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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.
Data from the state Department of Health shows that more Oklahoma parents are opting out of vaccinating their children, and the state is seeing a rise in vaccine-preventable illnesses, such as whooping cough. Nearly 110,000 Oklahomans have signed up for a 2015 health insurance plan on Healthcare.gov, compared to about 70,000 last year. In his Journal Record column, Executive Director David Blatt pointed out that the best way for Gov. Fallin to meet her stated goal of substantially lowering the state’s uninsured rate by 2019 would be to accept federal funds to expand health coverage to low-income Oklahomans. We’ve written about how the success of expanded health coverage in other states shows it’s a good deal for Oklahoma.
The state House has passed a bill legalizing cannabidiol, a marijuana-derived drug, in the treatment of severe epileptic seizures. As the debate over wind energy heats up at the Capitol, we asked four of the debate’s participants to make their cases on the OK Policy Blog. A bill banning texting while driving has passed through committee and will be sent to the full House for debate and vote. A bill calling for a statewide vote to allow the public to decide if the state Legislature would dedicate every other year exclusively to writing a budget cleared a Senate committee. The House passed two bills further limiting access to abortions.
A House committee approved a bill that would allow district attorneys to collect DNA samples from offenders convicted of certain crimes, potentially expanding the state’s database by 10,000 samples per year. We’ve written about why indiscriminate DNA testing could put innocent Oklahomans in prison before. Hundreds of parents and students encouraging lawmakers to expand opportunities for charter schools rallied at the Capitol on Wednesday.
State and tribal leaders are exploring the option of expanding the state’s Insure Oklahoma program to cover low-income uninsured tribal members, which would potentially cover about 40,000 people at no cost to the state. StateImpact has mapped disposal wells designated particularly risky in earthquake-prone regions of the state. The Number of the Day is the number of bank robberies in Oklahoma in 2014, down from more than 60 in 2013. In today’s Policy Note, Fusion reveals how the the US government has created a second-class federal prison system specifically for immigrants.
In The News
More Oklahoma parents opt out of vaccinating their children
Some of the poorest counties in Oklahoma have some of the highest rates of children and teens who have been vaccinated, according to data from the state Health Department. Toni Frioux, deputy commissioner for prevention and preparedness at the state Health Department, presented data at Tuesday’s state Board of Health meeting, showing the rates of children and teens vaccinated for various infectious diseases can range widely from county to county.
Whooping cough cases rising in Oklahoma, especially Tulsa County
Oklahoma has seen an increase in the number of residents sickened by vaccine-preventable diseases, state health officials said at this months’s state Board of Health meeting. For example, since 2004, Oklahoma has seen an increasing number of cases of pertussis, or whooping cough.
Nearly 110,000 Oklahomans have signed up through federal health care marketplace
Almost 110,000 Oklahomans have selected a plan or were automatically re-enrolled in a private health insurance plan through the federally run marketplace. The marketplace, available through the HealthCare.gov platform, offers options for residents interested in buying private health insurance, with varying levels of coverage and deductibles.
A true test of accountability
One of the best-received ideas in Gov. Mary Fallin’s recent State of the State address was her commitment to so-called performance-based budgeting that ties state spending to measurable goals and outcomes. Part of this effort involves a new website (OKStateStat.ok.gov) that lays out a dashboard of 160 measurable objectives for improvement in health, education, safety, the economy and government.
Read more from The Journal-Record.
See also: Medicaid Expansion’s Track Record Shows It’s a Good Deal for Oklahoma from OK Policy.
Oklahoma House passes bill legalizing marijuana-derived drug, cannabidiol
The House of Representatives voted 99-2 Wednesday to legalize an active marijuana ingredient used in the treatment of severe epileptic seizures. The two “no” votes were by Republicans Scott Biggs of Chickasha and Mike Sanders of Kingfisher.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
The wind energy debate comes sweeping down to the Capitol
Wind power is a growing source of energy production in Oklahoma that is drawing close scrutiny at the state Capitol. Is wind production beneficial to Oklahoma’s economy and communities? Should the state continue to provide the industry with tax incentives? We invited four active participants in the wind debate to contribute guest blog posts on the subject.
Read more from the OK Policy Blog.
House Committee Sends Texting While Driving Ban To Full House
Oklahomans would be prohibited from texting while driving under legislation approved by a state House committee. The House Criminal Justice Committee voted 11-0 Wednesday to send the measure to the full House for debate and a vote.
Budget-only legislative session clears Oklahoma Senate panel
The public would get to decide if the Oklahoma Legislature should dedicate every other year exclusively to writing a budget under a resolution that has cleared a Senate committee. The Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday approved the measure that was written by Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman.
Longer wait time for abortions approved by Oklahoma House
The Oklahoma House of Representatives took measures Wednesday that would further limit ready access to abortion, passing one bill extending the waiting period for undergoing the procedure and advancing another outlawing “dismemberment abortion.”
Read more from the Tulsa World.
House Committee Approves Offender DNA Sample Bill
The number of DNA samples collected by Oklahoma for the state’s database could increase by 10,000 per year under a bill approved by a state House committee. Oklahoma district attorneys could collect the samples from parolees under the bill approved Wednesday by the House Criminal Justice Committee on a 12-0 vote.
Read more from Public Radio Tulsa.
See also: Indiscriminate DNA testing could put innocent Oklahomans in prison from the OK Policy Blog.
Oklahoma students, parents rally for school choice
Hundreds of students and parents for school choice in Oklahoma are packing the halls of the Capitol and urging the Oklahoma Legislature to provide more opportunities for charter schools in the state. A large crowd rallied on the south steps of the building Wednesday before coming inside to eat lunch and visit with their lawmakers.
State, tribal leaders seek expansion of Insure Oklahoma
While state leaders remain steadfastly opposed to a Medicaid expansion offered under the federal health care law, some of Oklahoma’s 39 federally recognized Native American tribes are exploring opportunities for a federal waiver that could mean health insurance for about 40,000 low-income uninsured tribal members.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Mapped: ‘Traffic Light’ Wells in Oklahoma’s Earthquake Country
Oklahoma’s surge in earthquakes and possible links to oil and gas activity has led regulators to scrutinize permits for disposal well operators in quake-prone regions of the state. New disposal wells located within six miles of the epicenter of a 4.0 magnitude or larger earthquake, or within two miles of faults the Oklahoma Geological Survey has determined to be particularly risky, are issued temporary “traffic light” permits.
Quote of the Day
“Few goals are as achievable, or as critical, as cutting the rate of Oklahomans who struggle without health insurance. The path forward is right before our eyes. If the governor wants her promises of accountability taken seriously, she will take it.”
– Executive Director David Blatt, arguing that the best way for Gov. Fallin to achieve her stated goal of substantially lowering the state’s uninsured rate by 2019 is to accept federal funds to expand health coverage to low-income Oklahomans (Source: bit.ly/1vm8cZ0)
Number of the Day
43
Number of bank robberies in Oklahoma in 2014, down from more than 60 in 2013
Source: The FBI, via NewsOK.
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
Shadow Prisons
The U.S. government has quietly created a second-class federal prison system specifically for immigrants. For years the Department of Homeland Security has been known as the agency that houses immigrants awaiting deportation. However, tens of thousands of additional immigrants, most serving sentences for immigration crimes, are held by the Bureau of Prisons each night before being sent back. And it’s all part of a lucrative business model which has funneled billions of taxpayer dollars into the private prison industry.
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