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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 Department of Corrections will draw up a request for proposals from private prison companies to provide up to 2,000 additional beds for state inmates. Oklahoma’s Medicaid program had the lowest payment error rate among 17 states.
Oklahoma Policy Institute calculated that tax breaks for horizontal drilling and other oil and gas production are projected to cost the state over $300 million this fiscal year and next. Profitable oil and gas wells in Oklahoma are subsidized by taxpayers more than the Agriculture Dept., Commerce Dept., Corporation Commission, Health Dept., Tax Commission, Arts Council, Veterans Affairs, OETA, Military Dept., and the State Bureau of Investigations combined.
A nonprofit advocacy group recommended that Oklahoma’s flat per-gallon fuel tax be converted to a percentage tax on the wholesale price as a way to increase revenue for transportation infrastructure.
A Tulsa World editorial explored the difficult and expensive task of finding and retaining good public school teachers. Three train trips from the Tulsa area to Oklahoma City on Iowa Pacific’s Eastern Flyer, the first passenger train offered on the stretch in 47 years, have sold out.
In today’s Policy Note, Moyers & Company compiled a primer of the best data and ideas on inequality in America, why it matters, and how to fix it. The Number of the Day is the number of foreclosures completed in Oklahoma in the last twelve months.
In The News
Oklahoma Board of Corrections looks at expanding use of private prison beds
The Oklahoma Board of Corrections is looking at three options to deal with overcrowding at the state’s prison facilities: expanding public prisons, contracting for more private-prison beds, and buying or leasing one of the state’s two empty private prisons. At its Thursday meeting, the board approved a measure allowing the Department of Corrections to draw up a request for proposals from private prison companies to provide an additional 350 to 2,000 medium-security prison beds for state inmates.
Oklahoma’s Medicaid program has low error rate
Oklahoma’s Medicaid program has the lowest payment error rate among 17 states included in a federal analysis, the agency announced Thursday. SoonerCare, the state’s Medicaid program, had a payment error rate during the 2012 fiscal year of 0.28 percent, which the Oklahoma Health Care Authority announced at its monthly meeting Thursday.
Oklahoma’s oil and gas tax breaks top $300 million
Tax breaks for horizontal drilling and other forms of oil and gas production are projected to cost the state over $300 million this fiscal year and next, according to new calculations by Oklahoma Policy Institute. This does not include the $118 million annual cost of paying out deferred credits over the next two years.
Read more from Oklahoma Policy Institute
Advocacy group pushes Oklahoma fuel tax change
A nonprofit political advocacy group is recommending that Oklahoma’s flat per-gallon fuel tax be converted to a percentage tax on the wholesale price of fuel as one of several ways to increase revenue for transportation infrastructure. Oklahoma currently collects 16 cents per gallon on gasoline sales and 13 cents per gallon on diesel fuel sales, with an additional one cent collected on each to help clean up leaking underground storage tanks. The Oklahoma Academy announced Thursday that it wants the state to switch to a tax on the wholesale price of fuel so that tax revenues would increase with inflation.
Editorial: It costs money to find good teachers
There has been some criticism of the school district paying an outside firm to find teachers. But, there is little alternative. TPS once had a small staff of teacher recruiters, but they were lost in one of the budget cuts the state public school system endured. Finding teachers who are willing to teach in urban schools can be challenging. Keeping those same teachers is the second challenge.
Seats sold out for all three Sapulpa-OKC train trips
Next month’s three train trips from the Tulsa area to Oklahoma City are a hot ticket; too hot, in fact, for anyone who waited. “We are thrilled to announce that all three Eastern Flyer trips are sold out,” said Charlotte Park, a representative for Iowa Pacific, the company sponsoring the train trips. The Eastern Flyer is the name given to three tourist train trips in February from Sapulpa to Oklahoma City. The rides are some of the first passenger train excursions offered on the stretch in 47 years.
Quote of the Day
“This is a true measure of our agency’s continued fight against waste, fraud and abuse. I am very proud of our staff that is committed to be responsible stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars while ensuring quality health care is available to our SoonerCare members.”
Nico Gomez, Oklahoma Health Care Authority’s CEO, on a study showing Oklahoma’s Medicaid program has the lowest payment error rate out of 17 states
Number of the Day
10,833
The number of foreclosures completed in Oklahoma in the last twelve months, up 18.6% from 9,132 foreclosures during the same period last year
Source: CoreLogic (November 2012-2013)
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
Inequality: An Essential Reader
But just how bad is American inequality? How did we arrive at this new Gilded Age? And how might we create an economy of broadly shared prosperity? If you’ve got questions, we’ve (hopefully) got the answers in this Essential Reader.
Read more from Moyers & Company
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