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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.
Oklahoma again ranked third for the rate at which men killed women, according to a new study released by the Violence Policy Center. The ACLU of Oklahoma asked the Oklahoma Supreme Court to nullify a lower court’s decision that Gov. Fallin could use “deliberative process privilege” to withhold records from the public.
A Ponca City legislator hosted an interim study for constituents concerned that oil and gas drilling activities have contaminated water wells or caused wells to go dry. Representatives from the Oklahoma Geological Survey provided the Corporation Commission with an update on their study of the state’s ongoing earthquake swarm.
At a hearing on Capitol Hill, Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn criticized the practice of making military equipment available to state and local law enforcement agencies. The Oklahoma City Council is considering new ridesharing regulations in response to services like Uber that compete with taxi cabs.
The OK Policy Blog reports on where the children previously held at Ft. Sill are now and what their futures look like. The Number of the Day is the average mortgage debt in Oklahoma. In today’s Policy Note, Fivethirtyeight.com examined state variation in a new report on food insecurity across the country.
In The News
Oklahoma again ranks third in rate of women killed by men, study finds
Oklahoma ranks third in the country in the rate of women killed by men, according to a study released this week by the Violence Policy Center. The study is based on data from 2012 — the most recent year available — from the FBI. The only states with higher rates were Alaska and South Carolina. Oklahoma was also ranked third in the study released least year, based on 2011 numbers, and has been in the top 10 six times in the past 10 years.
ACLU appeals court decision favoring Gov. Fallin on Open Records
A civil rights group on Monday asked the Oklahoma Supreme Court to nullify a lower court’s decision that said Gov. Mary Fallin could use “deliberative process privilege” to withhold records from the public. The Lost Ogle, a news and satirical blog, filed suit against Fallin for withholding documents under an Open Records request seeking information about her decision not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The blog and several other news outlets had filed Open Records requests.
Legislature study focuses on drilling and water quality
A legislative interim study on Tuesday took a look at the impact drilling has on water. The study was requested by Rep. Steve Vaughan, R-Ponca City, and held before the House Agriculture and Wildlife Committee. Vaughan said he was concerned that drilling activities have contaminated water wells for his constituents or caused the wells to go dry.
Earthquake studies continue in Oklahoma
Oklahoma Corporation Commission staff and representatives from the Oklahoma Geological Survey on Tuesday provided the corporation commissioners an update on their efforts to study the state’s ongoing earthquake swarm. When the Corporation Commission staff began looking at the earthquake swarm, they focused on what has changed in recent years, said Tim Baker, who oversees the commission’s injection well program.
Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn says federal government shouldn’t arm local police
Coburn said the events of 9/11 led the federal government to overreact in ensuring that local law-enforcement agencies could prepare for terrorist acts. Now, he said, “we’re on dangerous ground of undermining the very principles that built the country.” The hearing of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee was prompted by the tense confrontations between local police with military equipment and residents of Ferguson, Missouri, last month after a police officer killed an unarmed black man.
‘Rideshare’ regulations in Oklahoma City face limited changes
The Oklahoma City Council on Tuesday largely left intact a proposal to regulate the trendy new ride services competing with taxi cabs. The council put off a final vote until at least next month, while directing the Traffic and Transportation Commission to consider three changes to regulations that police and city legal staff developed over the past year in response to the arrival of Uber and, more recently, Lyft.
The kids are out of Fort Sill. Now what?
At the end of July, we published a blog post debunking some myths about the unaccompanied children housed at Fort Sill in Lawton. Now that the temporary shelter there has been closed and the children have all been relocated, we talked with the TU College of Law’s Professor Elizabeth McCormick (who spoke about this issue at OK Policy’s Summer Policy Institute) about where the children are now and what their futures look like. We summarized her responses.
Read more from the OKPolicy Blog
Quote of the Day
“Our founders saw no role for the federal government in state and local police forces — none. We’re on dangerous ground of undermining the very principles that built the country.” Sen. Tom Coburn
Number of the Day
Average mortgage debt in Oklahoma in 2013
Source: Urban Institute
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
Americans’ Access To Food Can Vary Widely By State
America’s “food recovery” has begun, with fewer people struggling to put food on the table and fewer receiving food stamps. But these welcomed trends mask wide variation across states in people’s access to food — New Mexico and Oregon have more residents using food stamps relative to their needs than Wyoming and Utah, for example.
Read more from Fivethirtyeight.com
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