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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.
At the end of her first week in office, state schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister fired three key members of her predecessor’s staff. Former State Superintendent Janet Barresi has taken to the Internet and written letters to the editors of multiple news outlets to respond to criticism of her moves to hire several new staffers and give others large raises and promotions during her last days in office. The public education blogger “okeducationtruths” has stepped out from behind the veil of anonymity after nearly three years. You can read the blog post here by Assistant Superintendent of Moore Public Schools Rick Cobb revealing himself to be okeducationtruths. The Oklahoma Gazette reported on how a twitter hashtag and a network of blogs have helped unite educators across Oklahoma to push back against attacks on public schools. Some education advocates say the controversial Teacher and Leader Effectiveness evaluation system may be this year’s Common Core in the legislative session.
Three major energy industry firms with strong northeastern Oklahoma ties have begun laying off employees in response to the oil price crash of the past six months. An analysis by the Migration Policy Institute found that in Oklahoma, fewer than half of undocumented immigrants are eligible for President Obama’s programs to defer deportation. On the OK PolicyCast, we discussed a report showing low- and middle-income Oklahomans pay a much higher percentage of their income in taxes than the wealthiest in the state.
House Speaker Jeff Hickman said Oklahoma is “one lawsuit away” from a federal takeover of its prison system. For the sixth time in two weeks, an inmate has escaped the J.H. Lilley Correctional Center in Boley. The Oklahoman editorial board questioned Governor Mary Fallin’s decision to set the deadline a full two years away for leaders to make recommendations on reforming criminal justice. More than a dozen ministers in the Tulsa area wore hooded sweatshirts Sunday and preached against a proposed state law that’s become known as the “hoodie bill.” Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan wrote an op-ed in the Tulsa World calling for Oklahomans to stop letting domestic violence go “under the radar.”
Wayne Greene shared eight reasons you should care about the health of Morton Comprehensive Health Services. OK Policy previously discussed how state budget cuts are threatening Morton and other community health centers. On the OK Policy Blog, Steve Lewis discussed how a new state law threatens the “grand bargain” that has been the basis for workers’ compensation programs since the early 20th Century. More than 3,200 same-sex couples have gotten married in Oklahoma in less than three months since it was made legal.
The Number of the Day is the number of abandoned well sites cleaned up by the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board since 1994. In today’s Policy Note, NPR examines how driver’s license suspensions unfairly target the poor.
In The News
New Oklahoma schools superintendent fires three top administrators
At the end of her first week in office, state schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister on Friday fired three key members of her predecessor’s staff, The Oklahoman has learned. Hofmeister declined to comment on the terminations of Education Department employees Joel Robison, Richard Caram and Marsha Thompson. “The superintendent does not wish to comment on any personnel matters,” said Phil Bacharach, Hofmeister’s spokesman.
Janet Barresi defends record as fiscal conservative amid reported hiring and promotions spree
Former State Superintendent Janet Barresi has taken to the Internet and written letters to the editors of multiple news outlets criticizing the Tulsa World’s report about her numerous hires and promotions during her final days and weeks in office. In a Jan. 10 story, the World detailed $653,000 in salary costs for new hires. Salary increases accompanying promotions that Barresi had overseen since Nov. 1 totaled more than $62,000.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Popular ‘okeducationtruths’ blogger reveals identity
The most popular public education blogger in Oklahoma has stepped out from behind the veil of anonymity after nearly three years. Moore Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Rick Cobb on Sunday revealed himself to be the author of the WordPress blog titled okeducationtruths. Since beginning in April 2012, Cobb has built a following of nearly 3,100 Twitter and 2,600 Facebook followers largely by scrutinizing the policies and practices of then-State Superintendent Janet Barresi.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
See also: I am okeducationtruths from Rick Cobb; Chats, blogs and a hashtag unite teachers across Oklahoma from the Oklahoma Gazette
Teacher Evaluation System Could Be Delayed Again
The controversial Teacher and Leader Effectiveness evaluation system may be this year’s Common Core in the legislative session, some education advocates say. Jenni White, president of the parent-led grassroots organization Restore Public Oklahoma Education, said Wednesday morning her group will come back strong this year.
Oil bust hits home: Apache Corp., others cutting jobs in Tulsa area
The downside of the crude oil bust is hitting home now. Three major industry firms with strong northeastern Oklahoma ties – Apache Corp., Baker Hughes and Schlumberger – have begun laying off employees in response to the oil price crash of the past six months.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Half of Oklahoma’s unauthorized immigrants aren’t eligibile for deportation deferment
Oklahoma County has about 34 percent of the state’s undocumented immigrants, and nearly three-fourths of them have lived in the U.S. for at least five years, according to a report released Thursday. The Migration Policy Institute analyzed census data for a state- and county-level look at the demographics of immigrants living in the country without authorization. In Oklahoma, fewer than half of undocumented immigrants are eligible for a program to defer deportation, 75 percent have no health insurance and almost half work in construction or food services/entertainment.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
OK PolicyCast Episode 19: Who pays taxes in Oklahoma?
The OK PolicyCast brings you the most important news affecting Oklahoma and what it means. This week we talk about about a new study on who really pays the highest rates of state and local taxes in Oklahoma, and why it’s not what many people think.
Hear more from the OK Policy Blog.
See also: Julie DelCour: The poor pay more from the Tulsa World
House Speaker Hickman: Oklahoma ‘one lawsuit away’ from federal intervention on prisons
Oklahoma is “one lawsuit away” from a federal takeover of its prison system, Speaker of the House Jeff Hickman said Friday. “As of today, your state prisons are at 116 percent capacity and are staffed at about 60 percent of where they should be,” Hickman, R-Fairview, told the Tulsa Republican Club. “That’s a crisis.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Sixth Oklahoma inmate escapes in two weeks
For the sixth time in two weeks, an inmate has escaped the J.H. Lilley Correctional Center in Boley. According to Jerry Massie, with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, inmate Jimmy Fields wasn’t accounted for at the 2:30 p.m. cell count. He still hasn’t been located.
Are two years really needed to examine justice issues in Oklahoma?
Our excitement about Gov. Mary Fallin forming a high-level committee to guide criminal justice reform efforts is tempered by the fact the group will have two years to issue its recommendations. A news release from the governor’s office says the committee “is to present its findings to the governor and the legislative leaders by Dec. 31, 2016.”
Dozens of Tulsa area ministers preach in hooded sweatshirts Sunday to protest new bill
More than a dozen ministers in the Tulsa area wore hooded sweatshirts Sunday and preached against a proposed state law that’s become known as the “hoodie bill.” The bill in question is Senate Bill 13, which was introduced by state Sen. Don Barrington of Lawton. If the legislation is approved, it would become illegal for anyone to intentionally conceal his or her identity in a public place by means of a robe, mask or other disguise. Local churches argue the wording of the bill is too vague and would unfairly target minorities, particularly those involved with the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
Chuck Jordan: Family violence shouldn’t go ‘under the radar’
In November, I was graciously afforded the opportunity to attend a meeting of the leadership of the Family Safety Center and the Tulsa World editorial board. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss family violence issues in Tulsa and in the state of Oklahoma. Like most cops, I felt that as awareness of the issue spread throughout our community and the justice system in the 1970s, we would see a reduction in the incidence of domestic violence. Unfortunately, the reverse is true, and the violence in which we see loss of life is increasing.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Eight reasons you should care about the health of Morton Comprehensive Health Services
Morton Comprehensive Health Services Inc. has been providing quality health care to Tulsa’s minority, indigent and vulnerable citizens for more than 90 years. But now it’s in trouble. The state’s uncompensated care fund, a traditional source of funding for Morton, is getting split up by more community health centers and cut by the Legislature.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
See also: Flatline: Funding cuts threaten Oklahoma’s community health centers from the OK Policy Blog.
The end of the ‘grand bargain’ on workers’ compensation
An important and interesting court ruling came out of the District Court in Pottawatomie County last week that will likely play into some issues in the next legislative session. Judge John Canavan, a seasoned attorney and trial judge, ruled that an injured worker has the right to sue his employer for damages if an on-the-job injury was foreseeable.
Read more from the OK Policy Blog.
More than 3,200 same-sex couples marry in Oklahoma in less than three months
LeAnne Williams had many conversations with her son about whether working at a same-sex wedding would hurt their photography business. When an Oklahoma federal judge set the course for marriage equality a year ago, the family decided to risk the consequences and seek out doing business with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender couples.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Quote of the Day
“We heard things like ‘Oh, those bloggers out there don’t want to be held responsible for anything,’ (that) we don’t want to follow any rules. I don’t think that’s the case at all. I want us to follow all the rules in place, even the bad ones. I just don’t want the people making the rules to not understand how the rules they make affect teachers and ultimately the kids.”
-Moore Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Rick Cobb, who recently revealed that he was the person behind the popular okeducationtruths blog (Source: bit.ly/1CdSXqU)
Number of the Day
14,000
Number of abandoned well sites cleaned up by the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board since 1994 (as of December 2014)
Source: NewsOK
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
How driver’s licence suspensions unfairly target the poor
If you get caught drinking and driving in Wisconsin, and it’s your first offense, you lose your license for nine months. For a hit-and-run, the punishment is suspension for one year. But if you don’t pay a ticket for a minor driving offense, such as driving with a broken tail light, you can lose your license for two years. “It’s an incredible policy,” says John Pawasarat of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. It’s “a policy of punishing people who can’t pay their fines.” The practice — repeated in states across the country — is mostly affecting the poor and creating a spiral of bad consequences.
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