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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 Attorney General Scott Pruitt’s decision to cut his own deal with banks accused of deceptive mortgage practices has left as much as $10.1 million on the table that could have helped victims of unfair foreclosures. A Tulsa World investigation found that AG Pruitt has also done very little to inform Oklahomans who are eligible for assistance. Gov. Fallin and other state officials will meet with representatives of bond rating agencies to argue for raising the state’s credit rating. Last year the Moody’s Rating Agency declined to improve Oklahoma’s rating, in part due to concerns over tax cuts draining state revenues.
Urban Tulsa Weekly examined the growing number of states seeking alternatives to Medicaid expansion while still receiving federal expansion funds. NewsOK reporter Jaclyn Cosgrove answered reader questions about the Affordable Care Act’s new protections for Oklahomans with pre-existing conditions. Senator Inhofe, who had emergency heart surgery this month, is receiving criticism for falsely claiming he would have died under “socialized medicine.” Inhofe’s currently receives insurance through a federal government plan, with premiums subsidized by taxpayers.
Testimony has begun in the bribery trial of former state Representative Randy Terrill. The national radio program State of the Re:Union shared stories about struggles over race, immigration, and integration in Tulsa. The Number of the Day is Oklahoma’s ranking in number of children with one or more emotional, behavioral, or developmental condition. In today’s Policy Note, public opinion research by the Center for American Progress finds that Americans are much more open to diversity and more supportive of steps to reduce racial inequalities than is commonly portrayed in politics and the media.
In The News
Attorney General Pruitt blocks millions in aid to Oklahomans facing foreclosure
Attorney General Scott Pruitt’s decision to cut his own deal with banks accused of deceptive mortgage practices meant Oklahoma was the only state in the nation not included in the national program. The World’s analysis showed while direct payments to homeowners were larger than the national program, the relief in Oklahoma reached far fewer people than it could have. Much of the money still remains unspent and many who could benefit are unaware relief is available. Additionally, Pruitt’s decision to go it alone left as much as $10.1 million on the table that could have helped victims of unfair foreclosure practices.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Oklahoma officials to visit bond rating agencies
Gov. Mary Fallin, Treasurer Ken Miller and other state officials will meet Wednesday with representatives of the nation’s leading bond rating agencies. These agencies are used by investors as an indicator of the worthiness of a government’s debt and its borrowing capacity. The ratings influence the terms and rates of state-held bonds.
Previously: Moody’s won’t increase Oklahoma’s bond rating due to concerns about income tax cuts from StateImpact Oklahoma
Alternative Medicaid expansion plans in other states may influence Oklahoma
No deadline looms for Medicaid expansion. “There’s no timeframe for when states have to act,” said MaryBeth Musumeci, an associate director at the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. “Just because a state has not moved forward at this time, does not mean it may not make a different decision down the road.” Many states seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach about what action to take when it comes to providing health care coverage for low-income adults. But the moves made by those seeking an alternative to Medicaid expansion — while still receiving an influx of federal dollars — could ultimately influence decisions made by Oklahoma leaders.
Read more from Urban Tulsa Weekly.
Pre-existing conditions under Obamacare: Your questions answered
Pre-existing conditions are a real concern for an undetermined number of Americans. There isn’t a firm number of how many Americans have pre-existing conditions, as this Politico story points out: There’s no broadly accepted estimate for how big the problem is. A 2011 study by the Department of Health and Human Services said the number of people with pre-existing conditions could be as low as 50 million non-elderly Americans or as high as 129 million, which is a pretty wide range. But even if you use the lowest number, 50 million, that’s almost one out of five Americans under age 65, including 25 million who are uninsured.
Sen. Inhofe’s health care comments stir reaction
Sen. Jim Inhofe, who had emergency heart surgery early this month, has private health insurance through the benefits program for federal employees. Soon, he and other members of Congress will have to purchase a private insurance plan through an exchange established under the Affordable Care Act. So why was he talking in a media interview on Sunday night about socialized medicine and a single-payer system? Inhofe’s current insurance plan is with the Mail Handlers Benefits Program, one of the options available to federal employees, whose premiums are subsidized by taxpayers.
Testimony begins in former Oklahoma legislator’s bribery trial
A prosecutor told jurors Tuesday that former state Rep. Randy Terrill was motivated by his ego when he manipulated a state senator from the opposite party into not running for re-election. “Some people like to control things, to be the power broker,” Oklahoma County Assistant District Attorney Jimmy Harmon said in his opening statement at Terrill’s political bribery trial. Terrill, 44, of Moore, is charged with a felony — offering a bribe to a candidate to withdraw. If convicted, he faces up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Tulsa, OK: Reconciliation Way
Tulsa, Oklahoma sits at a crossroads of American identities. We travel to the middle of Middle America to see what happens when these identities collide. We explore one of the country’s deadliest race riots, an incident that the city spent a long time trying to forget; visit a lovingly-crafted museum dedicated to spreading poetry to rural Oklahoma; and — in two special stories produced by This Land Press — visit two churches, one struggling mightily to integrate and another building a shrine for undocumented immigrants in a state with some of the harshest immigration laws in the nation.
Listen the audio by State of the ReUnion.
Quote of the Day
Until now the line from the governor’s office and from the speaker is that we will not expand coverage. But I think that as we move ahead over the coming months, the pressure will grow as other states fall into line or go join the line.
-OK Policy Director David Blatt, on the likelihood that Oklahoma will join a growing number states with Republican governors who are accepting federal dollars to extend health coverage to citizens below the poverty line (Source: http://bit.ly/18KoHWb)
Number of the Day
30th
Oklahoma’s ranking in number of children with one or more emotional, behavioral, or developmental condition — 19 percent compared to U.S. average of 17 percent.
Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
Building An All-In Nation
It is an undeniable fact that the United States is becoming increasingly diverse, rapidly heading toward the day when there will no longer be any clear racial or ethnic majority in the U.S. population. As shown throughout this report, Americans are much more open to diversity and more supportive of steps to reduce racial inequalities than is commonly portrayed in politics and the media. Furthermore, Americans are more likely to see opportunities from rising diversity than they are to see challenges. They understand the problems associated with inequality in society and strongly support new steps and investments to reduce these inequalities and expand economic opportunities.
Read more from the Center for American Progress.
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