The Weekly Wonk: New KIDS COUNT report; State Question 800; pay your interns…

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

This week, Strategy and Communications Director Gene Perry analyzed data from the latest KIDS COUNT^® policy report, Opening Doors for Young Parents, and found that Oklahoma is missing opportunities to give young adult parents and their kids a boost. Executive Director David Blatt delved into State Question 800, where voters will decide whether to set aside a portion of future oil and gas revenues for a new reserve fund. 

In his weekly Journal Record column, Blatt stressed the importance of paying interns and the dangers of expecting students to work for free. Steve Lewis's Capitol Update shed light on findings from a recent interim study on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

Upcoming Opportunities

Today is the last day to submit a public comment on the Medicaid plan: This is your last chance to submit a public comment and encourage your friends to do so as well. At the direction of Governor Fallin and the state legislature, the state Medicaid agency has put together a plan to cut vital health coverage for low-income parents who don’t report working or volunteering enough hours. The deadline to submit a public comment on OHCA’s Medicaid proposal is today, September 30th. You can use this question survey or this quick form to send your public comment. You can watch and share public comments submitted by SoonerCare patients here and here.

Oklahoma Watch-Out Candidate Forum in Lawton: TogetherOK and Oklahoma Watch are teaming up for a legislative candidate forum in Lawton on Tuesday, October 9. The forum will be free and open to the public and will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the McMahon Centennial Complex. Oklahoma Watch Executive Editor David Fritze will moderate the discussion, and audience questions will be allowed. For more information, visit the Facebook event page. 

Weekly What’s That

Open Meetings Act, What's That?

Oklahoma’s Open Meetings Act (25 O.S. Sections 301-314) requires all public bodies to file advance notice of regularly scheduled and special meetings with the Secretary of State, as well as advance notice of changes in date, time, or location of regularly scheduled meetings. Under the Act, agendas for regular and special meetings must be posted in a publicly-accessible location for at least 24 hours prior to its meeting, and agendas must identify all items of business of the meeting. Click here to read more. 

Look up more key terms to understand Oklahoma politics and government here.

Quote of the Week

“We are a poor state and we are a state with rich resources. But we have not provided the right combination of opportunity and investment to have healthy communities, strong families and well educated kids. We want kids to have a competitive edge but it is only going to happen with resources.”

-State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister [Stillwater News Press]

Editorial of the Week

Oklahoma needs restorative system for women in prison

... These bills are a step in the right direction, but I encourage Oklahoma's leaders to take additional steps to ensure that punishments meted out to Oklahoma's mothers, daughters, sisters, and aunts are fair and proportional. Our nation's decades-long experiment in over-incarceration has shown, over and over, that harsher sentences don't yield safer streets, and locking women up unnecessarily is a poor use of taxpayer dollars. [Craig Deroche / NewsOK]

Numbers of the Day

• -5% - Projected change in Oklahoma’s under 65 population by 2030
• $4,786,915 - Federal grants awarded to Oklahoma community health centers to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder services
• 38% - Percentage of Oklahomans with a bachelor’s degree or higher whose degree is in science and engineering or a related field
• 68% - Percentage increase in the number of drug overdose deaths in Oklahoma from 2007-2016
• 4.1% - Share of Oklahoma City Metro Area workforce that usually works from home.

See previous Numbers of the Day and sources here.

What We’re Reading

• 40 percent of Americans struggle to pay for at least one basic need like food or rent [Market Watch]
• The hidden resilience of ‘food desert’ neighborhoods [Civil Eats]
• A benefit of free lunch for all: fewer students get repeatedly suspended, new study suggests. [Chalk Beat]
• One big problem with Medicaid work requirement: People are unaware it exists. [New York Times]
• Many young people don’t vote because they never learned how. Here’s a free class now in schools trying to change that. [Washington Post]

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[The Weekly Wonk] New KIDS COUNT report; State Question 800; pay your interns...

View this email in your browser. 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 This week, Strategy and Communications Director Gene Perry analyzed data from the latest KIDS COUNT® policy report, Opening Doors for Young Parents, and found that Oklahoma is missing opportunities to give young adult parents and their kids a boost. Executive Director David Blatt delved into State Question 800, where voters will decide whether to set aside a portion of future oil and gas revenues for a new reserve fund.  In his weekly Journal Record column, Blatt stressed the importance of paying interns and the dangers of expecting students to work for free. Steve Lewis's Capitol Update shed light on findings from a recent interim study on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Upcoming Opportunities Today is the last day to submit a public comment on the Medicaid plan: This is your last chance to submit a public comment and encourage your friends to do so as well. At the direction of Governor Fallin and the state legislature, the state Medicaid agency has put together a plan to cut vital health coverage for low-income parents who don’t report working or volunteering enough hours. The deadline to submit a public comment on OHCA’s Medicaid proposal is today, September 30th. You can use this question survey or this quick form to send your public comment. You can watch and share public comments submitted by SoonerCare patients here and here. Oklahoma Watch-Out Candidate Forum in Lawton: TogetherOK and Oklahoma Watch are teaming up for a legislative candidate forum in Lawton on Tuesday, October 9. The forum will be free and open to the public and will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the McMahon Centennial Complex. Oklahoma Watch Executive Editor David Fritze will moderate the discussion, and audience questions will be allowed. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.

4.1%

Share of Oklahoma City Metro Area workforce that usually works from home.

[Governing]

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Quote of the Day | September 28, 2018

“While most women admitted to jails are accused of minor crimes, the consequences of pretrial incarceration can be devastating. This report finds that jailed mothers often feel an added, and unique, pressure to plead guilty so that they can return home to parent their children and resume their lives. These mothers face difficulties keeping in touch with their children due to restrictive jail visitation policies and costly telephone and video calls. Some risk losing custody of their children because they are not informed of, or transported to, key custody proceedings. Once released from jail, they are met with extensive fines, fees, and costs that can impede getting back on their feet and regaining custody of their children.”

– Human Rights Watch report on the lasting harm of jailing mothers before trial in Oklahoma [HRW]

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In The Know: Oklahoman newspaper sold; GOP members targeted by colleague; ‘Lasting harm’ of incarcerating mothers…

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.

In The News

Oklahoman sells to GateHouse Media, lays off several newsroom staffers: The Oklahoman Media Company, the state's biggest, announced today that it was being sold to GateHouse Media — and laid off 37 staffers. An estimate was that about 15 of those job losses came from the newsroom, though two people agreed to retire. A story on newsok.com says that the sale will be final Oct. 1. Employees reported being alerted via email yesterday to a mandatory meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday. They sat through a 35-minute presentation about the sale and upcoming changes before being informed of the layoffs. [Poynter] GateHouse Media already owns The Journal Record, The Daily Ardmoreite, Bartlesville Examiner-Express, Miami News-Record and Shawnee News-Star, as well as a number of weekly publications. [Journal Record]

Oklahoma Republicans targeted by colleague, dark money: When voters booted a dozen Oklahoma Republican legislators from office in the primary, the common thinking was that educators angry about classroom funding were behind the ousters. But there were forces at work beyond just agitated teachers. A top GOP House leader actively participated in a plan to take down several hardline members of his own caucus. [AP News]

Report focuses on 'lasting harm' of incarcerating mothers prior to trial in Oklahoma: The perils of pretrial incarceration practices in Oklahoma are spotlighted again in a report that specifically zeroes in on the “devastating” consequences of keeping mothers from their adolescent children. Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday released a 121-page report on “the lasting harm of jailing mothers before trial in Oklahoma.” The report states that women are the fastest growing correctional population in the U.S., and since the 1990s, Oklahoma has incarcerated more women per capita than any other state. [Tulsa World] Read the full report here. [Human Rights Watch]

Advocates: Failure-to-protect laws harming women: The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board’s recent decision on a mother’s commutation request has renewed questions about Oklahoma’s so-called “failure-to-protect” laws. The case of an Oklahoma woman named Tondalo Hall has become a primary example cited by advocates when discussing the need to change the law. More than a decade ago, Hall was sentenced to 30 years in prison for failure to protect her children from physical abuse after her boyfriend broke her infant son’s leg. For that abuse, the boyfriend was sentenced to eight years of probation and no jail time. [Journal Record]

Answers sought after spike in health-related jail deaths: From 1999-2015, an average of nearly five people died each year while in the custody of the Oklahoma County Jail. Triple that number died the following year, or 15 people by the end of 2016, and then 10 more by the end of 2017. So far this year, the jail has reported another five deaths. The causes of their deaths fell in line with U.S. Department of Justice statistics – illnesses are far more common than homicides for detainees – but the numbers for those two recent years exceed the national per-capita average. Experts said it’s impossible to pin down one reason, although staff flux represents a strong possibility. [Journal Record]

Poll: Kevin Stitt leading Drew Edmondson 47-43: A poll released today shows Kevin Stitt leading Drew Edmondson 46.9 percent to 43.4 percent in the race to become Oklahoma’s next governor. Chris Powell received 2 percent support, with 7.8 percent remaining undecided. Conducted Sept. 25 and 26 with 1,058 respondents, the poll was commissioned by Right Strategy Group and shows a close race at the top of Oklahoma’s general election ballot. [NonDoc]

School violence study: Schools need more counselors, tip lines: Schools statewide need more mental health counselors and officials should increase their use of student resource officers and add text tip lines to ensure they're better protecting against violent threats in public schools, officials told lawmakers Wednesday ... House lawmakers held an interim study Wednesday at the Capitol to probe the safety and security issue in Oklahoma's public schools and what it could cost districts or the Legislature to make classrooms safer. [CHNI]

Oklahoma schools relying more and more on fundraisers to pay for the basics: The beginning of any school year brings with it the hope for academic and athletic success, memories to last a lifetime and all the ups and downs that come with life in a modern American school. It also signals the beginning of a year of fundraising that sees students, and often their parents, hawking everything from bacon and candy bars to mattresses to fund activities and, in some cases, necessities, in an era of tight budgets for Oklahoma's public schools. [NewsOK]

$2.7 million grant to extend Tulsa research into benefits of preschool education: When the project started in fall 2016 with 3-year-old students in preschool, researchers hoped to follow the children’s educational progress through the third grade, but funding didn’t ensure it. Now, a new $2.7 million grant will extend the research even further, enabling the students to be tracked through the fourth grade by a partnership between the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa and Georgetown University. [Tulsa World] The research has already found Tulsa's early childhood education programs producing lasting gains. [OK Policy]

Free flu vaccines available Oct. 1 at county health department locations across Oklahoma: Free flu vaccines will be offered at county health department locations across the state after last year's flu season set records for its severity. Last flu season, between September 2017 and May 2018, saw 291 deaths and 4,819 hospitalizations across Oklahoma. “We are encouraging everyone to get their flu vaccination and we hope this effort to provide the shots at no out-of-pocket cost to recipients will make it more accessible,” OSDH Interim Commissioner Tom Bates said in a news release. [Tulsa World] Go get your flu shot. Yes, you. [OK Policy]

Collaboration sought to meet needs of Latino community: Oklahoma City’s population is becoming more diverse, and the social service nonprofit Latino Community Development Agency needs to grow to meet those needs. That was the message of President Raúl Font. But that obligation to collaborate shouldn’t just rest on the shoulders of the Latinos in the community, said Sonic Corp.’s most visible Latina woman. [Journal Record]

TPS admins like idea of bilingual certification: It seems likely that Oklahoma high school graduates with extensive foreign language study may soon be able to qualify for certifications on their academic records or diplomas. According to the Oklahoma Association for Bilingual Education, students could also be certified as bilingual in tribal languages. The OABE is working with the Oklahoma Department of Education on possible requirements. [Tahlequah Daily Press]

Oklahoma in waiting game for Real ID extension approval: The clock is ticking for Oklahoma officials to find out if their Real ID extension will be approved. Last month, Oklahoma filed for a year-long extension, but lawmakers are still waiting to hear back. If not approved, it could affect travel plans for all Oklahomans. For 11 years, the state's drivers licenses haven't complied with federal law. The deadline is Oct. 10. [KTUL]

Joe Exotic to make first appearance Thursday in Oklahoma federal court: The tiger king of Oklahoma accused in a murder-for-hire plot will make an appearance in federal court Thursday. Officials with the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma confirm that Joseph Maldonado-Passage, "Joe Exotic", will be arraigned at 3 p.m. Thursday. [FOX25]

Quote of the Day

“While most women admitted to jails are accused of minor crimes, the consequences of pretrial incarceration can be devastating. This report finds that jailed mothers often feel an added, and unique, pressure to plead guilty so that they can return home to parent their children and resume their lives. These mothers face difficulties keeping in touch with their children due to restrictive jail visitation policies and costly telephone and video calls. Some risk losing custody of their children because they are not informed of, or transported to, key custody proceedings. Once released from jail, they are met with extensive fines, fees, and costs that can impede getting back on their feet and regaining custody of their children.”

- Human Rights Watch report on the lasting harm of jailing mothers before trial in Oklahoma [HRW]

Number of the Day

4.1%

Share of Oklahoma City Metro Area workforce that usually works from home.

[Governing]

See previous Numbers of the Day here.

Policy Note

Many young people don’t vote because they never learned how. Here’s a free class now in schools trying to change that: Yes, there’s something wrong with that, and with the fact that young people don’t vote in big percentages in any election. In fact, a 2016 study by the Pew Research Center ranked the United States 31st out of 35 countries for voter turnout — and it’s not only young people who stay at home during elections. Only 56 percent of the U.S. voting-age population cast ballots in the 2016 presidential election, which was less than in the record year of 2008. [Washington Post]

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[In The Know] Oklahoman newspaper sold; GOP members targeted by colleague; 'Lasting harm' of incarcerating mothers...

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. In The News Oklahoman sells to GateHouse Media, lays off several newsroom staffers: The Oklahoman Media Company, the state's biggest, announced today that it was being sold to GateHouse Media — and laid off 37 staffers. An estimate was that about 15 of those job losses came from the newsroom, though two people agreed to retire. A story on newsok.com says that the sale will be final Oct. 1. Employees reported being alerted via email yesterday to a mandatory meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday. They sat through a 35-minute presentation about the sale and upcoming changes before being informed of the layoffs. [Poynter] GateHouse Media already owns The Journal Record, The Daily Ardmoreite, Bartlesville Examiner-Express, Miami News-Record and Shawnee News-Star, as well as a number of weekly publications. [Journal Record] Oklahoma Republicans targeted by colleague, dark money: When voters booted a dozen Oklahoma Republican legislators from office in the primary, the common thinking was that educators angry about classroom funding were behind the ousters. But there were forces at work beyond just agitated teachers. A top GOP House leader actively participated in a plan to take down several hardline members of his own caucus. [AP News] Report focuses on 'lasting harm' of incarcerating mothers prior to trial in Oklahoma: The perils of pretrial incarceration practices in Oklahoma are spotlighted again in a report that specifically zeroes in on the “devastating” consequences of keeping mothers from their adolescent children. Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday released a 121-page report on “the lasting harm of jailing mothers before trial in Oklahoma.” The report states that women are the fastest growing correctional population in the U.S., and since the 1990s, Oklahoma has incarcerated more women per capita than any other state. [Tulsa World] Read the full report here. [Human Rights Watch]

68%

Percentage increase in the number of drug overdose deaths in Oklahoma from 2007-2016

[Oklahoma Commision on Opioid Abuse]

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Quote of the Day | September 27, 2018

“We are a poor state and we are a state with rich resources. But we have not provided the right combination of opportunity and investment to have healthy communities, strong families and well educated kids. We want kids to have a competitive edge but it is only going to happen with resources.”

-State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister [Stillwater News Press]

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In The Know: Another surge in nonaccredited teachers; federal lawsuit over Oklahoma Ethics rules; marijuana testing requirements…

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.

In The News

State edging close to 2,600 nonaccredited teachers working with emergency certification: Another month, another large batch of emergency certifications for nonaccredited teachers.The slate of items the Oklahoma State Board of Education is expected to consider at a 9 a.m. Thursday meeting includes 412 such emergency certifications.This growing reliance by school districts on these new hires who have not yet completed the state’s requirements for either traditional or alternative certification is one of the strongest indicators that the statewide teacher shortage has not yet reached bottom. [Tulsa World]

Hofmeister discusses Oklahoma's educational shortcomings: Student trauma along with teacher shortage and retention were some of the many topics State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister addressed while speaking in Stillwater on Tuesday during the Women’s Professional Council monthly luncheon. “We ... have the highest percent of students that have experienced trauma of any other state in the country,” Hofmeister said. [Stillwater News-Press]

Oklahoma Ethics Commission hit with federal lawsuit over gift rules: A nonprofit organization is complaining it can't give a $15 book to state government officials because of "unconstitutional" state ethics rules. The Institute for Justice on Monday filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. The institute is asking U.S. District Judge Timothy DeGiusti to find state gift-giving restrictions do not apply to informational materials. [NewsOK]

With SQ 800, Oklahoma voters to decide on saving fossil fuel revenues in a long-term endowment: Oklahoma will begin to set aside a portion of future oil and gas revenues for a new reserve fund if voters approve State Question 800 in November. SQ 800 creates a new trust fund known as the Oklahoma Vision Fund in the state Constitution. Five percent of the collections from the gross production tax on oil and gas would be deposited in the Fund beginning July 1, 2020 (FY 2021), and this allocation would increase by two-tenths percentage points every year. [OK Policy] 2018 fact sheet on State Question 800: New reserve fund for oil and gas revenue. [OK Policy]

Prosperity Policy: Pay your interns: Tucked away in an appropriations bill that passed Congress last week is a measure that will expand opportunity for hundreds of bright young Americans of modest means by funding members of Congress to pay their interns. For many college students, internships are a critical step on the ladder of success. Internships offer valuable job training and experience and help students build networks that help open doors to their future careers. [David Blatt / Journal Record]

Medical marijuana working group agrees on some testing recommendations: Oklahoma’s Medical Marijuana Working Group reached consensus Wednesday on some potential testing requirements. That will include extending the deadline for labs to achieve accreditation and not starting the clock on them until six months after rules are adopted. [Public Radio Tulsa] The first medical marijuana plant has been sold in Oklahoma. [News9]

Campaign to amend marijuana rules started weeks before public knew: On the day Oklahoma voters went to the polls to decide whether to legalize medical marijuana through State Question 788, a behind-the-scenes campaign to prohibit the sale of smokable products already was underway. The public didn't learn that a ban on selling some forms of marijuana was even a possibility until a coalition of health professional groups and agencies held a news conference on July 9. Dozens of emails obtained by The Oklahoman through an open records request show health groups had pushed for the two amendments for weeks, even before voters went to the polls. [NewsOK]

OKC reduces marijuana punishments as business owner sues to block Broken Arrow’s marijuana restrictions: Oklahomans voted in 2016 to reduce penalties for drug possession and this year approved a state question welcoming medical marijuana into the state. Officials in two cities recently reacted to those decisions. Oklahoma City, the state’s largest municipality, has chosen to reduce fines and eliminate jail terms for marijuana possession. [StateImpact Oklahoma] The Tulsa City Council decided to wait until next week to vote on a moratorium restricting cannabis processing and growing operations within city limits, a decision advocates are calling a victory. [Tulsa World] Although one of Oklahoma’s medical marijuana proponent groups is taking its issues with local governments to court, others are taking a tailored approach when criticizing local restrictions. [Journal Record]

Oklahoma prisons to borrow money for maintenance: The Oklahoma Board of Corrections on Thursday advanced bond plans for maintenance and construction efforts at existing prisons. The $116.5 million in bonds was authorized by the Legislature this year and could be finalized this week by the state bond adviser. The bonds would fund items ranging from new roofs and locks for cell doors, to lighting and plumbing needs at the state's aging prison system. [NewsOK]

Oklahoma prepares to become first state to execute inmates using gas: Oklahoma is preparing to be the first state in the nation to execute inmates using gas. After all the mistakes and missteps in administering the death penalty, however, FOX 25 wanted to know what state leaders are looking at in their effort to prepare for this new generation of capital punishment. The last time members of Gov.Mary Fallin's office wanted to rush through executions using the wrong drug, her general counsel now so famously told the attorney general to "Google it" when he was pushing to allow for the use an unauthorized drug to kill Richard Glossip. [FOX25]

Tulsa World editorial: Oklahoma's costs of putting too many people in prison is 'shameful': At the end of the day, Corrections Director Joe Allbaugh says the situation is “shameful,” which just about sums it up. Oklahoma sends too many people to prison, more than it can afford to hold. No other place in the world locks up a higher percentage of its people, and it’s not making us any safer, just a whole lot poorer. [Editorial Board / Tulsa World]

Council OKs transparency measures: The Oklahoma City Council voted Tuesday in favor of transparency policies aimed at giving the public additional time to comment on taxpayer funded job-creation incentives and sales of city property. Both measures passed 7-1. Public notice of pending council action on significant deals often is limited to just a few days under current practices, said Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid, who proposed the reforms. [NewsOK]

Council asked to officially green light new downtown Tulsa special taxing district: Downtown Tulsa’s largest special taxing district may be up and running by November. The city council has been asked to approve a tax increment finance district spanning from Denver Avenue east to the Inner Dispersal Loop and from Archer Street south to Eighth Street to be formally established. The TIF is part of a broad economic development plan approved last year. [Public Radio Tulsa]

Quote of the Day

“We are a poor state and we are a state with rich resources. But we have not provided the right combination of opportunity and investment to have healthy communities, strong families and well educated kids. We want kids to have a competitive edge but it is only going to happen with resources.”

-State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister [Stillwater News Press]

Number of the Day

68%

Percentage increase in the number of drug overdose deaths in Oklahoma from 2007-2016

[Oklahoma Commision on Opioid Abuse]

See previous Numbers of the Day here.

Policy Note

One big problem with Medicaid work requirement: People are unaware it exists: The early results suggest that the incentives may not work the way officials had hoped. Arkansas officials, trying to minimize coverage losses, effectively exempted two-thirds of the eligible people from having to report work hours. Of the remaining third — about 20,000 people — 16,000 didn’t report qualifying activities to the state. Only 1,200 people, about 2 percent of those eligible for the requirement, told the state they had done enough of the required activities in August, according to state figures. [New York Times]

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[In The Know] Another surge in nonaccredited teachers; federal lawsuit over Oklahoma Ethics rules; marijuana testing requirement

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. In The News State edging close to 2,600 nonaccredited teachers working with emergency certification: Another month, another large batch of emergency certifications for nonaccredited teachers.The slate of items the Oklahoma State Board of Education is expected to consider at a 9 a.m. Thursday meeting includes 412 such emergency certifications.This growing reliance by school districts on these new hires who have not yet completed the state’s requirements for either traditional or alternative certification is one of the strongest indicators that the statewide teacher shortage has not yet reached bottom. [Tulsa World] Hofmeister discusses Oklahoma's educational shortcomings: Student trauma along with teacher shortage and retention were some of the many topics State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister addressed while speaking in Stillwater on Tuesday during the Women’s Professional Council monthly luncheon. “We ... have the highest percent of students that have experienced trauma of any other state in the country,” Hofmeister said. [Stillwater News-Press] Oklahoma Ethics Commission hit with federal lawsuit over gift rules: A nonprofit organization is complaining it can't give a $15 book to state government officials because of "unconstitutional" state ethics rules. The Institute for Justice on Monday filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. The institute is asking U.S. District Judge Timothy DeGiusti to find state gift-giving restrictions do not apply to informational materials. [NewsOK]

With SQ 800, Oklahoma voters to decide on saving fossil fuel revenues in a long-term endowment

Oklahoma will begin to set aside a portion of future oil and gas revenues for a new reserve fund if voters approve State Question 800 in November.

SQ 800 creates a new trust fund known as the Oklahoma Vision Fund in the state Constitution.  Five percent of the collections from the gross production tax on oil and gas would be deposited in the Fund beginning July 1, 2020 (FY 2021), and this allocation would increase by two-tenths percentage points every year. The fund would also consist of investment and income returns and any other appropriations made by the Legislature.

As of July 1, 2020, 4 percent of the average annual principal amount of the Fund over the preceding five years would be deposited to the General Revenue Fund. Up to five per cent of the monies in the Fund could also be used for debt obligations issued by the State of Oklahoma or local government entities.

The state question made it on the ballot as a legislative referendum following passage of SJR 35 in 2018. The measure, authored by Senate Minority Leader John Sparks and House Speaker Charles McCall, passed the Senate 42-0 and the Senate 94-3. It did not need the Governor's signature to be placed on the November ballot. A companion bill, HB 1401, that changed the statutory allocation of gross production tax revenues and made other changes that sought to align statutes with the new constitutional language, was vetoed by Governor Fallin.

[pullquote]If SQ 800 is approved by the voters, the Oklahoma Vision Fund would become the state’s third budget reserve fund.[/pullquote]

Oklahoma currently has two reserve funds: the Constitutional Reserve Fund, commonly known as the Rainy Day Fund, created in the 1980s, and the Revenue Stabilization Fund, created in 2016. The two existing funds are designed primarily to build up reserves when revenues are growing and stabilize the budget in periods of revenue downturns. By contrast, the new Vision Fund would operate more as an endowment that would grow steadily over time and would ensure long-term savings from depleting energy resources. Nine of the eleven states with the highest severance revenues already direct a portion of those revenues to a permanent fund, according to a 2017 study by two researchers at the University of Oklahoma, Aimee Franklin and Samuel Moore. Oklahoma and Louisiana are the only major oil and gas states without a permanent fund.

In her veto of the companion legislation to SJR 35, Governor Fallin identified two concerns with the new reserve fund. First, she noted that deposits to the Vision Fund would divert an ever increasing share of revenue that is currently dedicated to the state budget and to existing reserve funds. However, the share of gross production taxes going to the Vision Fund  is only 5 percent initially, and, even growing at 0.2 points annually, it would not hit 10 percent for twenty-five years. Her second objection was to the provision allowing up to 5 percent of the Fund to be used for debt service payments for any state or local government entity. "The state should not be paying for obligations that are not its own," wrote the Governor in her veto message. Though not mentioned in her veto message, there is also no language specifying who would decide, and how money from the Vision Fund is allocated for debt obligations, though this could be addressed in future legislation.

The precise mechanisms of how money flows into and out of the Vision Fund may need to be revisited in future years, as well as how the Vision Fund interacts with the two other reserve funds. However, Oklahoma voters will likely agree that setting aside a modest portion of the revenues from energy production is good stewardship that should allow the state to be better prepared for economic and energy changes in the decades ahead.

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Just 5 days left to speak up on this Medicaid proposal

View this email in your browser. Dear Friend, There are just a few days left to speak up to protect health coverage for Oklahoma parents! At the direction of Governor Fallin and the state Legislature, the state Medicaid agency has drafted a plan to cut health care access for very low-income parents if they don't report working enough. Oklahoma's uninsured rate is already second-highest in the nation, and this plan will only make it worse. Being unable to see a doctor or fill a prescription means even more Oklahoma families dealing with staggering medical bills or untreated illness - two issues that already keep too many of our families from getting ahead. Your comments matter because they give state and federal lawmakers feedback about how this plan will affect Oklahoma families. You can learn more about the proposal here, and use this form to leave a comment. The deadline to speak up is September 30. Thank you, David Blatt and 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] Court rejects Ethics Commission; new round of quake lawsuits; hurdles for young parents...

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. In The News Oklahoma Supreme Court rejects Ethics Commission request for more money: The Oklahoma Ethics Commission on Monday lost a legal effort to get more money to carry out its oversight functions. In a two-paragraph order, the Oklahoma Supreme Court rejected the watchdog agency's complaint against legislators and the governor. The 5-4 decision was the latest development in a bitter political rift that has been ongoing for months. [NewsOK] Oil companies face new round of quake lawsuits: Several Oklahoma oil companies are facing a new slate of lawsuits alleging their activities led to a series of earthquakes that damaged people’s homes.Tulsa attorney Don Lepp recently filed 22 cases representing 168 plaintiffs spanning three counties. The claims are similar to those that Sharon and James Binkley made in a 2017 case in Osage County after the state’s strongest recorded earthquake rumbled through northeastern Oklahoma.That quake on Sept. 3, 2016 near Pawnee damaged the plaintiffs’ homes, according to the petitions. [Journal Record] Oklahoma missing opportunities to give young adult parents and their kids a boost: The first years of adulthood are a crucial time in anyone’s life. Many Oklahomans ages 18 to 24 are taking their first steps toward independence, whether they’re in college or just entering the workforce. Unfortunately, Oklahoma’s 62,000 young adult parents face hurdles to support their children and fulfill their own potential, according to Opening Doors for Young Parents, the latest KIDS COUNT® policy report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The fifty-state report reveals that, at 18 percent, Oklahoma is well above the national average (10 percent) of residents age 18 to 24 who are also parents. [OK Policy]

38%

Percentage of Oklahomans with a bachelor’s degree or higher whose degree is in science and engineering or a related field.

[U.S. Census 2017 American Community Survey]

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Quote of the Day | September 26, 2018

“What Chief Citty and the city council have done today is said, it’s time to really think about our marijuana policy and move into the future that the country is moving toward. This is the path of least resistance at this point. The people of Oklahoma and their adoption of State Question 780 and their most recent adoption of State Question 788 have said over and over again, listen…we want reform.”

-Allie Shinn, Deputy Director of the ACLU, speaking about the Oklahoma City Council’s vote to reduce the penalty for marijuana possession to a maximum $400 fine and to stop booking people into jail for marijuana possession [KFOR]

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In The Know: Court rejects Ethics Commission; new round of quake lawsuits; hurdles for young parents…

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.

In The News

Oklahoma Supreme Court rejects Ethics Commission request for more money: The Oklahoma Ethics Commission on Monday lost a legal effort to get more money to carry out its oversight functions. In a two-paragraph order, the Oklahoma Supreme Court rejected the watchdog agency's complaint against legislators and the governor. The 5-4 decision was the latest development in a bitter political rift that has been ongoing for months. [NewsOK]

Oil companies face new round of quake lawsuits: Several Oklahoma oil companies are facing a new slate of lawsuits alleging their activities led to a series of earthquakes that damaged people’s homes.Tulsa attorney Don Lepp recently filed 22 cases representing 168 plaintiffs spanning three counties. The claims are similar to those that Sharon and James Binkley made in a 2017 case in Osage County after the state’s strongest recorded earthquake rumbled through northeastern Oklahoma.That quake on Sept. 3, 2016 near Pawnee damaged the plaintiffs’ homes, according to the petitions. [Journal Record]

Oklahoma missing opportunities to give young adult parents and their kids a boost: The first years of adulthood are a crucial time in anyone’s life. Many Oklahomans ages 18 to 24 are taking their first steps toward independence, whether they’re in college or just entering the workforce. Unfortunately, Oklahoma’s 62,000 young adult parents face hurdles to support their children and fulfill their own potential, according to Opening Doors for Young Parents, the latest KIDS COUNT^® policy report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The fifty-state report reveals that, at 18 percent, Oklahoma is well above the national average (10 percent) of residents age 18 to 24 who are also parents. [OK Policy]

State Question 800: Vision Fund up for vote: Oklahoma’s budget woes in recent years have caused the legislature to take a serious look into ways to stabilize the state’s funding. Now that teacher raises have entered into the equation, is it essential to have adequate funds to cover the additional expense. [Shawnee News-Star] Find background information, arguments in support and against, and ballot language on our SQ 800 fact sheet. [OK Policy]

Takeaways from Oklahoma's gubernatorial debate: With just over six weeks until Election Day, Republican Kevin Stitt and Drew Edmondson shared the stage Monday for the first gubernatorial debate with the two major-party candidates. The nearly hour-long debate, hosted by The Oklahoman at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, offered few fireworks as the two largely stuck to policy issues and stayed away from personal attacks. [Oklahoma Watch] Oklahoma’s major-party gubernatorial candidates delivered their first debate since the primary elections, and they delved into the details behind their platforms. [Journal Record 🔒]

Oklahoma Democrats see potential in Lawton, but could lose stronghold senate seat: After losing control of state government in 2010, Oklahoma’s Democratic party is trying to rebuild. And Lawton is one place outside Oklahoma City and Tulsa where the party believes it can make gains in 2018. But Oklahoma Democrats’ biggest challenge here may be holding onto Lawton’s Senate District 32— a seat they’ve held since the 1930s. [KGOU]

With $1.5 million federal grant, Tulsa police will process some untested kits. Old sexual assault cases could be reopened: The Tulsa Police Department has been awarded a $1.5 million federal grant that will help the agency process and inventory untested sexual assault examination kits. The initiative could lead to the reopening of years-old sexual assault cases. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded the department the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative grant, which will fund a three-year project, the Tulsa Police Department announced Tuesday. [The Frontier]

Fight to stop a wind farm expansion blown before two state commissions: The headwinds one wind developer is facing as it attempts to build a project in western Oklahoma are only getting stiffer. To date, NextEra Energy's proposed Minco IV and Minco V wind farms have prompted the town of Hinton to pass an ordinance that declares commercial wind turbines a nuisance and resulted in the filing of two federal lawsuits — one dismissed, the other poised for dismissal. [NewsOK 🔒]

Oklahoma earns 'C,' ranks 14th in state finance watchdog's annual report: Oklahoma improved on an annual report card for state finances. Truth In Accounting grades are based on taxpayers’ share of the state’s debt. Last year, Oklahomans’ was $5,100. "We give people a 'D' if your per taxpayer burden is more than $5,000, and now you guys have jumped up to $2,900, which is in our 'C' category," said Truth In Accounting founder and CEO Sheila Weinberg. Oklahoma’s unfunded debt declined around $2 billion from last year. [Public Radio Tulsa]

Dorman: Grandparents play a role in raising children: While it is a well-documented fact that many children are lacking positive adult role models, the state is inadvertently exacerbating that situation, especially when it comes to grandparents.In the U.S. Supreme Court case of Troxel v. Granville, the court discussed parents’ fundamental rights to raise and rear their own children. It should be noted though, the Troxel case refused to strike down a Washington state law granting substantial grandparent visitation. Due to this, the Troxel case left states with varying degrees of grandparent visitation throughout the nation. [Joe Dorman / OK Policy]

One father's laudable effort to destroy a harmful stigma: Gary Mendell's story isn't unique, and he's doing what he can to make that point to parents across the country. We need more folks like Mendell — people who are comfortable talking about mental illness and substance abuse. Mendell founded a nonprofit called Shatterproof, after losing his son Brian to suicide at 25 in 2011. Brian Mendell had struggled with addiction for nearly 10 years. Shatterproof, as is explained on its website (www.shatterproof.org), is dedicated “to ending the devastation addiction causes families.” [Editorial Board / NewsOK]

OKC City Council approves proposal reducing marijuana possession penalty: The Oklahoma City council has approved a proposal reducing the penalty for marijuana possession. The change in ordinance was proposed by Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty. It lowers the maximum fine for simple possession of marijuana to a $400 maximum. Under the current ordinance, offenders are arrested and can face a $1,200 fine and six months in jail. [KFOR]

City of Tulsa appears poised to enact ‘moratorium’ on applications related to medical marijuana production: Tulsa’s City Council appears poised to enact a moratorium on applications related to medical marijuana production during Wednesday’s meeting, according to an agenda posted online. The agenda states the proposed moratorium would be in effect pending amendments to zoning codes that regulate the use and location of medical marijuana facilities. [The Frontier]

Lawsuit filed to stop city's medical marijuana regulations: An attorney has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop a Tulsa suburb from adopting new regulations on medical marijuana, like permit fees for dispensaries and restrictions on growing the plant. The petition filed Tuesday in Tulsa County also alleges that city officials in Broken Arrow violated the state's Open Meeting Act by meeting in groups ahead of a council meeting to develop the new rules. [AP News]

Veterans officials weighing options on Talihina center: The decades-old fight over the Talihina Veterans Center could soon come to a close. Veterans Affairs officials are expected to choose a location for a new center that would replace the one in Talihina. They spent most of Tuesday reviewing their options. Those officials have been raising concerns about the southeastern Oklahoma medical facility for years, long before high-profile deaths brought the center into the spotlight. [Journal Record] Representatives from Holdenville, Hugo, McAlester, Muskogee, Poteau and Sallisaw spent 10 minutes each telling the Veterans Commission why their cities would be the best locale for the new center. [NewsOK 🔒]

Quote of the Day

"What Chief Citty and the city council have done today is said, it’s time to really think about our marijuana policy and move into the future that the country is moving toward. This is the path of least resistance at this point. The people of Oklahoma and their adoption of State Question 780 and their most recent adoption of State Question 788 have said over and over again, listen…we want reform."

-Allie Shinn, Deputy Director of the ACLU, speaking about the Oklahoma City Council's vote to reduce the penalty for marijuana possession to a maximum $400 fine and to stop booking people into jail for marijuana possession [KFOR]

Number of the Day

38%

Percentage of Oklahomans with a bachelor's degree or higher whose degree is in science and engineering or a related field.

[U.S. Census 2017 American Community Survey]

See previous Numbers of the Day here.

Policy Note

A benefit of free lunch for all: fewer students get repeatedly suspended, new study suggests: The study estimates that in elementary school, the chances of being suspended multiple times fell by about a third of a percentage point in elementary school and half a percentage point in middle school. Those aren’t big changes, but only a small share of students receive multiple suspensions in the first place. Gordon and Ruffini say community eligibility may have had broader effects because it helped students nutritionally and also because it improved “the social climate of the school by reducing the stigma associated with free meals.” [Chalk Beat]

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