify reserve deputy’s training records
Supervisors at the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office were ordered to falsify a reserve deputy’s training records, giving him credit for field training he never took and firearms certifications he should not have received, sources told the Tulsa World. At least three of reserve deputy Robert Bates’ supervisors were transferred after refusing to sign off on his state-required training, multiple sources speaking on condition of anonymity told the World.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Sheriff’s Office confirms names of deputies in video, says they didn’t hear gunshot
A deputy who made a callous comment to a man who had just been shot did not hear the gunshot and didn’t know the man had been wounded, sheriff’s officials told the Tulsa World. When asked by the World to confirm whether two names on a court witness list were those of the deputies depicted in a video of the fatal shooting, Undersheriff Tim Albin confirmed their names.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Oklahoma becomes land of troubling hashtag makers
Back to the top of the national news again. This time it’s the shooting death of an unarmed man by a 73-year-old volunteer reserve sheriff’s deputy who thought he had a Taser. When the suspect yelled that he couldn’t breathe, another officer responded with, “F— your breath.” That phrase is now a hashtag on Twitter and other social media sites. Oklahoma has become a beacon for inspiring hashtags of shame.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Gist salary creates perception problem with teachers
The Tulsa school board approved a three-year contract valued at nearly $1.2 million with new superintendent Deborah Gist last week. Gist’s contract is a big step up from the one held by Superintendent Keith Ballard. Ballard’s final year compensation package will cost TPS $371,851 if he remains through June 30 and earns a $70,000 retention bonus.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Tulsa schools superintendent: Reigniting partnership and collaboration in our schools
Great teachers and leaders are essential to district and school success. We’ve embraced community collaboration and partnership because we believe both are fundamental to achieving and sustaining excellence in the classroom. One example of collaboration in action is the partnership TPS has developed with Teach For America.
Help wanted: Schools struggling to meet state requirements for test monitors
State-mandated testing requires test monitors to keep the process honest. But it’s a hard sell to parents and other would-be volunteers. With testing already underway, public schools all over the area are under pressure to find enough monitors fast. School officials say the creation of new, specific guidelines for how special education and English Language Learners are to be tested, combined with fewer volunteers materializing for the unpleasant task of “test proctors” has them pleading with parents like never before.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
The New World of Teaching!
Imagine yourself as the head coach of a high school football team. At your school, every child is required to play football, so you coach them all—the athletic and talented ones, as well as the small, awkward, uncoordinated ones. Now imagine that your team is scheduled for only one game this year. A game in which you, the coach, will not be allowed to watch or participate.
Read more from The View From the Edge.
Oklahoma science & math school “down to the bone” on state funding
The Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics (OSSM) is in the middle of a funding crisis, much like the entire education system. Officials say the state profits from their graduates, but they need funding to keep the doors open. OSSM’s state funding has been cut 22 percent over the last five years. As a result, students have been turned away and faculty and staff have been let go.
Will the Legislature fund a new public health lab? Officials say dire consequences ahead
Oklahoma Health Commissioner Terry Cline said Tuesday he is concerned about what will happen if the Legislature doesn’t fund a new public health lab during the current session. The public health lab, located in the lower floors of the state Health Department building, has experienced an increasing number of structural issues, including a faulty air-conditioning unit that flooded the lab, drains that frequently back up and no room to expand.
New poll: Majority of Oklahomans favor halting tax cut amid budget shortfall
A new poll shows that 60 percent of Oklahoma voters support delaying or canceling the income tax cut scheduled for 2016, and only 33 percent still want the tax cut to go forward while the state has a large budget shortfall. Before hearing any other information about the tax cut, 62 percent of Oklahoma voters said Oklahoma has cut the state income tax too much or the right amount, compared to just 27 percent who said it has not been cut enough.
Read more from the OK Policy Blog.
Do the right thing for Dank
Few legislators in recent decades have worked on any issue as passionately and stubbornly as state Rep. David Dank worked on tax credit reform. Dank died suddenly last week, in the middle of his ninth legislative session, with his goal of reforming Oklahoma’s numerous tax breaks still unfulfilled. For years, Dank railed, in often colorful language, against what he saw as government giveaways that were not cost-effective at creating jobs or stimulating investment.
Read more from the Journal Record.
House Votes To Eliminate Tax Credit For Wind Industry
The Oklahoma House has approved legislation that eliminates a tax credit for the state’s wind energy industry. The House voted 85-3 for the measure Wednesday and sent it to the state Senate. The measure’s House sponsor, Republican Rep. Earl Sears of Bartlesville, says the bill prohibits companies engaged in utilizing the wind to produce electricity from claiming the state’s new investment tax credit.
See also: The wind energy debate comes sweeping down to the Capitol from the OK Policy Blog.
Overdose Deaths Set New Record
Oklahoma’s drug overdose death count set a new record in 2014, despite efforts by experts and enforcers to curtail overprescribing and raise public awareness of the crisis. Statistics provided to Oklahoma Watch by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs show that 864 people died from overdoses last year, up from 821 in 2013. The previous record was 850 deaths in 2012.
Read more from Oklahoma Watch.
Senate OKs Bill Giving Patients Access to Experimental Meds
Terminally ill patients in Oklahoma would have access to experimental medications that are not yet available in pharmacies under a bill that is heading to the governor’s desk. The Senate voted unanimously on Tuesday for the “Right to Try Act” by Oklahoma City Democrat Richard Morrissette. The bill already passed the House and now heads to Gov. Mary Fallin for consideration.
Read more from Public Radio Tulsa.
Senate Votes On ‘Katie’s Bill’ To Allow Trials Of CBD Oil In Oklahoma
The Senate voted on legalizing cannabis oil for kids who have uncontrollable seizures, Wednesday. Many people say this could change and save the lives of hundreds of Oklahoma children. The House already passed the bill 99-2. So supporters said a yes vote from the Senate was the final hurdle.
Oklahoma Families Claim Autistic Children Being Left Behind
April is Autism awareness month, but one family said their autistic son is getting left behind now that his treatment is being stopped. The Ryan family has struggled to get the right type of therapy for years but recently found Applied Behavior Analysis treatment, or ABA, and said it’s helped their son. The therapy is expensive, and only affordable through insurance, but the Ryans said it has been dropped. Oklahoma, along with nine other states, doesn’t require insurance providers to cover Autism insurance.
Cold beer bill OK’d by House but may be shelved until next session
Oklahoma’s “cold beer act” is going back in the cooler for a while. Senate Bill 383, by Sen. Stephanie Bice, R-Oklahoma City, passed the House of Representatives 68-21 on Wednesday and is headed for a conference committee, where it is expected to stay until next session. “Going into conference until next session” is often a euphemism for “going away and not coming back,” but in this case, it probably isn’t. Legislators appear keen to fashion some meaningful alcohol reform legislation from SB 383 before someone with an initiative petition beats them to it.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Oklahoma Bill on Uber Deletes Protection for Gay Riders
A bill that sets up a regulatory framework in Oklahoma for ridesharing programs such as Uber and Lyft passed the state Senate on Wednesday, but not before a provision protecting gay and transgender passengers from discrimination was removed. Uber and Lyft, among the most popular ridesharing programs, already have policies in place that prohibit discrimination against customers based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Zoning Code Update Could Help Add Affordable Housing
Tulsa’s updated zoning code could increase the amount of affordable housing in the city. In a presentation to the city’s fair housing committee, a consultant covered a handful of changes that could help, including a new small-lot district classification. Small-lot districts would have 30-feet wide lots about 40 percent smaller in area than the current smallest residential zones. A variety of building types, including multi-unit houses, could be allowed.
Read more from Public Radio Tulsa.
2 Elephants Leave Seattle Zoo for Oklahoma City Zoo
A Seattle zoo has sent its two elephants, Bamboo and Chai, on their long journey to a new home in Oklahoma City after a federal appeals court declined to block the transfer. A flatbed truck carrying the elephants’ climate-controlled crates left the Woodland Park Zoo early Wednesday evening on the 2,000-mile trip, expected to take about 40 hours. Activists have said the long trip could endanger the elephants’ health and that their quality of life in Oklahoma would be worse than in Seattle.
Quote of the Day
“Parents want to be supportive of teachers and what you’re asking is ‘Would you come over and watch our teachers and make sure they’re not cheating?’ They’re not supposed to read a book or do anything but watch a teacher give a test.”
– Eric Doss, director at Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences, explaining the difficulty in recruiting parent volunteers to serve as state-required test monitors. New, specific state guidelines mandating test group sizes for special needs students and English Language Learners has schools scrambling to recruit volunteers for the three and a half-week testing season. (Source)
Number of the Day
25.6%
Percentage of Oklahomans claiming itemized deductions on federal taxes in 2012
Source: Pew Trusts.
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
At Last, Violence Against Women Act Lets Tribes Prosecute Non-Native Domestic Abusers
Two years after Congress reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act, Native American tribes can finally take advantage of one of the law’s most significant updates: a provision that allows tribal courts to investigate and prosecute non-Native men who abuse Native women on reservations. Starting Saturday, tribes can claim jurisdiction over non-Native men who commit crimes of domestic violence, dating violence or who violate a protection order against a victim who lives on tribal land. Until now, that jurisdiction has fallen to federal or state law enforcement, who are often hours away from reservations and lack the resources to respond.
Read more from the Huffington Post.
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