Photo - Oklahoma lawmakers are negotiating a major budget deal as we speak. Oklahomans must speak out to get them to do the right thing! Learn more and take action: https://okpolicy.org/special-2017/

Oklahoma lawmakers are negotiating a major budget deal as we speak. Oklahomans must speak out to get them to do the right thing! Learn more and take action: https://okpolicy.org/special-2017/

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Special Session Update: Bill would add bureaucracy and expensive barriers to health care

View this email in your browser. Dear Friend, As you know, lawmakers were called back to work this week by the Governor to reach an agreement that would deal with the state's budget shortfalls, address inefficiencies, and provide a teacher pay raise. Unfortunately, House leaders are considering a measure that would achieve none of these goals but would instead impose new, unnecessary costs on state agencies while creating siginificant barriers to health care access for Oklahoma families that rely on SoonerCare. HB 1093 - the deceptively named HOPE Act - would require the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to subject SoonerCare patients to enhanced verification procedures to determine eligibility for coverage of their medical needs. The bill is a carbon copy of legislation (HB 1270) that passed both chambers during regular session but failed to gain final approval. It originates from a Florida-based advocacy group that is pushing identical bills in multiple states. HB 1093 would require intensive quarterly eligibility verification for most SoonerCare members and applications, and require new applicants to complete a quiz of personal and financial questions to prove their identity. The bill would impose new start-up costs ($1.2 million) and recurring annual costs ($1.0 - $1.2 million) on a cash-strapped state agency. The legislation doesn't serve any worthwhile purpose and perpetuates the mistaken notion that public benefit programs like Medicaid are riddled with fraud and abuse — when, in reality, Oklahoma's Medicaid program has the lowest payment error rate in the nation. Creating expensive and cumbersome new bureaucratic procedures is not what lawmakers have been asked to do in Special Session. What You Can Do HB 1093 has been scheduled for a hearing in the House rules committee at 9:30AM, Thursday, September 28. Although the full House has gone into recess, tomorrow's committee meetings are still on the schedule. Please contact members of the House Rules committee and your legislators and urge them to vote No on HB 1093. You can find contact information for the House Rules committee here. You can look up your two legislators here or call the House switchboard at 405-521-2711 and the Senate switchboard at 405-524-0126. Short message: Lawmakers have been called back into Special Session to fix the budget and provide a teacher pay raise, not to create expensive and unnecessary new barriers to health care. Please vote No on HB 1093. See our advocacy alert on HB 1093 for more talking points and links to blog posts, op-eds and other resources on the earlier version of HB 1093 Thank you for concern and involvement. The OK Policy Team Connect with Us Oklahoma Policy Institute 907 S Detroit Ave, Suite 1005 Tulsa, OK 74120 (918) 794-3944 info@okpolicy.org Unsubscribe

[In The Know] Lawmakers resume partisan stances as special session begins

View this email in your browser. In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions. Today In The News Lawmakers resume partisan stances as special session begins: Oklahoma lawmakers met for about 15 minutes Monday, the first day of a special session that so far has produced no answers to the state's $215 million budget shortfall. Aside from procedural votes to kick-start the special session, state Capitol politics picked up where lawmakers left it four months ago. House Republicans are calling for a cigarette tax, and criticizing Democrats for not supporting a stand-alone vote [NewsOK]. Lawmakers have good revenue options for special session if they have the will to use them [OK Policy]. Cigarette tax passes first test in special session: A $1.50 per pack cigarette tax the Republican-led Legislature is depending on to patch a $215 million hole in the state budget passed House and Senate committee votes Tuesday on the second day of a special session. Tuesday's actions set up a floor vote in the House as soon as Wednesday, but passage is far from certain. The bill will require 76 of the current 100 votes in the House, and has significant opposition in both parties [Tulsa World]. The second attempt at the cigarette tax is already in jeopardy [Public Radio Tulsa]. A House Democrat called the cigarette tax a distraction [Rep. Shane Stone / NewsOK]. Oklahoma Could Lose $49M for Needy Children's Health Care: Though the Senate now will not vote by Saturday’s deadline for Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care Act with a simple majority, it’s also the last day for another significant action. Additional funding approved under President Barack Obama for the Children’s Health Insurance Program must be reauthorized by then. "Should the enhanced CHIP funding not be reauthorized, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority stands to lose about $49 million in federal funds in state fiscal year 2018," said Cate Jeffries with OHCA [Public Radio Tulsa].

The latest on bills filed in special session

View this email in your browser. Friend, Yesterday was the first day of the special legislative session called by Governor Fallin to fix Oklahoma's chronic budget problems. One day in, the outcome of special session is still very much up in the air. With so much at stake, it's an essential time for Oklahomans to call, write, and visit lawmakers. Read on for analysis of the bills filed so far and what you can do to influence the result. Although Governor Fallin promised to veto any budget that makes further cuts to state agencies, House Speaker Charles McCall continues to insist that the only revenue on the table will be another try at a cigarette tax. At this point in the year, the cigarette tax by itself will only close about half of Oklahoma's current budget shortfall. And if the Legislature still does not have a three-fourths majority needed to pass the tax, sending it to a vote of the people means the soonest it could go into effect would be 2019, far too late to avoid life-threatening cuts to health care.

NO new cuts! Fix the shortfall! Teacher pay raise! sing it with me now

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Friend, Do you know what a big deal it is that Republican Senators are coming up to me at the Capitol saying, "I don't know what we are going to do, but I can tell you this, NO MORE CUTS!"  They are finally starting to get it! Saying it out loud is the first step to taking action, but that doesn't mean they are ready to really #GetItRightOK.  You've got to call them today because important votes are happening this week. Senate Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget meets today at 11 am. Call these folks now and tell them we want: No new cuts! Fix the shortfall! Teacher pay-raise! Here are the revenue options we'd like to suggest. What You Can Do Contact your own Representative and Senator. Check who yours are at this link. Contact Governor Mary Fallin, House Speaker Charles McCall, and Senate President Pro Tem Mike Schulz to insist that they use Special Session to find the revenues needed to fund state services. Governor Mary Fallin (405) 521-2342 E-mail contact form Speaker Charles McCall (405) 557-7412  charles.mccall@okhouse.gov President Pro Tem Mike Schulz  (405) 521-5612  schulz@oksenate.gov Please do this now! If you have time, text or call a few of your friends and have them do it too.   We've won some important battles with the misguided philosophies that have plagued our state.  Keep it up! KJ

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[In The Know] Senate Republicans call for hiking motor fuels taxes as special session opens

View this email in your browser. In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions. Today In The News Senate Republicans call for hiking motor fuels taxes as special session opens: Senate Republicans on Monday proposed increasing the gasoline and diesel tax as one way of plugging the budget hole that brought lawmakers back to the Capitol for a special session. Lawmakers met briefly in separate chambers Monday for the start of a special session called by Gov. Mary Fallin after the Oklahoma Supreme Court said lawmakers had violated the law in passing a $1.50 cigarette tax as a "fee" during the regular session [Tulsa World]. No agreement was made after the first day of special session [Oklahoma Watch]. Lawmakers have good revenue options for special session if they have the will to use them [OK Policy]. McCall: Cigarette tax ‘first priority,’ GPT not focus right now: After Oklahoma’s 56th Legislature gaveled in this afternoon for the state’s first special session since 2013, House of Representatives leadership said passage of the storied $1.50 cigarette tax is top priority in filling a $215 million budget hole. “First priority of the House (…) will be to take up the tobacco tax,” House Speaker Charles McCall (R-Atoka) said Monday. “That is the issue that will fix the hole that’s been created, and to the extent we can do that, that dictates other conversations we’ll have.” [NonDoc] As Legislature gathers, Oklahomans await results: When the compressor broke on the industrial refrigerator at the Cocina De Mino Mexican restaurant in south Oklahoma City, co-owner Tim Wagner faced a $5,000 replacement or a quick fix for around $1,500. "I just went ahead and paid for a new one because you can't always put a Band-Aid on problems," said Wagner, sitting in his windowless office behind the kitchen, between stacks of purchase orders and food inventory lists [NewsOK]. The special session started quietly [Journal Record].

[In The Know] Governor promises to veto any proposal with further cuts to state agencies

View this email in your browser. In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions. Today In The News Governor promises to veto any proposal with further cuts to state agencies: Governor Mary Fallin today issued the following statement on the upcoming special session of the Oklahoma Legislature, which is scheduled to get underway Monday: “This special session is an opportunity for lawmakers to solve lingering, critical structural problems in our state budget. I am hopeful lawmakers will consider thoughtful, realistic solutions in a timely manner. Many ideas have been fully vetted over the past couple of legislative sessions, so it really should be a matter of taking care of unfinished business. [Norman Transcript] The 5 things Gov. Mary Fallin wants legislators to do in the special session and how much it will cost taxpayers [Tulsa World] State Party leaders comment on upcoming Special Legislative Session [Sandite Pride News] Special session has special process: The fall date won’t be the only deviation from the norm during Oklahoma’s special legislative session. The process will look pretty different as well. No bill is required to go through the committee process. Lawmakers can circumvent the initial hearings, where a dozen other members get to prod their colleagues for more information, voice their concerns or offer amendments. If the measures do go to committee, the window for amendments will be shorter. Instead of the normal two days, amendments will have to be filed on the same day as the committee hearing. [Journal Record] Second Time’s a Charm? Budget Again Hinges on Tobacco Tax: If at first you don’t succeed … try the same thing again. When legislators return to the State Capitol Monday for a special session, they will face a familiar dilemma: Can they muster enough Republican and Democratic votes to pass a $1.50-per-pack cigarette tax? Or will an impasse lead to cuts in core state services? In either case, given previous votes and lawmakers’ statements, both parties could share responsibility.[Oklahoma Watch] Lawmakers have good revenue options for special session if they have the will to use them [OK Policy] Education leaders hold out hope special session will produce teacher pay raise: The Legislature’s upcoming special session has rekindled hope among Tulsa-area school district leaders that 2017 may yet bring a teacher pay raise. It at least gives them another chance to call for one. “The best-case scenario for us is for our state legislators to make the necessary decisions to allow our school districts to provide our teachers with a competitive professional salary,” said Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Deborah Gist. [Tulsa World] Time for teachers to use their outside voices [OK Policy] Several reasons for my special session call: I gave lawmakers quite an assignment when I called them to return in special session next week. The Oklahoman's editorial board believes I should have kept my special session call simple: Focus primarily on dealing with a $215 million budget hole that has developed since lawmakers adjourned in May. I appreciate the opportunity to further explain each point of my special session call. [Gov. Mary Fallin/Tulsa World] Oklahoma’s ‘broken budget’ fuels community conversations: Amber England is the executive director for Oklahoma’s chapter of Stand for Children, a national advocacy organization that seeks a quality public education for all students. Stand for Children is a partner in the Save Our State coalition, which is launching a series of community conversations each Tuesday in October to discuss Oklahoma’s “broken budget” at the local level. [NonDoc] A five-point agenda for the Oklahoma Legislature: The Legislature has a chance to get to the real work of state government starting Monday. Gov. Mary Fallin has called lawmakers back to the Capitol for a special session to deal with a state budget hole of more than $200 million, and to address other critical jobs left undone during the regular session. In the spirit of the priorities outlined by Fallin, the Tulsa World presents this agenda for the special session. [Editorial Writers/Tulsa World] The best vote a legislator can cast in special session [OK Policy] David Boren wants to keep lawmakers reminded of their 'No. 1 responsibility — the next generation': David Boren may not be going quietly into the night. After giving his notice to the University of Oklahoma last week — he’s retiring as OU’s president, effective next June 30 — Boren said he still has things he wants to say. He laughed off a question about writing his memoirs, saying they probably couldn’t be published until after his death. But, he said, he might start a blog to keep his opinions circulating. [Tulsa World] Oklahomans are increasingly absent from the workforce: As Oklahoma’s Legislature convenes in special session to address the budget and flagging state revenue, one thing not likely to attract much attention is this: An unusually large number of Oklahomans don’t work. This may seem to fly in the face of the state’s persistently low unemployment rates, but in fact it is just another side of the same statistical coin. About one-quarter of state residents between ages 25 and 54 — generally the prime employment years — do not have a job. [Tulsa World] Oklahoma, Tulsa counties try to fight health problems with food, transportation: When you visit a doctor in Oklahoma County next spring, don't be surprised if "Can you afford food?" follows "What brings you in today?" Oklahoma and Tulsa counties are part of the “accountable health community” grant program, which aims to reduce health care spending by connecting patients to social services. Hospitals and other providers will screen Medicare and Medicaid patients about whether they can afford food, housing, utilities and transportation, and whether they are at risk of violence. [The Oklahoman] At the intersection of hunger and health [OK Policy] It's time to update Oklahoma equal pay law: Since President John Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act of 1963, it has been illegal in the United States to pay men and women working in the same place different salaries for similar work. While this groundbreaking law narrowed the wage gap during the past half century, progress has stalled in recent years, bringing to light the need for updates to this measure. [Rep. Jason Dunnington/The Oklahoman] Oklahoma women can’t afford wage discrimination [OK Policy] State senator's legal representation of pharmaceutical companies raises conflict of interest questions: Oklahoma Senate Minority Leader John Sparks is providing legal representation to several pharmaceutical companies that the state is suing for alleged fraudulent marketing practices — prompting some to question whether Sparks has a conflict of interest. [Tulsa World] Oklahoma Gets Poor Grade on State Finances But Isn't Alone: A nonprofit that analyzes state finances has given Oklahoma a D grade. Oklahoma was not alone — or even among just a few — to get a D for its finances. "A D may sound bad, but it's about average for the 50 states," Bergman said. "The position has deteriorated in Oklahoma in recent years with the challenge of declining energy prices." [Public Radio Tulsa] Lankford, other officials to attend north Tulsa 'community conversation' on Oct. 12: U.S. Sen. James Lankford will join Mayor G.T. Bynum, state Sen. Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa, and state Rep. Regina Goodwin, D-Tulsa, for a “community conversation” at 6 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Big Ten Ballroom, 1632 E. Apache St. The event will include a town hall-style meeting and performances by local musicians and participants in the Pocket Full of Hope program. [Tulsa World] Quote of the Day “Additional cuts to agencies will further harm state services. I will veto a proposal that calls for cuts to state agencies. Also, sending the cigarette tax to a vote of the people is not an option. The earliest the issue could be decided by voters is June, the last month of the current fiscal year. It doesn’t fix the budget hole because it would not generate any revenue for this fiscal year." - Gov. Mary Fallin urging lawmakers to address the state's structural budget deficit in the special session beginning today (Source) Number of the Day 15.2% Percentage of Oklahoma households experiencing food insecurity in 2016 Source: USDA See previous Numbers of the Day here. Policy Note The Biggest Misconception About Today's College Students: You might think the typical college student lives in a state of bliss, spending each day moving among classes, parties and extracurricular activities. But the reality is that an increasingly small population of undergraduates enjoys that kind of life. Of the country’s nearly 18 million undergraduates, more than 40 percent go to community college, and of those, only 62 percent can afford to go to college full-time. By contrast, a mere 0.4 percent of students in the United States attend one of the Ivies [The New York Times]. You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail. Connect with Us Oklahoma Policy Institute 907 S Detroit Ave, Suite 1005 Tulsa, OK 74120 (918) 794-3944 info@okpolicy.org Unsubscribe