OKPOLICY.ORG
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 or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or RSS. The podcast theme music is by Zebre.
Download today’s In The Know podcast here or play it in your browser:
Today you should know that nearly 33,000 people in Oklahoma have chosen health insurance plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. The deadline for open enrollment in insurance plans is March 31. A Norman insurance agent said he is fighting an uphill battle to inform Oklahomans of how they can benefit from the law.
With the deadline coming tomorrow for bills to make it through their originating chamber, the House and Senate approved a flurry of legislation. The House unanimously approved a bill to centralize authority over salary structures for state employees under the Office of Management and Enterprise Services. Lawmakers said the bill is designed to make state employee salaries more competitive with the private market, but it does not identify where funds for raises will come from. The bill also reduces the annual sick leave allowed for state workers. The House also voted 57-42 to eliminate pensions for all new state workers and instead offer a 401(k) style retirement fund.
The House voted to create a tax credit for builders of low- and moderate-income housing in rural areas. The Senate voted to reduce the age limit and education requirements needed to become a state trooper. The Senate also approved a bill calling for state trooper raises of about 20 percent. The Senate voted 36-1 to make looting a felony, with a penalty of 2 to 7 years in prison.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court has upheld a plan to convert the state workers’ compensation insurance agency into a mutual company. Tulsa County Officials are getting the word out about an upcoming special election to fund more than $50 million in improvements to overcrowded jails.
Two more candidates have launched campaigns for the US House seat being vacated by James Lankford. State Rep. Mike Turner of Edmond and Harvey Sparks, a former staff member for U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine, have declared they will run. Oklahoma Watch shared videos from a forum on K-12 education with the OKC and Tulsa superintendents.
Governor Fallin told Stillwater residents that Oklahoma scientists need to determine if there is a correlation between earthquake activity and oil and natural gas drilling before she would consider a ban on fracking or injection drilling. She said the state has put together a team comprised of the Oklahoma Geological Survey and energy-related business to examine the issue. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey have found that injection wells are triggering earthquakes in Oklahoma, including what may be the largest human-caused earthquake associated with wastewater injection.
The Number of the Day is how many Oklahomans have selected plans on on the Affordable Care Act marketplace as of March 1, 2014. In today’s Policy Note, a scientific poll of small business owners found that 57 percent support raising the minimum wage. A majority said they believe a minimum wage increase will boost consumer demand, helping them grow and hire.
In The News
Affordable Care Act: 33,000 Oklahomans have chosen plans
Nearly 33,000 people in Oklahoma have chosen health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act, according to federal data released Tuesday. Nationally, enrollment in plans under the federal health-care law reached more than 4.2 million people as of March 1, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. February marked the second month in a row that enrollment in Oklahoma and nationally declined from the previous month since the federal health insurance exchange opened Oct. 1.In Oklahoma, 8,215 people enrolled and chose health-care plans in February.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Health care enrollment hits home stretch
Tyler LaReau is an independent insurance agent in Norman. He’s a fan of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — he likes what it does for people. “I put my political beliefs aside,” he said. “I don’t care. It’s the law of the land, and let’s see how many people we can help.” I asked Tyler what he thought the biggest obstacle was to enrollment. He didn’t hesitate: “Education. We’re fighting an uphill battle… We don’t have many people that, once we explain it to them, don’t think this is a good thing.”
Read more from the OK Policy Blog.
Oklahoma House approves state employee pay raise bill
The state House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a bill designed to grant large, targeted pay raises to Oklahoma’s most underpaid employees this year, with a goal of raising all state employee salaries to 90 percent of the private market within four years. The bill sailed through the state House with a 90-0 vote and will now head to the Senate. There was no debate. “The state of Oklahoma is losing skilled and educated employees to retirement and the private sector,” said Rep. Leslie Osborn, author of House Bill 3293. “Our state agencies need productive minds and ingenuity to fill those gaps, provide better services and address the problems of the future. Competitive wages will greatly enhance the state’s ability to choose from the top recruits.”
Pension overhaul bill passes Oklahoma House
Following heated debate, the Oklahoma House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill that would switch new employees of the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System to a 401(k)-style defined contribution system. The vote was 57-42. House Bill 2630 will now go to the state Senate. “The 21st-century job market demands mobility and greater employee control of retirement benefits, said state Rep. Randy McDaniel, House author of the pension overhaul bill. “This reform makes great strides to ensure that state service is a desirable career choice.” House Minority Leader Scott Inman was unconvinced.
House Approves Legislation Creating Tax Credits For Housing In Rural Areas
The Oklahoma House has approved legislation to create a tax credit for low- and moderate-income housing in rural areas. The bill by Republican Rep. Mike Jackson of Enid was approved 75-13 Tuesday and sent to the state Senate for consideration. The bill creates a new tax credit program similar to the federal low-income housing tax credit. The amount of state tax credits would equal the amount of federal low-income tax credits for a qualified project.
Senate Approves Lower Age Limit For Oklahoma State Troopers
A state senator from Coalgate hopes to make it easier to become an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper. At the request of the agency, Republican state Sen. Josh Brecheen wrote a bill that would lower the age limit from 23 to 21 and reduce the educational requirements needed to become a trooper. The bill passed the Senate on Tuesday on a 43-2 vote and now heads to the House for consideration.
State Senate OK’s measures for state trooper pay, recruitment
The Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday passed two measures designed to retain troopers and recruit more to their ranks. The Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 232, by Senate Appropriations Chairman Clark Jolley, R-Edmond. The measure calls for raises for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, but the specific amounts will depend on how much lawmakers allocate for the increases, Jolley said. The OHP is seeking raises of about 20 percent for troopers, said Maj. Rusty Rhoades, an OHP spokesman. The OHP has said the raises are needed to keep the agency competitive with other law enforcement entities.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Senate approves bill to make looting a felony in response to arrests made after Moore tornado
The Oklahoma Senate has approved legislation that makes looting a felony in Oklahoma. The Senate passed the measure 36-1 Tuesday evening and sent it to the House for consideration. The measure by Republican Sen. Anthony Sykes of Moore elevates the crime of looting from a misdemeanor offense to a felony, with a penalty for violations ranging from two to seven years in prison. Sykes says the measure is a response to incidents of looting after a massive tornado destroyed homes and business in Moore last May.
Oklahoma Court Upholds CompSource Mutualization
The Oklahoma Supreme Court has upheld a plan to convert the state workers’ compensation insurance agency into a mutual company. The state’s highest court handed down a decision Tuesday that affirms legislation adopted last year to convert CompSource Oklahoma into the CompSource Mutual Insurance Co. The new company would be organized under state law, but independent of the state. The change goes into effect on Jan. 1.
Tulsa Officials Ask Voters To Help Fund Jail Improvements
Tulsa County Officials are getting the word out about an upcoming special election, less than a month away, to fund critical improvements to its overcrowded jails. Officials need more than $50 million to fund these projects. There simply isn’t any more room at the jail, and down the street at the juvenile facility. Officials say if this tax isn’t passed by voters to build the new facilities, the feds will step in and make it happen anyway.
Two Oklahoma candidates launch campaigns for U.S. Congressman Lankford’s seat in 5th District
State Rep. Mike Turner, of Edmond, and Harvey Sparks, a former staff member for U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine, each have declared they will run for U.S. Congress. Both are seeking the the 5th District seat being vacated by James Lankford, who is running for the U.S. Senate. The district includes most of Oklahoma County, along with Seminole and Pottawatomie counties.
Videos: Oklahoma Watch-Out Forum on K-12 Education
Oklahoma Watch hosted a community forum on K-12 education on March 6 in Oklahoma City. Guest speakers were Oklahoma City Public Schools Interim Superintendent Dave Lopez and Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Keith Ballard.
Watch the videos at Oklahoma Watch.
Governor Fallin: Let scientist study earthquakes before any drilling decisions are made
Oklahoma scientists need to determine if there is a correlation between earthquake activity and oil and natural gas drilling before she would consider a ban on fracking or injection drilling, Gov. Mary Fallin told Stillwater residents Monday. The state has put together a team — comprised of the Oklahoma Geological Society and energy-related businesses, which is determining if there is a relationship between fracking and earthquakes, the governor said.
Read more from the Stillwater News Press.
2011 Oklahoma induced earthquake may have triggered larger quake
In a new study involving researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey, scientists observed that a human-induced magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Prague, Oklahoma in November 2011 may have triggered the larger M5.7 earthquake less than a day later. This research suggests that the M5.7 quake was the largest human-caused earthquake associated with wastewater injection. Historically, earthquakes in the central United States have been uncommon. Yet in the year 2011 alone, numerous moderate-size earthquakes occurred in Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio and Arkansas. Many of these earthquakes occurred near waste-water injection wells, and some have been shown to be caused by human activities.
Read more from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Quote of the Day
Every nook and cranny is filled with somebody.
– Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith, on overcrowding in Tulsa county jails (source: http://bit.ly/1frYCz5).
Number of the Day
32,882
Number of Oklahomans who have selected plans on on the Affordable Care Act marketplace as of March 1, 2014
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services.
Policy Note
Many small businesses support raising minimum wage
Debate about raising the minimum wage is a hot topic, and the impact to small businesses is a sticking point in the argument. But what do real small businesses think about raising the wage? Small Business Majority asked in a scientific opinion poll and found 57 percent support increasing the federal minimum wage to $10.10. Some have claimed that raising the minimum wage would strain small firms because they wouldn’t be able to afford to pay their workers more. However, more than half of small business owners agree increasing the minimum wage would not only help the economy, it would make low-income consumers more likely to spend money, driving up demand for goods and services at small businesses.
Read more from the Small Business Majority.
You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.
