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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 federal government has awarded a five-year, $20.3 million grant to study chronic diseases and how they specifically affect Oklahoma’s population. A partnership between Northeastern State University and Tulsa Public Schools is bringing college juniors into a north Tulsa elementary school to learn about education realities.
In defense of a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the Oklahoma Capitol, the attorney general’s office stated that it is the first in a series of planned statues, but Capitol Preservation Commission members said that’s not true. Al Jazeera reported on continuing struggles to access emergency contraception in Native American communities, where sexual assault rates are exceptionally high.
The New York Times highlighted townhalls by Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole as an example of channeling Tea Party zeal to more rational ends. Oklahoma Policy Institute is seeking to hire two highly-qualified individuals to fill positions for a policy analyst and an outreach coordinator.
The Number of the Day is the percentage of neighborhoods in Oklahoma where the share of unbanked households is greater than the national average. In today’s Policy Note, Brian Beutler tells how his experience getting shot on the streets of Washington DC relates to the debate about young people enrolling in Obamacare’s insurance marketplace.
In The News
Federal government awards $20.3 million grant to study Oklahoma health issues
The federal government has awarded a five-year, $20.3 million grant to the OU Health Sciences Center in collaboration with Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and other medical institutions across the state. Oklahoma ranks No. 43 nationwide in overall health outcomes. The state has long ranked poorly in the rates of residents with health issues such as cancer, diabetes, obesity or heart disease. The grant will allow for more Oklahoma-based research on these chronic diseases and how they specifically affect Oklahoma’s population.
Program brings potential teachers into north Tulsa elementary school
A partnership between Northeastern State University and Tulsa Public Schools is giving a select group of education majors something they can’t learn in a classroom – an early dose of reality. Through the Teaching and Urban Reform Network, or TURN, fellowship program, college juniors are working and learning at north Tulsa’s Anderson Elementary School. While the traditional college path puts teacher candidates in actual classrooms for internships during their fourth year of college, TURN aims to expose them to the practice and real-world applications as they are first learning educational theory.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Is a monument park in plans for Oklahoma Capitol?
In defense of a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the Oklahoma Capitol, the attorney general’s office stated that it is the first in a series of planned statues. However, Capitol Preservation Commission Chairman Trait Thompson said there are no current plans for such a grouping. Paul Meyer, former Capitol architect and longtime member of the commission, also said such a monument park has been in the realm of a wish list.
In Indian country, uneven access to Plan B
A slender woman with long, dark hair stands silently flipping through a series of handwritten cards. “Afraid? Worried?” the first says. The questions go on. “Unprotected sex?” “Missed your pills?” “Condom broke?” “Raped?” The simple, 40-second video, overlaid with an Indigo Girls soundtrack and available on YouTube, ends with the message, “You’re going to be OK” and the information that the morning-after pill is now available for free at Indian Health Service (IHS) clinics. The woman holding the cards smiles as the screen fades to black, “Native Sisters … love you.” It’s an important message to spread in a community that continues to struggle with accessing emergency contraception.
A different way for Republicans to handle Tea Party zeal
The extraordinary zeal of the Tea Party has been a signature development during Barack Obama’s presidency — with dangers for both Republicans and Democrats. The downside for Republican leaders occurs when that political energy propels the party to places that make it harder to win general elections and to govern. But some Republican politicians display an ability to absorb the heat and reflect it back in more politically promising directions. That’s why 2016 presidential hopefuls and House leaders could learn from recent town meetings conducted by Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma.
Read more from the New York Times.
Oklahoma Policy Institute hiring new policy analyst and outreach coordinator
Oklahoma Policy Institute is seeking to hire two highly-qualified individuals to fill positions for a policy analyst and an outreach coordinator. The application deadline for both positions is Friday, October 11, 2013. Please share this announcement widely with anyone who might be interested in the position.
Read more from the OK Policy Blog.
Quote of the Day
When I had my first son, I was diagnosed with postpartum depression. I was on Prozac for about two months. They told me I had a diagnosis of depression and was uninsurable. I was devastated. My husband had just been laid off. Ever since I’ve been able to, I’ve been a working person and worked hard and carried insurance and everything, and then it was just like being left out in the cold.
-Yukon nurse Katie Bolin, who will be able to purchase insurance for the first time in a year when the Affordable Care Act protections for Oklahomans with pre-existing conditions goes into effect next year (Source: http://bit.ly/18mJcrw)
Number of the Day
59.2 percent
Percentage of neighborhoods in Oklahoma where the share of unbanked households is greater than the national average, 2009
Source: FDIC via BankOn
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
The $200k lesson I learned from being shot
Right now, a number of conservative groups, with financial backing from well-heeled fellow travelers like Charles and David Koch, are engaged in a campaign to convince young, uninsured people not to enroll in Obamacare — to remain uninsured rather than enter and strengthen the state-based health insurance markets the Affordable Care Act is building. Adults will make their own decisions. My story underscores the moral failings of the people attempting to persuade strangers to assume a risk like uninsurance for the sake of their own dubious principles.
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