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What’s up this week at Oklahoma Policy Institute? The Weekly Wonk shares our most recent publications and other resources to help you stay informed about Oklahoma. Numbers of the Day and Policy Notes are from our daily news briefing, In The Know. Click here to subscribe to In The Know.
This Week from OK Policy
Policy Matters: Oklahoma chooses to let children stay hungry: When Oklahoma’s governor announced he was again rejecting federal dollars to feed hungry children next summer, he shared more truth than I believe he intended: “The State of Oklahoma is fully capable of serving children and students without a federal program.” Yes, Oklahoma is capable of ensuring that no child goes to bed hungry. Yet, 1 in 5 Oklahoma children don’t know where their next meal will come from, so we have to conclude some of our elected officials choose this outcome. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record]
- From OK Policy: Fact Check: Will Oklahoma families save $800 a year from eliminating the state portion of the grocery sales tax?
Newly formed Interagency Council on Homelessness of Oklahoma is needed now more than ever (Commentary): The newly formed Interagency Council on Homelessness of Oklahoma is filling the void left by the shuttering of the governor’s council. While our council is not officially a state entity, we will carry on our predecessors’ work crafting a statewide plan to address homelessness, tracking data, and coordinating care among providers to ensure all Oklahomans have shelter. [Sabine Brown / OK Policy]
Oklahoma school year starts in chaos (Capitol Update): The beginning of a new school year, normally a time of excitement and looking forward, finds Oklahoma education at the state level in what can only be described as a state of chaos. And the chaos is surely being felt among educators in some, if not most, of the state’s 509 school districts. [Steve Lewis / OK Policy]
Weekly What’s That
Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT)
The Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT), created by SB 1 in 2019, is a division within the Legislative Service Bureau intended to provide greater legislative oversight of state agency budgets. Duties of the Office include gathering information related to proposed agency budgets; evaluating the extent to which each agency fulfills its statutory responsibilities; determining the amount of revenue available to the agency from various sources; comparing current budget information to prior agency requests; and conducting an investigation of any agency as needed to fulfill its responsibilities. The Office is also authorized to conduct performance evaluations and independent comprehensive performance audits.
A 14-member bipartisan legislative committee appointed by the Speaker and the President Pro Tempore and co-chaired by the House and Senate Appropriations committee chairs oversees LOFT’s operations. The committee selected Mike Jackson, a former Speaker Pro Tempore of the House of Representatives, as LOFT’s Executive Director in June 2020 and approved LOFT’s first annual workplan in August 2020. LOFT released its first report in January 2021; by the end of SFY 2023, it had released 23 reports on subjects ranging from the Developmental Disabilities Services Waiting List to the state’s use of Covid relief funds and state education funding, among many others.
Look up more key terms to understand Oklahoma politics and government here.
Quote of the Week
“The Oklahoma State Department of Education dropped the ball on telling school administrators, parents or anyone about the change in the way they would determine student performance on state tests. This left districts shocked and surprised when they saw this year’s scores, and it puts a false narrative out there.”
– Reps. Mark McBride, R-Moore, and Dick Lowe, R-Amber, commenting on a change to the method for scoring state academic tests they say was not communicated to statewide educators, parents or the public. [Oklahoma House of Representatives]
Editorial of the Week
Opinion: Let public schools focus on their mission – teaching all kids
It seems likely that Superintendent Ryan Walters will expect school districts to collect and report information about the legal status of their students. Any such guidance violates constitutional requirements and would divert schools from their proper mission, which is to serve all kids. Schools should refuse to go along. [David Blatt / Tulsa World]
Numbers of the Day
- 28% – Percentage increase in people experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma City from 2023 to 2024. [2024 Oklahoma City Point In Time Count]
- 140,600 – Number of U.S.-born Oklahoma residents living with at least one immigrant parent. This about 3.7% of the state’s total population. [American Immigration Council]
- $10,500 – The average bail amount for all Oklahoma jails in 2022. The average bail costs have been steadily increasing since 2019 for urban, rural, and midsize jails. [MODERN Criminal Justice Task Force]
- $1.4 billion – Hunger costs Oklahoma over $1.4 billion each year through increased illness and decreased academic achievement alone. [Hunger Free Oklahoma]
- 31.9% – Percentage of households in Oklahoma that had some or lots of difficulty paying for usual household expenses, which is was the nation’s sixth highest rate and higher than the national average of 27.3%. [Prosperity Now]
What We’re Reading
- The Supreme Court Rules on Homelessness: What it All Means: The Supreme Court issued its opinion in Grants Pass v. Johnson, which makes it easier for communities nationwide to fine, ticket or arrest people living unsheltered, even when there is no adequate shelter available. Specifically, the Supreme Court determined that the “cruel and unusual punishment” clause of the Eighth Amendment does not prohibit the City of Grants Pass from enforcing criminal punishments against people who are homeless for camping outside in the city. [National Alliance to End Homelessness]
- Mixed-Status Families and Immigrant Families with Children Continued Avoiding Safety Net Programs in 2023: Our results suggest that many people in immigrant families are missing out on needed safety net benefits, including many of the 3.5 million US citizen and lawfully present children in low-income families who live with at least one undocumented parent. Encouraging safety net program participation among eligible immigrant families would likely require strategies, such as increased resources for community-based organizations working with immigrant families, simplified enrollment and renewal processes for safety net programs, and expanded safety net program eligibility. [Urban Institute]
- Debunking Myths About Bail Reform and Crime: The past decade has seen increasing momentum for bail reform, with lawmakers, prosecutors, and courts across the country shifting the focus of bail decisions from ability to pay to fairness and public safety. However, reformers must frequently contend with fears that limiting or eliminating money bail will lead to a rise in crime. The data shows that these fears are unfounded, and they shouldn’t stand in the way of reforms that can make our criminal justice system more equitable and humane. [Brennan Center for Justice]
- A mom struggles to feed her kids after GOP states reject federal funds: In her rural Oklahoma town, Tabitha Shinn calculates down to the penny for groceries for her three teens but still must rely on giveaways from a food pantry. [Washington Post]
- Practical Steps To Build Strong Political Norms and Stop Political Violence: As American democracy faces significant challenges, people must work together to help set healthy political norms and reject a culture that allows political violence to flourish. [American Progress]
