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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.
A representative from the Oklahoma Property Rights Association told legislators that millions of dollars in Oklahoma tax subsidies are being given to wind power companies, and as the industry grows, this level of support is quickly becoming unsustainable. Shadow Mountain Behavioral Health System dedicated a new 36-bed hospital that will provide a much needed increase in mental health beds in the Tulsa area. David Blatt’s Journal Record column discussed the chances of Oklahoma making real corrections reforms to stop the crisis in our state’s prisons and jails. The Oklahoman editorial board argued that a recent murder in Moore may make sensible reforms a tougher sell.
A group of educators urged lawmakers Wednesday to stop the high-stakes testing of children with significant learning disabilities. The okeducationtruths blog discussed what Oklahoma may do now that CTB/McGraw-Hill has withdrawn from the bidding process to conduct winter testing. Superintendent Rob Neu and Associate Superintendent Aurora Lora spoke about the challenges facing Oklahoma City Public Schools at a community forum sponsored by Oklahoma Watch. A new report reveals nearly 500 Green Country schools are in close proximity to chemical plants, putting students at risk in the event of a chemical catastrophe. On the OK Policy Blog, we discussed why the lottery hasn’t solved Oklahoma’s education funding problems.
A new study by Ibis Reproductive Health found that states with the highest number of abortion restrictions also have the fewest policies in place to support women and children’s health and well-being. Oklahoma scored highest for abortion restrictions and lowest in the nation for supporting women and children’s well-being. A new report by Standard & Poor’s finds that extreme income inequality is contributing to state and local budget shortfalls. The OK Policy Blog previously discussed why the extreme levels of inequality that have developed in the U.S. are bad for business.
A monthly economic survey index for nine Midwestern and Plains states suggests economic growth in the region will slow down in the months ahead due to a drop in grain prices. A drier than normal September has diminished drought recovery in Oklahoma, and weather experts say the dry pattern will continue through October. The Number of the Day is how many critical access hospitals are in Oklahoma. These hospitals are typically small and rural, and the only acute-care option in isolated areas. In today’s Policy Note, the Associated Press reports on how aggressive spending on education by wealthy parents is widening inequality.
In The News
Property rights group tells legislators Oklahoma wind farm tax credits are unsustainable
Millions of dollars in Oklahoma tax subsidies are being given to wind power companies, and as the industry grows, this level of support is quickly becoming unsustainable, legislators were told at a public hearing Wednesday. Using Oklahoma Tax Commission records, Rick Mosier, of the Oklahoma Property Rights Association, discussed the growth of Oklahoma zero-emission tax credits. These are awarded to wind power companies based on how much electricity they generate. More than $40 million of these credits were awarded in 2012. Beginning this year, qualifying companies can get 85 percent of the credit in a check from the state even if they have no tax liability.
Shadow Mountain expansion will improve mental health access
Shadow Mountain Behavioral Health System dedicated a new 36-bed hospital Wednesday that will provide a much needed increase in mental health beds in the Tulsa area. “This is going to help us tremendously as a community,” said Mike Brose, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Oklahoma, at the ribbon-cutting. The building is at Shadow Mountain’s headquarters south of 61st Street on Sheridan Road.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
The way and the will
Last week, the director of the Okmulgee County jail blamed extreme overcrowding for a violent outbreak in the facility, the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma reported a steep increase in the number and severity of complaints they are receiving from inmates, and the head of Oklahoma Corrections Professionals wrote that corrections officers’ last hope for a safe workplace may be a federal takeover of Oklahoma prisons.
Read more from the Journal Record.
See also: Action Items for Oklahoma: Criminal Justice and from OK Policy.
Gruesome killing likely to hurt corrections reform efforts in Oklahoma
Last week’s gruesome killing at a food processing plant in Moore has cast a spotlight, yet again, on Oklahoma’s correctional system. The focus: Why was the person accused of the crime even out on the street? Alton Nolen, who is accused of beheading a woman and stabbing another before being shot and wounded by the company’s chief operating officer, had been in trouble with the law several times before Thursday’s attacks. But he didn’t spend nearly as much time behind bars as prosecutors had expected.
Oklahoma educators weigh in on high-stakes testing for severely disabled students
A group of educators urged lawmakers Wednesday to stop the high-stakes testing of children with significant learning disabilities, calling it inappropriate and a burden on students, parents and teachers. “It (testing) really is a waste of our valuable time,” said Carrie Schlehuber, a Sand Springs Public Schools special education teacher, referring to the Oklahoma Alternative Assessment Program, or OAAP. “I outlive many of my students. When I think about putting them through high-stakes testing …it just seems ridiculous to me.”
Introducing the Winter Testing Fellowship (WTF)
Last week, the Oklahoma State Board of Education sent shockwaves through the state when they declined to vote on a bid by CTB/McGraw-Hill for winter End-of-Instruction testing. With that testing window due to open December 1, time is critic…never mind. It’s probably too late. Today, CTB – who the Board fired over the summer – withdrew their bid. As of today, nobody has a bid in place for the winter contract. The SDE press release today reeked of exasperation.
Read more from okeducationtruths.
The Turnaround Challenge For Oklahoma City Public Schools
By any measure, Oklahoma City Public Schools is struggling. Many schools are underperforming. Thousands of students are falling short in reading or math. Teachers are stressed and say they are underpaid, leading to constant turnover. Superintendent Rob Neu and Associate Superintendent Aurora Lora spoke to those issues and others at an “Oklahoma Watch-Out” community forum on Tuesday near downtown Oklahoma City.
Read more from Oklahoma Watch.
Report: 500 Green Country Schools Near Chemical Plants, Could Be At Risk
A new report reveals nearly 500 Green Country schools are in close proximity to chemical plants, putting students at risk in the event of a chemical catastrophe. An executive with the plant said the report says it puts more Oklahoma students at risk than any other. Brenntag Southwest at the Port of Catoosa stores 400,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide, which helps clean Tulsa’s wastewater. A report says in the event of a chemical emergency 125,000 students would be at risk.
Why didn’t the lottery solve Oklahoma’s education funding problems?
Almost without fail, any news story related to money for Oklahoma schools will attract commenters bitterly pointing out they thought the lottery was supposed to solve our education funding problems. So why hasn’t the lottery gotten Oklahoma out of the bottom rungs for education funding? The short answer is that the lottery helps some, but the boost it provides is far less than what has been cut from other revenue sources in recent years. For the long answer, read on.
Read more from the OK Policy Blog.
States With More Abortion Laws Have Less Support For Women And Children’s Health
The states with the highest number of abortion restrictions also have the fewest policies in place to support women and children’s health and well-being, according to a new report released Wednesday by reproductive rights groups. The study, conducted by Ibis Reproductive Health and the Center for Reproductive Rights, found that a state’s performance on indicators for women and children’s health and well-being is inversely proportional to the amount of anti-abortion laws in that state.
Read more from Huffington Post.
Randy Krehbiel: Income inequality contributing to state budget shortfalls
All sorts of mishaps, misdeeds and misdirection have been blamed for the simmering revenue crisis that has long plagued Oklahoma’s municipalities and seems to have spread to the state’s general fund. A lot of the explanations have some or even a lot of validity: too much dependence on retail sales in the Internet age, too many ill-considered state tax incentives, too much money diverted from the state appropriations process. It turns out, though, that the overarching reason for stagnant and even declining state and municipal revenue is that the biggest share of taxpayers — the broad middle class — simply don’t have as much to be taxed on as they used to.
Read more from the Tulsa World.
Previously: Inequality is bad for business from the OK Policy Blog
Midwest Economic Index Drops In September Due To Drop In Grain Prices
A monthly economic survey index for nine Midwestern and Plains states suggests economic growth in the region will slow down in the months ahead. A survey report issued Wednesday says the overall September index dropped nearly three points to 54.3, from 57.2 the previous month. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey, says a drop in grain prices over the past year has led to a pullback in economic activity for the heavily agrarian region.
Dry September Diminishes Drought Recovery
A drier than normal September has diminished drought recovery in Oklahoma, and weather experts say the dry pattern will continue through October. Preliminary figures from the Oklahoma Mesonet show the statewide average rainfall total was 2.6 inches — 1.3 inches below normal and the 46th driest September since record-keeping began in 1895. August and September combined for a statewide average of 3.9 inches — 2.6 inches below normal and the 22nd driest August-September period on record.
Quote of the Day
“It turns out, though, that the overarching reason for stagnant and even declining state and municipal revenue is that the biggest share of taxpayers — the broad middle class — simply don’t have as much to be taxed on as they used to.”
-Tulsa World reporter Randy Krehbiel, discussing a new Standard & Poor’s report that found extreme income inequality is contributing to state budget shortfalls in Oklahoma and across the nation (Source: http://bit.ly/1rP9JIG)
Number of the Day
34
Number of critical access hospitals in Oklahoma. Hospitals designated critical access hospitals are typically small (no more than 25 beds) and rural, and are the only acute-care option in isolated areas.
Source: Kaiser Health News.
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
Policy Note
School spending by affluent is widening wealth gap
Education is supposed to help bridge the gap between the wealthiest people and everyone else. Ask the experts, and they’ll count the ways: Preschool can lift children from poverty. Top high schools prepare students for college. A college degree boosts pay over a lifetime. And the U.S. economy would grow faster if more people stayed in school longer. Plenty of data back them up. But the data also show something else: Wealthier parents have been stepping up education spending so aggressively that they’re widening the nation’s wealth gap. When the Great Recession struck in late 2007 and squeezed most family budgets, the top 10 percent of earners — with incomes averaging $253,146 — went in a different direction: They doubled down on their kids’ futures.
Read more from the Associated Press.
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Good job on the Journal Record column, David. The “default” position of our criminal processing system officials is that, if less punishment messes someone up worse, then the solution is more of that punishment. In fact, the “public safety” effectiveness of sentences and time served in OK, that is, those with the best rates of recidivism reduction, for non-high risk offenders tends to run from 1-3 years. After that point, you see an increase in recidivism among those similar offenders who drew higher sentences and/or time served. As one inmate’s wife told a state legislative committee a few years ago, her husband said he’d gone into prison with an Associate’s degree in drug possession and was coming out with a Master’s in drug manufacturing and trafficking. Unless/until those who recognize the need for change hammer home the essential point that prison is as much “crime college” as deterrent and that state DAs, proud overseers of horrible public safety records when state crime rates are compared to even just other “average” states in this country, have more at stake than “public safety” when they advocate MORE punishment when punishments have clearly made at least some offenders worse, the Daily OK will probably be proven right. And OK’s crime rates and victimization will continue to outrace most other states for even longer periods of time. But the DAs will get reelected and continue to be the “go-to” mouthpieces whenever stories like the beheading dominate the news.