A consumer archive of news sent from Oklahoma Policy Institute
Number of Oklahoma children on free and reduced school meal plans in the 2016-2017 school year, 61.48% of all public school students in the state.
The post 692,608 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
|
“They are all very interested in ensuring that the program works correctly and that it’s the best program we can build for the state. The ones we’ve spoken to have an open mind. I think they’re not buying the reefer madness propaganda. I think we have full faith that they will implement the legislation that we envisioned for 788.”
-Frank Grove, co-leader of Oklahomans for Cannabis, speaking about his interactions with the medical marijuana legislative working group [Tulsa World]
The post QOTD 8/31/18 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
[NOTE: In The Know will be not be published on Monday, September 3, for Labor Day. We will be back Tuesday morning with a round-up of the 3-day weekend.]
Report: Oklahoma slow to remove some children from abusive foster homes: Oklahoma has been slow to remove children from abusive foster homes in some instances and children in state custody continue to experience abuse and neglect at “an alarmingly high rate,” according to a new report from the monitors of a class action, civil rights settlement to improve Oklahoma’s child welfare system. [The Frontier] The Oklahoma Department of Human Services on Thursday took issue with the latest report by monitors that downgraded the agency's progress in improving the state's foster care program for children. [AP News]
The future of medical marijuana in Oklahoma: More than half a million Oklahomans voted in favor of State Question 788 legalizing medical marijuana, making Oklahoma the 30th state in the nation to legalize the drug in some form. SQ 788 directed the Department of Health to issue rules governing the implementation of the law, and after a flurry of controversy and a do-over forced by Attorney General Mike Hunter, Governor Fallin signed new emergency rules on July 31. [OK Policy] The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority's application for a license became available last weekend, and some people have already received their medical cards. [KOCO] Oklahoma's newest legal industry already is attracting interest from companies throughout the country. [NewsOK]
As physicians again push for unpopular medical marijuana restrictions, one lawmaker 'a little frustrated': A coalition of medical professionals pushed again for the reinstatement of medical marijuana rules limiting product potency and banning sales of smokable cannabis, drawing pushback from a legislative working group handling the issue. [Tulsa World] A co-chairman of the medical marijuana legislative working group said Wednesday that he is working with cannabis advocates and other lawmakers on language to expand regulation of State Question 788. [Tulsa World]
The shadow of the opioid crisis looms over doctors considering medical marijuana: So far, 38 physicians have registered with the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority to help streamline the process for their patients who apply for licenses. Doctors aren’t required to register to recommend medical marijuana, and Yarborough, like many Oklahoma doctors, isn’t sure yet if he will. [StateImpact Oklahoma]
The national implications of Oklahoma's GOP primary: If you’re reading National Review, you’ve no doubt digested the news from the recent primaries in Florida and Arizona. But did you catch the primary runoff in Oklahoma? Because the results in Oklahoma might tell us more about the future of American politics than the higher-profile results from elsewhere. [National Review] As Oklahoma heads into a legislative session where public health and safety will become paramount issues, top-ranking lawmakers will have to decide who is leading the show. [Journal Record 🔒]
Gubernatorial candidates ran two races in one: Kevin Stitt’s successful Republican primary campaign for governor can’t be explained quickly, observers said. Too much came into play. A political scientist and a few campaign consultants said geography, anti-establishmentarian sentiment and several other factors created the environment in which he and Mick Cornett had to run their races. [Journal Record 🔒] What went down in Florida, Arizona and Oklahoma [FiveThirtyEight]
Anthony vs. McCray: A battle of polar opposites: Bob Anthony, Oklahoma’s longest-serving member of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, is facing a younger, Native American Democratic challenger, Ashley Nicole McCray. He is 70 and she is 34. The two are campaigning during a season in which the prevailing narratives are voting for experience or choosing change, said Keith Gaddie, University of Oklahoma political science professor. [Journal Record]
Four private firms have until Dec. 31 to audit six state agencies: Four auditing firms will have until the end of the year to conduct performance audits of six of the state's biggest agencies. The Agency Performance and Accountability Commission (APAC) confirmed the choices on Thursday and will oversee the process until reports are turned in to lawmakers ahead of the next regular session. [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma City surgery center loses federal funding despite pleas it would be forced to close: A surgery center in Oklahoma City has lost its Medicare and Medicaid funding, despite an attempt to halt the termination in federal court. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, terminated its agreement with ESEC Surgery Center on Aug. 18, citing three state inspections that found multiple disqualifying deficiencies. [The Frontier]
Oklahoma counties show improvement in unemployment: Every Oklahoma county and the state's largest metro areas showed improvement in July unemployment rates from last year. The jobless rate fell 0.4 percentage points in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metro areas, hitting rates of 3.3 and 3.6 percent, respectively. The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission released a report Wednesday showing the July 2018 unemployment rates for all 77 Oklahoma counties. [NewsOK]
Oklahoma construction companies say it's hard to find workers: Oklahoma construction companies want to hire more craft personnel in the next 12 months, but they’re having a hard time finding them, according to a workforce survey by the Associated General Contractors of America. No respondents said it’s easier this year to hire positions like carpenters, heavy equipment operators, truck drivers, mechanics, welders and concrete workers. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Cheniere Energy obtains approval to build its $1 billion Midship Pipeline in Oklahoma: Cheniere Energy Inc. hopes to begin work on its $1 billion Midship Pipeline soon, now that it has obtained approval for the project from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The 200-mile-long pipeline will start in Kingfisher County and head south and east to southeastern Bryan County on the Oklahoma/Texas line, where it will hook into the nation's interstate pipeline system. [NewsOK]
Should I still root for my college football team? Whenever I mention where I go to school, people don’t ask me about my classes or professors. They ask me about football. I don’t mind. Every fall, when tens of thousands of people pour onto the University of Oklahoma campus for games, I feel proud. Or maybe I should say felt. Part of me can’t wait for football season to start. The other part of me wonders: Is it O.K. to be a football fan in 2018? [Tim Hatton / New York Times]
“It really allows us to celebrate the growth of the city. We’re really making sure the marathon remains part of the fabric of the city as we change and grow.”
-Kari Watkins, executive director of the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, on the marathon route's change to reflect the city's shift southward. [Journal Record]
692, 608
Number of Oklahoma children on free and reduced school meal plans in the 2016-2017 school year, 61.48% of all public school students in the state.
[Oklahoma State Department of Education]
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
In U.S., wage growth is being wiped out entirely by inflation: Without raises, workers are opting to work more hours to stay afloat. The Labor Department reported that Americans are putting in more time on the job this summer vs. last summer, which is helping to keep family earnings about the same for now. Penny Harford, a 67-year-old in Filer, Idaho, thought she would be retired by now. Instead, she’s working two part-time jobs at retail stores. She took on the second job last year as energy prices started to climb and she realized she needed more hours to pay bills. [Washinton Post]
You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.
The post In The Know: Report states DHS failing children in foster care, state disputes findings; future of medical marijuana in OK… appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
The regulation process, however, is still incomplete. While the emergency rules implement the language of SQ 788, there are several areas, including laboratory testing of marijuana products, changes to law enforcement practices, and patient licensing procedures that remain unsettled because SQ 788 did not explicitly authorize the Health Department to create rules. To fill in those gaps, Governor Fallin directed a bipartisan group of legislators known as the Medical Marijuana Working Group to gather information on gaps in the law and form proposals to consider during the 2019 legislative session.
Based on the early comments of the Medical Marijuana Working Group, legislators favor a more “hands-off” approach to medical marijuana rules. The working group is trying to balance the concerns of law enforcement and public health officials with what advocates have called one of the least restrictive and most “patient-centered” medical marijuana ballot measures in the nation, and the next legislature will consider proposals to change and fill in regulations in 2019.
The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority began issuing licenses for patients, caregivers and businesses on Saturday, August 25th. The agency reported more than 1,600 license applications and more than 1.5 million dollars in fees collected on that first day.
Licensed patients can possess up to three ounces of marijuana on their person, eight ounces at their residence, up to six mature marijuana plants, six seedling plants, an ounce of concentrated marijuana and seventy-two ounces of edibles. By comparison, it’s legal to possess only an ounce of marijuana (recreational or medicinal) in Colorado, and several states like Louisiana and West Virginia allow legal medical marijuana products but don’t allow smokable pot of any kind.
There are also relatively few regulations on marijuana businesses, including growers, processors, and dispensaries. Those applying for a business license must be at least 25, and their board members and managers must also be Oklahoma residents. The application fee for a commercial license is relatively low at $2,500. By contrast, there are firm limits on both the capital requirements and the number of marijuana business licenses in many other states. Oregon for example, has stopped processing new cultivation licenses completely in response to concerns of market oversaturation, and Arkansas presently limits licenses to applicants with at least one million dollars in assets.
Oklahoma’s process is more inclusive by design. One of the goals of SQ 788 was making the new industry widely available to local small business owners, according to the advocates who drafted the measure. The co-chairs of the Medical Marijuana Working Group Sen. Greg McCortney and Rep. Jon Echols, have expressed a desire to promote an open market driven by Oklahoma capital investment and accessible to a variety of local entrepreneurs.
At the August 15th meeting of the legislative working group, representatives of the police, the District Attorney’s Council and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics expressed concern about the law’s internal conflicts and unforeseen consequences. For example, SQ 780 reclassified most simple drug possession crimes as misdemeanors punishable by up to a year in prison, while SQ 788 calls for a $400 fine and no jail time for illegal possession of up to 1.5 ounces. Prior to SQ 780 first time simple possession of marijuana was usually a misdemeanor, but the difference between these statutes still leaves local police uncertain of which law to follow.
Allowing licensed patients to grow and carry amounts of medical marijuana beyond what’s allowed in other states also concerns law enforcement. Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Director John Scully told the working group that he believes these loose restrictions will create an enormous black market and dramatically increase DUI rates. However, it’s not clear that this is the case. Data on the black market effects of legalization are difficult to track, but one recent report shows that three years after legalization, there was no statistically significant difference between the rates of DUI crashes in these states than those without legalization.
Health Secretary Tom Bates testified before the working group that lab testing of marijuana represents another serious concern for policymakers. “I think it’s important to remember, these are things that people will be ingesting into their body. We want to do all we can to make sure that product is safe for human consumption and that it’s not adulterated or contaminated in any way. The only way to do that is to have some kind of testing structure,” Bates said. Some marijuana businesses will likely create their own testing and safety process, but without a common regulation, there’s no method standard to ensure patient safety. The questions of product recall, contamination and drug quality will remain very open until the legislature resolves them.
“788 is unique among existing regulatory frameworks.” SQ 788 author Chip Paul said. “It is the first medical marijuana question in any state which does not specify conditions for which a doctor can prescribe marijuana.” His goal in writing SQ 788 was to create a patient-centered framework, which favored the doctor-patient relationship over rules written by government.
To that end, on August 17th, six grassroots Oklahoma Cannabis groups drafted consensus legislation to enshrine their perspectives on this regulatory framework into law. However, not all pro-SQ 788-advocacy groups signed on. Oklahomans for Cannabis, for example, recently offered their own piece of sample legislation called “The Care Act” for public comment. Oklahomans for Cannabis objects to landlord restrictions and licensing provisions put forward by the other groups. SQ 788 advocates agree on the necessity of a patient-centered application of the new rules, but they still differ on a number of the provisions surrounding business practice and enforcement.
Legislators will ultimately have to settle these issues with the new law next year. Police and District Attorneys still need clarity on whom to arrest or prosecute. Some marijuana advocates and potential business owners have called for a special session to settle their differences. Interim Health Secretary Tom Bates has called for a special session as well, but Governor Fallin has yet to call for one. For the time being, District Attorneys and police will likely have to simply use their arrest and prosecutorial discretion to resolve the SQ 780 and SQ 788 conflicts. Legislators wary of voter discontent seem satisfied with adopting the Department of Health’s emergency rules temporarily, but they will have to confront all of these issues in 2019.
The post The future of medical marijuana in Oklahoma appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
|
|
While the budget has been stabilized, there’s still a great distance to climb before we are out of the hole created by a decade of cuts and shortfalls.
-David Blatt, OK Policy Executive Director. [Journal Record]
The post Quote of the Day | August 31, 2018 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
Percentage of Oklahoma infants born in 2015 who were ever breastfed, the 5th lowest rate in the U.S.
The post 75.9% appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
[There are less than 100 tickets left to our 10th Anniversary Gala on September 13. Join us in celebrating our first decade of advancing policy change as we honor former Speaker of the House Kris Steele and former state Superintendent Sandy Garrett with our Good Sense / Good Cents award. The New Yorker magazine’s humorist and feature writer Ian Frazier will be the night's keynote speaker. Individual tickets and sponsorships are available now.]
Voters send more legislators packing. Was it the tax vote? It was another tough day to be an Oklahoma legislator running for reelection. Six of the 10 Republican incumbents who faced runoff challenges Tuesday were defeated and will not return when the Legislature convenes again early next year. They will join six other lawmakers – again all Republicans – who lost during June’s primary. [Oklahoma Watch]
More Oklahoma school leaders win primaries, prepare for November election: In a tough night for incumbent Republican legislators in Oklahoma, more school leaders won their primary runoffs to earn spots on the November general election ballot. Among them was Sherrie Conley, a school administrator in Oklahoma City, who got 50.9 percent of the vote in a close race against incumbent Bobby Cleveland in the Republican runoff in House District 20. [Education Week] Oklahoma teachers just purged the statehouse of their enemies [Daily Intelligencer]
In Oklahoma and Arizona, primary voters rewarded candidates who stood with teachers: Oklahoma voters continued a red-state trend Tuesday night by throwing out half a dozen incumbent Republican lawmakers who voted against a tax hike to fund teacher pay increases. In Arizona, educators made a number of electoral gains in Democratic Party primaries. [The Intercept]
Interactive map: How did Oklahoma counties vote in the gubernatorial runoff? Tulsa businessman Kevin Stitt will go on to face Democrat Drew Edmondson in the governor’s race in November. Stitt took a comfortable lead over former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett on Tuesday, winning by about 9 percentage points. [Read Frontier] The governor's race is on: 'Mary Fallin lite' vs. 'bigger government and higher taxes.' [Tulsa World] Trends show Oklahoma could elect a Democrat for governor. [KTUL]
Drummond concedes after close AG race, calls for healing: Although the election technically ended late Tuesday night, the attorney general primary election drama continued into the next afternoon. One of the most contentious races of the cycle ended with an incredibly close vote. Nearly 300,000 residents headed to the polls for the statewide election, and with all precincts reporting, incumbent Mike Hunter led his challenger, Gentner Drummond, by 269 votes, according to preliminary tabulations the Election Board released. [Journal Record]
A sneak peek at the November election ballot: With the primary runoffs over, the general election ballot for Nov. 6 is set, at least unofficially. The Oklahoma State Election Board still needs to certify the results. But the preliminary lineup will probably be the final one. Here’s a look at the general-election candidates in Oklahoma’s federal, statewide and legislative races. [Oklahoma Watch]
Prosperity Policy: Been down so long: In the 1960s, the New York City poet and folksinger Richard Fariña published a novel titled Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me. He could well have been writing about Oklahoma’s current budget situation. After multiple years of budget shortfalls and deep cuts to schools, health care, and other vital services, last year was finally a good one for state tax collections. [David Blatt / Journal Record]
OKC police chief proposes change to marijuana ordinance: Right now, those busted with weed can be thrown in jail. But that could change. “The recommendation we’re making is to lower the fine of the possession of marijuana to $400 and it was set at a maximum of $1,200 and six months in jail,” said Citty. “By lowering it to $400, this allows us to basically take it out of that court of record trial and we’re able to assign citations for the possession of marijuana. [KFOR]
Oversight panel accuses DHS of failing to protect children while not making good-faith efforts to reform: The Oklahoma Department of Human Services has failed even to make “good faith efforts” to improve services and protect children in state custody, according to a panel of experts who have been appointed by a federal court to oversee reforms in the agency. [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma part of national trend in rise of STDs, health officials say: Preliminary data shows that Oklahoma is in line with a national trend of sexually transmitted diseases on the rise, according to health officials. In 2017, the Oklahoma State Department of Health reported that there were 31,779 cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis in the Sooner State. That number increased by a little more than 2,000 from 2016, when state health officials reported 29,716 cases. [KOCO]
Cheaper power is dimming the future of a coal-fired electricity generator in Oklahoma: The future for an independent power generator and its roughly 100 employees in eastern Oklahoma is decidedly hazy. An executive with AES Shady Point, a coal-fired electrical generation facility in Le Flore County, said Tuesday the plant could close as soon as January. [NewsOK]
Airbnbs: Tulsa City councilors propose registering home-sharing businesses: City Councilor Blake Ewing estimates hundreds of people in Tulsa operate Airbnbs or other home-sharing businesses. But the city has no way of knowing who they are, making regulating the industry impossible. “Most of them, most all of them, in fact, are just doing it,” Ewing told his fellow councilors Wednesday. [Tulsa World]
'Who would do that to a 12-year-old?' transgender Oklahoma student speaks out about being bullied by parents: The 12-year transgender girl who was bullied online by local parents says she’s trying hard not to be bothered by the negativity. Maddison Kleeman Rose spoke to VICE News, her first on-camera interview since her story caught national attention. [TIME]
While the budget has been stabilized, there’s still a great distance to climb before we are out of the hole created by a decade of cuts and shortfalls.
-David Blatt, OK Policy Executive Director. [Journal Record]
75.9%
Percentage of Oklahoma infants born in 2015 who were ever breastfed, the 5th lowest rate in the U.S.
[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]
See previous Numbers of the Day here.
The outsize hold of the word ‘welfare’ on the public imagination: Unexpected evidence of this emerges in the research of Suzanne Mettler, a political scientist at Cornell University perplexed by the trends that Americans have come to dislike government more and more, even as they have increasingly relied on its assistance through programs other than welfare. Americans are far less likely today than 40 years ago to say in surveys that they trust the government to do what is right or to look out for people like them. At the same time, the share of Americans using nearly all of these other programs has risen. [New York Times]
You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.
The post In The Know: Legislators sent packing; school leaders win primaries; voters reward pro-education candidates… appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
| If this email is not displaying correctly, you can view it in your browser. Dear Friend, Time is running out to make your voice heard. The state Medicaid agency has put together a plan to cut health coverage for low-income parents who don't report working or volunteering enough, at the direction of Governor Fallin and the state legislature. There are just a few days left to provide public comments. The proposal is a radical new path for our most basic health care program for low-income Oklahomans. The consequences could be devastating. Families in rural areas, individuals with chronic illness or disabilities, and individuals struggling with substance use disorders or mental illness could lose the ability to see a doctor or fill a prescription as a result. This means more Oklahoma families dealing with staggering medical bills or untreated illness - two issues that already keep too many of our families from getting ahead. You can learn more about the proposal here, and use this form to leave a comment. Comments from people like you are powerful because they give state and federal lawmakers important feedback about how this proposal would affect Oklahoma families. The deadline to speak up is September 3. Thank you, Sabine Brown Together Oklahoma Coordinator
TogetherOK’s success depends on your engagement – and there are many ways for you to get involved.
Together OK | 907 S Detroit Ave, Suite 1005, Tulsa, OK 74120 | (918) 794-3944
|
