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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.
Lawmakers have begun to introduce measures for next year’s legislative session, including bills that seek to eliminate the state Senate, reduce legislators’ pay, and transfer gaming and tobacco revenue to pay for completing the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum. David Blatt’s Journal Record column discusses the voices still missing from the Oklahoma Legislature. Devon Energy CEO Larry Nichols admitted that he believes oil and gas wastewater disposal wells have been triggering earthquakes.
Officials from the Osage and Cherokee nations were sworn-in as tribal special assistant U.S. attorneys on Wednesday, becoming the first two such attorneys in the state. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in a case involving a retailer that denied employment to an Oklahoman after she wore a religious head scarf to a job interview. Students protesting against racism at Oklahoma State University said they’ve received death threats on social media.
Marketplace examined the huge cost of prescription drugs that are thrown out unused, and efforts in Oklahoma and other states to donate unused drugs to people who need them. Oklahoma scored slightly above the national average for readiness to protect people during a health emergency or disaster. Governor Fallin and state agencies will participate in a conference on improving older Oklahomans’ health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that seniors in Oklahoma have about two fewer years of healthy life than the national average.
On the OK Policy Blog, a guest post discusses a new program that is providing grants for innovation in Oklahoma’s rural public schools. The okeducationtruths blog discussed a new rule from the state Department of Education seeking to block schools and parents from opting out of field tests that are used only to help testing companies develop questions. The Oklahoman editorial board praised new Oklahoma City Schools superintendent Rob Neu’s frank assessment of problems facing the district.
Randy Brogdon, a former state senator and one-time tea party favorite who ran unsuccessfully for governor and U.S. Senate, is now setting his sights on the chairmanship of the state Republican Party. Grand River Dam Authority directors voted a $45,000 raise for Chief Executive Officer Dan Sullivan on Wednesday, bringing the former legislator’s annual base pay to $270,000 a year. Discussions have begun to potentially start a Space Flight Participant Training Program in Oklahoma.
The Number of the Day is the percentage of households in Oklahoma that do not have bank accounts. In today’s Policy Note, Slate shared an excerpt of a new book on why it’s so hard to climb out of poverty in the United States.
In The News
Some early legislative proposals could rock Oklahoma state government
Lawmakers have begun to introduce measures for next year’s legislative session, and there are some doozies. One would change the very structure of the Oklahoma Legislature, another would have the Legislature meet only every other year and a third would reduce legislators’ pay. Another bill getting attention comes up with a funding mechanism for the long-delayed American Indian Cultural Center and Museum in Oklahoma City.
Voices missing from the Legislature
Republicans took control of a record number of state legislatures in last month’s midterm elections. The party’s victories were due in part to success in recruiting strong female and minority candidates, according the The New York Times. New Republican legislators include the first Republican black women elected to the West Virginia House and the first Republican Latina in the Nevada Assembly.
Read more from the Journal Record.
Injection wells in faults could trigger earthquakes, Devon executive chairman says
Although Devon Energy’s Larry Nichols said Wednesday that he doesn’t think fracking causes earthquakes, he said he believes that injecting the resulting wastewater into existing faults could trigger them. Speaking to the Tulsa Rotary Club, the co-founder and executive chairman of Devon Energy Corp. was asked whether fracking, or hydraulic fracturing during drilling, causes earthquakes.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Osage, Cherokee officials sworn-in as assistant U.S. attorneys
One official each from the Osage and Cherokee nations was sworn-in as a tribal special assistant U.S. attorney on Wednesday, becoming the first two such attorneys in the state, authorities said. Cherokee Nation Deputy Attorney General Sara Hill and Osage Nation Attorney General Jeff Jones took an oath of office from U.S. Attorney Danny Williams Sr., the Cherokee Nation announced in a release.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
CAIR files U.S. Supreme Court brief in Oklahoma head scarf case
The Council on American-Islamic Relations has filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in a case involving a retailer that denied employment to an Oklahoman after she wore a religious head scarf to a job interview. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled that an applicant or employee must provide direct, explicit notice of their religious observance or practice to trigger protections under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
OSU Protesters Receiving Death Threats
Death threats have emerged following protests at Oklahoma State University. Students joined in the protesting that happened around the world, but now those protesters fear for their safety. The sounds of footsteps and chants filled the air on Monroe Street last Friday. Student protesters voiced their concerns over police brutality and racial discrimination.
The shocking cost of wasted prescription pills
Every few months, typically Friday nights around 6 p.m., nurse Deane Kirchner throws what she calls a drug party. Except, she says, there’s nothing fun about it. “I think if the public knew how we had to destroy so many drugs, they would be surprised,” says Kirchner, who works at the Lincoln Glen Skilled Nursing Facility in San Jose, California.
Oklahoma Above U.S. Average For Health Security
The Oklahoma State Department of Health says the state’s overall health security exceeds the National Health Security Preparedness Index average. The index measures the nation’s readiness to protect people during a health emergency or disaster. The index reports Oklahoma as rating at or above the national average in 12 health security measures.
Initiative set to improve older Oklahomans’ health
An initiative to improve the health of older Oklahomans has been joined by the state Department of Human Services. The agency will join Gov. Mary Fallin and the Oklahoma Department of Health at the “Healthy Aging Summit: Living Longer Better” on Monday in Midwest City. The event will bring together older adults and the families, friends, health care providers and service organizations that care for them.
Supporting innovation in Oklahoma’s rural schools
Oklahoma’s public schools continue to face difficult financial challenges—this is neither new nor surprising. The state lags behind the nation in education funding, yet it currently allocates 50 percent of its budget to education. While efforts can and should be made to identify additional funding for Oklahoma’s public schools, it is incumbent on the state to also find ways to incentivize innovation in our public school system.
Read more from the OK Policy Blog.
The Rob Miller Rule?
In case you missed it, the Oklahoma State Department of Education has some proposed administrative rule changes posted to its website. Many of them are minor language changes, or instances of revision caused by legislation. One in particular caught my attention, however. Read it and see if you can guess why the proposed rule was written…
Read more from okeducationtruths.
OKC school superintendent’s frank assessment is welcome
Superintendent Rob Neu didn’t hold back this week in laying out the challenges faced by, and the changes needed in, the Oklahoma City school district. Such frank talk is important. Substantive change is needed if the district is to be turned around. The challenges are many and significant. Of the district’s 45,000 students, roughly 90 percent qualify for free and reduced-price lunches (most are in the free lunch category). According to child welfare statistics, thousands of those children live in families making less than $12,000 per year.
Former State Senator To Run For Chairmanship Of State Republican Party
A former Oklahoma state senator and one-time tea party favorite who ran unsuccessfully for governor and U.S. Senate is now setting his sights on the chairmanship of the state Republican Party. Randy Brogdon of Owasso confirmed Wednesday he would seek the state party’s top post at the GOP’s state convention in April.
GRDA chief gets $45,000 raise
Grand River Dam Authority directors voted a $45,000 raise for Chief Executive Officer Dan Sullivan on Wednesday, bringing the former legislator’s annual base pay to $270,000 a year. Director Ed Townsend, who made the motion recommending the increase, said Sullivan was being rewarded for “specific accomplishments,” including his “dealings with staff,” his handling of a $390 million bond issue and “his ability to deal with important agencies in Washington.”
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Discussions Begin For Space Flight Training Program In Oklahoma
Discussions have begun to potentially start a Space Flight Participant Training Program, according to Dr. Stephen McKeever, Oklahoma’s Secretary of Science and Technology at an Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority (OSIDA) meeting Wednesday. McKeever stated that he and OSIDA members recently met with the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) to discuss the logistics of what this program would look like.
Quote of the Day
“We have recognized the violent speech on our campus is not disconnected from the violence we were protesting.”
– Ayah Abo-Bashi, an Oklahoma State student and member of Students in Solidarity, an anti-racist activist group whose members have received death threats following recent protests at OSU (Source: bit.ly/1wAIBkx)
Number of the Day
10.9%
Percentage of households in Oklahoma that do not have bank accounts. The US average is 8.2%.
Source: CFED Assets & Opportunity Scorecard
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
Why Poor People Stay Poor
I once lost a whole truck over a few hundred bucks. It had been towed, and when I called the company they told me they’d need a few hundred dollars for the fee. I didn’t have a few hundred dollars. So I told them when I got paid next and that I’d call back then. It was a huge pain in the ass for those days. It was the rainy season, and I wound up walking to work, adding another six miles or so a day to my imaginary pedometer. It was my own fault that I’d been towed, really, and I spent more than a couple hours ruing myself.
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