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Today you should know that groups working to help Oklahomans sign up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act are seeing a surge of interest as the March 31 enrollment deadline approaches. News 9 reported on how more than 100,000 Oklahomans are blocked from obtaining affordable insurance while the state refuses to accept federal funds. National Affordable Care experts spoke to members of the LGBT community in Tulsa on how to enroll under the law.
A new poll shows that over the last year, support for cutting Oklahoma’s personal income tax has dropped significantly among voters statewide, and less than half now support the plan to reduce the state’s top rate. David Blatt’s Journal Record column discusses how lawmakers’ proposal to move new state employees to a 401(k) style retirement plan could endanger existing pensions and increase the state’s unfunded liabilities.
Despite Oklahoma’s high incarceration rates, a Senate committee approved a half-dozen bills Wednesday to increase the penalties for various crimes. They voted to dramatically increase fines for maintaining a house of prostitution and distribution of obscene materials. They also approved lengthening mandatory sentences for offenses related to child pornography, human trafficking, arson, stalking, and drug trafficking.
Oklahoma oil and gas regulators have approved tentative rules that would require more testing and data-gathering at wastewater injection wells, as part of an effort to determine causes of increased earthquake activity in the state. A chemical plant in Pryor run by LSB Industries has reached a settlement with the EPA over violations of the Clean Air Act. They will pay $725,000 in penalties and reduce their emissions of nitric oxide — an atmospheric pollutant and lung irritant.
The Oklahoman editorial board wrote that repealing Common Core standards could actually increase federal control of Oklahoma schools, because we could lose waivers exempting us from parts of the No Child Left Behind law. The Number of the Day is the percentage of registered Oklahoma voters polled who support income tax cuts. In today’s Policy Note, a freelance political cartoonist in Texas shares her family’s experience with health insurance under Obamacare.
In The News
Health care signups expected to surge before March 31 deadline
Oklahomans are joining the rest of the nation in scrambling to get health insurance before the deadline for the individual mandate, which is less than two weeks away. Grace Burke, who has been overseeing assistance with signing up for the Affordable Care Act at Morton Comprehensive Health Services, said she’s been getting more calls and setting up back-to-back appointments. The deadline has been in the news more lately, and people are finally starting to hear about the mandate and the penalty for not having insurance, Burke said. “They’re finally making the move,” she added.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Coverage Gap Leaves Over 100k Oklahomans Without Insurance
The deadline to sign up for Obamacare is nearing, but well over a 100,000 Oklahomans will remain uninsured and not because they choose to. It’s all because of a “coverage gap” between Medicaid and insurance that’s affordable. A US Supreme Court decision last year that said states could not be forced to expand Medicaid. And Oklahoma is one of 26 states that decided not to. When sign up for Obamacare began last year Melissa Rodriguez thought she was finally going to get health insurance. “Yeah, I really thought I was going to be able to get it,” she said. But when she went to sign up she was told she didn’t qualify for Medicaid. And to pay out of pocket? “Almost, two, no, three hundred just for myself,” she says.
Uninsured members and leaders of LGBT community attend Affordable Care Act town hall meeting
When asked who is uninsured, a lot of hands went up at tonight’s Affordable Care Act town hall meeting at the Equality Center in downtown Tulsa. Among those with their hand raised, Michael Fairlie. “My biggest concern is whether I’m going to be able to get covered being transgendered and going to school full-time,” Fairlie said before tonight’s meeting.
Poll: Support for tax cuts has dropped significantly
A new poll shows that over the last year, support for cutting Oklahoma’s personal income tax has dropped significantly among voters statewide, and less than half now support the plan to reduce the state’s top rate. Support drops even further when voters learn of the disparity in the size of the cuts across income groups. Very large majorities oppose cutting funding for state services such as education, public safety, and health care to pay for tax cuts. The results are similar to polls done in 2012 and 2013, and they show a growing disconnect between elected officials and Oklahoma voters on this issue. The more voters learn about the tax cut proposals, the less popular they become.
The wrong path
Until recently, the Oklahoma Legislature had a long history of offering public workers generous pension benefits without fully paying for them. This left the state with large unfunded liabilities and fragile pension systems. Yet thanks to responsible actions by the Legislature over the past decade, our pension systems are finally in better shape. Unfortunately, we may be veering down the wrong path again.
Read more from the Journal Record.
Oklahoma Senate OKs bill increasing penalties for certain crimes
Despite Oklahoma’s high incarceration rates, a Senate committee approved a half-dozen bills Wednesday to increase the criminal penalties for various crimes, including child pornography distribution and drug and human trafficking. With little discussion and no debate, the Senate Public Safety Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved six separate measures to dramatically increase fines, penalties or prison time for people convicted of certain crimes.
Oklahoma Proposes to Boost Injection Well Testing
Oklahoma oil and gas regulators have approved tentative rules that would require energy operators to conduct injection well mechanical integrity testing and other data-gathering requirements each day, part of an effort to determine causes of increased earthquake activity in the state. The proposed regulation, approved March 13 by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, must now be approved by the Oklahoma Legislature before it adjourns May 30 and be signed into law by Gov. Mary Fallin.
Oklahoma Chemical Company Settles With EPA and DEQ, Agrees to Pay Fines and Reduce Emissions
LSB Industries has agreed to a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, which had accused the Oklahoma City-based chemical company of violating the federal Clean Air Act. The company produces nitric acid and nitrogen-based fertilizers and is the country’s “largest acid manufacturer,” according to the EPA. The March 18 settlement, known as a consent decree, applies to 10 nitric acid manufacturing plants in four states, including Oklahoma, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas.
Repeal of Common Core would increase federal control
Opponents of Common Core often claim that its academic standards represent a federal takeover of schools. No real evidence exists to support that claim. Instead, the initiative most likely to increase federal control of Oklahoma schools is actually the move to repeal state Common Core math and language arts standards. Here’s why: Oklahoma was granted a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind law. The waiver was based in part on the state adopting either Common Core academic standards or equally rigorous alternatives. Immediate repeal of Common Core standards could therefore result in the loss of that waiver. The consequences would be dramatic.
Quote of the Day
These results show a growing disconnect between elected officials and Oklahoma voters on this issue. The more voters learn about the tax cut proposals, the less popular they become.
-David Blatt, Executive Director of Oklahoma Policy Institute, on a poll showing support for cutting Oklahoma’s income tax has dropped significantly (Source: http://bit.ly/1eVbPfW)
Number of the Day
46 percent
Percentage of registered Oklahoma voters polled who support income tax cuts, down from 52 percent in 2013. Support plummets to under 30 percent when voters are informed details about the plan.
Source: Global Strategy Group
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
My experience with Obamacare
A couple years ago, I drew a comic for Kaiser Health News called “An Open Letter to the Supreme Court about Health Insurance.” Not long after my story was published, the Supreme Court ruled that the Affordable Care Act could stand. I like to think John Roberts saw the comic. So, how am I doing now, health insurance-wise? I’m here to tell you.
Read more from Kaiser Health News.
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