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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 Oklahoma County leaders have notified the U.S. Department of Justice that they’ve done all they can to improve conditions at the county jail without any new funding from a tax increase, but the jail still may not be up to standards. The Justice Department previously determined that jail inmates were receiving negligent medical care in unsafe conditions.
A new poll shows that Oklahomans overwhelmingly support the main provisions of the Senate-passed immigration reform bill, including a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Gov. Fallin ordered state agencies not to use any state money to temporarily fund federal programs during the ongoing partial government shutdown unless they’ve been guaranteed federal reimbursement.
The Legislative Compensation Board voted 7-1 not to increase pay for state legislators. Gov. Fallin is expected to formally launch her 2014 reelection campaign this week. A new state law eliminating early voting Mondays will be in place for the Nov. 12 election.
The Number of the Day is the percentage of Oklahoma state legislators who are women — lower than every state except Louisiana and South Carolina. In today’s Policy Note, Demos discusses two new studies showing how multibillion dollar companies rely on public subsidies to feed their workforce.
In The News
Justice Department may require Oklahoma County tax hike to fix jail conditions
Oklahoma County leaders have notified the U.S. Department of Justice that they’ve done all they can to improve conditions at the county jail without any new funding from a tax increase. In 2008, the Justice Department determined that inmates were receiving negligent medical care in unsafe conditions, and county officials reached an agreement at the time to institute major upgrades or build a new facility. That agreement expires in November 2014. Earlier this year, Oklahoma County commissioners said they had to explain to the Justice Department why the county jail still isn’t up to standards.
Poll shows wide support in Oklahoma for immigration reform package
Oklahomans overwhelmingly support the main provisions of the Senate-passed immigration reform bill — tighter border security and a 10-year path to citizenship — according to a poll conducted for a business group pushing the issue in Congress. Four out of five Oklahomans support a package that would boost funding for border security and require illegal immigrants to pay taxes, a fine and an application fee, have a job, no criminal record and wait 10 years to gain citizenship, according to the poll, taken by the Oklahoma City firm CMA Strategies.
Fallin says no use of state money for shut down federal programs
Gov. Mary Fallin on Tuesday ordered state agency leaders not to use any state money to temporarily fund federal programs during the ongoing partial government shutdown unless they’ve been guaranteed federal reimbursement. Fallin’s Secretary of Finance Preston Doerflinger (DOR’-fling-ur) sent a memo to all state agency directors and finance officers on Fallin’s behalf, urging them to discontinue any federally funded programs that could result in a permanent loss of state funds.
Read more from the Associated Press.
State panel says no to legislator pay hike
Oklahoma state legislators — who earn $38,400 annually plus benefits and expenses — won’t be getting a raise. The Legislative Compensation Board voted 7-1 on Tuesday for the base pay, retirement and benefits package for Oklahoma’s senators and House members to stay in place. Former Republican state Senator Charles Ford of Tulsa was the lone dissenting vote. Ford urged the panel to consider hiking the base pay for legislators to $44,000 annually. The board meets every two years.
Fallin to launch 2014 campaign for Oklahoma Governor
Gov. Mary Fallin is expected to formally launch her 2014 campaign for governor this week with campaign stops in Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Lawton. Fallin’s campaign announced Tuesday plans for a three-city tour with breakfast at the Old School Bagel Cafe in Tulsa on Thursday morning. She plans to follow that with a rally at 11:45 a.m. at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City and a tour wrap-up at 5 p.m. at the Museum of the Great Plains in Lawton. No other candidates have filed organizational papers with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, although Norman Democrat R.J. Harris says he plans to run.
No more early voting Mondays
A new state law eliminating early voting Mondays will be in place for the Nov. 12 election. The new law establishes Thursday and Friday as early voting dates and will take effect Nov. 7. The law changes the dates and times voters have come to expect for early voting in the state, said Roy Schneider, secretary of Garfield County Election Board. State Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, said the change was done at the request of Oklahoma State Election Board. Election board officials complained having in-person voting on Mondays hampered local election officials from getting voting machines out to all county polling places.
Read more from the Enid News & Eagle.
Quote of the Day
If you positively affect a woman, you positively affect the next three generations. And we have done totally the opposite. Those poor kids that have gotten separated from their mothers and put into foster care … That’s what motivates me, the injustices.
-Norma Sapp, an activist who has worked for decades to reform Oklahoma’s marijuana laws the contribute to the state having the highest female incarceration rate in the world (Source: http://bit.ly/196SPKJ).
Number of the Day
13.4%
Percentage of Oklahoma state legislators who are women — lower than every state except Louisiana and South Carolina.
Source: Center for American Women and Politics
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
How multibillion dollar companies rely on the public to feed their workforce
Dunkin Donuts is getting a sweet deal. The company enjoyed $108.3 million in profits last year and compensated its CEO, Nigel Travis, to the tune of $1.9 million. Meanwhile, the public paid an estimated $274 million to feed, provide medical care, and subsidize the wages of their workforce. And Dunkin Donuts is not alone or even the worst offender: new studies out today from the University of California, Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education, the University of Illinois, and the National Employment Law Project detail just some of the vast scope of public subsidies for the fast food workforce.
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