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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 the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to decide whether Hobby Lobby can deny their employees birth control coverage. An Oklahoman Editorial commented on hunger and food security in the state, drawing from a new report on the basics of the food security safety net released by Oklahoma Policy Institute.
Oklahoma’s tobacco settlement trust has collected $1 billion thus far for use on a variety of projects. Former Del City police captain was convicted of manslaughter for shooting an unarmed man in the back as he was running away.
Someone has removed a dummy hanging from a tree in a simulated lynching off U.S. Route 412 in Northeast Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City Museum of Art announced showtimes for their screening of the new feature documentary film Inequality for All.
The Number of the Day is the total cost of hunger in the state. In today’s Policy Note, a new report from the Urban Institute looks at why spending on children has fallen while child poverty rises.
In The News
U.S. Supreme Court to hear Hobby Lobby challenge to birth control mandate
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to determine whether Hobby Lobby and a Pennsylvania furniture company can deny their employees federally required birth control coverage that violates the religious beliefs of the company owners. The high court justices accepted cases that have received conflicting decisions in federal appeals courts. Through the cases, the justices could determine whether the for-profit companies have the constitutional right and the leeway under a federal law to reject the birth control mandate that is part of the Affordable Care Act.
Much is being done to address hunger in Oklahoma
AT the Jesus House in Oklahoma City, scores of people turned out Monday in the biting cold for a turkey and a sack of groceries to help them through this Thanksgiving. We’ll see similar displays at shelters and food pantries across the state this holiday season. Indeed, we see them year-round in Oklahoma because so many of our residents are “food insecure” — that is, there’s no guarantee they’ll eat three meals every day. Simply put, they are hungry.
Policy Basics: Oklahoma’s Food Security Safety Net
This year brought impressive economic growth for many Oklahomans. The state unemployment rate is among the lowest in the nation, and our economy is recovering rapidly from the Great Recession. Despite these encouraging indicators, Oklahomans also face serious challenges: rising food costs, a widening income gap, low health rankings, and years of rising poverty and food insecurity.
Read more from Oklahoma Policy Institute
Tobacco settlement funds are working
Oklahoma’s decision to accept a settlement with big tobacco 15 years ago has led to big bucks. More than $1 billion so far. Earnings from the endowment that was started with those payments will continue as long as tobacco is in use and most likely long after.
Jury finds Del City police captain guilty of first-degree manslaughter, gives four-year prison sentence
An Oklahoma County jury found Del City police Capt. Randy Harrison guilty of first-degree manslaughter Tuesday for shooting an unarmed man in the back. The jury chose a sentence of four years in prison. Harrison, 48, remained stoic as he was handcuffed and led out of the courtroom by sheriff’s deputies. Sentencing is set for Jan. 8. An appeal bond in first-degree manslaughter cases are prohibited by state statute, prosecutors said. Dane Scott Jr., 18, was shot after leading police on a chase, scuffling with Harrison and then running away. He was disarmed by Harrison, but the officer said he feared for his life when he fired the fatal shot.
Hanging dummy catches attention of motorists on Cherokee Turnpike
A stuffed dummy with a noose around its neck as it hung from a tree limb has caused a stir with passing motorists along the Cherokee Turnpike this month. The dummy was dressed in a plaid shirt over a black hooded shirt, jeans and black gloves.
Upcoming Event: Inequality For All showing at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art
The United States has by far the most unequal distribution of income out of all developed countries. The top 1 percent of earners holds more than 35 percent of the nation’s overall wealth, while the bottom 50 percent controls just 2.5 percent. As inequality has skyrocketed over the past four decades, middle-class incomes have deteriorated. In 1978 , the typical male worker earned $48,302; in 2010, that worker earned just $33,751.
Read more from Oklahoma Policy Institute
Quote of the Day
“At the Jesus House in Oklahoma City, scores of people turned out Monday in the biting cold for a turkey and a sack of groceries to help them through this Thanksgiving. We’ll see similar displays at shelters and food pantries across the state this holiday season. Indeed, we see them year-round in Oklahoma because so many of our residents are “food insecure” — that is, there’s no guarantee they’ll eat three meals every day. Simply put, they are hungry.”
Number of the Day
$2.38 billion
Total cost of hunger in the state – including, among other things, medical expenses and loss of potential revenue that healthier adults could have otherwise earned
Source: Oklahoma Food Security Committee via NewsOK
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
Spending on Children Is Down, Despite High Child Poverty
Investments in the next generation are threatened in these fiscally austere times. Federal spending on children fell in in 2012, even as many families continued to suffer from unemployment and low earnings. Recent budget deals and long-term trends further threaten spending on children. If it wants to protect children’s programs from future cuts, Congress should take a more balanced approach to deficit-reduction, and include revenue increases in the next budget deal, rather than focusing exclusively on the spending side of the budget ledger.
Read more from Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity
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