[The Weekly Wonk] New OK Policy leader; interim studies; how to improve child well-being; & more...

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 we announced that Ahniwake Rose, an Oklahoma native who is currently serving as Deputy Director of the National Congress of American Indians in Washington, D.C., has been chosen to lead the organization as its next Executive Director. She will replace longtime director David Blatt, who earlier this year announced his intention to step down this fall. In his weekly Journal Record column, Blatt wrote about Oklahoma's ranking in the bottom ten for child well-being in the 2019 KIDS COUNT Data Book. Steve Lewis's Capitol Update gave us the highlights on the wide range of interim studies requested by House lawmakers.  In this week’s edition of Meet OK Policy, we’re featuring our Mental Health Policy Analyst & Mental Health Policy Fellowship Coordinator Lauren Turner. OK Policy in the News Indian Country News, Cherokee Phoenix, and the Journal Record wrote about OK Policy's executive director announcement. Open Justice Oklahoma Director Ryan Gentzler spoke to The Appeal about private companies running pretrial services in Oklahoma. The Norman Transcript and CHNI wrote about Oklahoma's ranking in the 2019 KIDS COUNT Data Book.

[In The Know] Emergency teacher certifications up 54%; dams near expiration dates; feds seek cut of Oklahoma opioid settlement..

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. New from OK Policy Rose named Oklahoma Policy Institute executive director: The Oklahoma Policy Institute announced on June 26 that Cherokee Nation citizen Ahniwake Rose has been chosen to lead the organization as its next executive director. Rose, who is serving as deputy director and interim executive director of the National Congress of American Indians in Washington, D.C., will replace longtime director David Blatt, who earlier this year announced his intention to step down this fall. [Cherokee Phoenix] In The News Oklahoma's teacher shortage: 3038 emergency certifications approved, up 54% in 2018-19: Oklahoma public schools hired 3,038 nonaccredited teachers to work in classrooms in 2018-19, representing a 54% increase over the previous school year’s 1,975. The upward trend looks to continue, as 818 emergency certifications — including 531 renewals — are up for approval Thursday at the monthly meeting of the Oklahoma State Board of Education. [Tulsa World] Oklahoma dams near expiration dates as scientists predict more extreme weather: Two-thirds of the watershed dams managed by the Conservation Commission have met or exceeded their 50-year design life, Caldwell said. The oldest dam, in the Cloud Creek Watershed near Cordell, was built in 1948. The average age for all of Oklahoma’s dams is 53 years, according to the National Inventory of Dams. [StateImpact Oklahoma] May floods prompt congressmen to ask for study of Tulsa’s flood levees. [OK Energy Today] Banker named to Wildlife Conservation Commission: The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission will welcome southwestern Oklahoma bank executive Rick Holder, 60, of Creta in July. Gov. J. Kevin Stitt appointed Holder to an eight-year term from District 7. He is filling the seat that was held by Robert Dan Robbins of Altus, whose term is expiring. [OK Energy Today] Muscogee (Creek) Nation: ‘Dust will settle’ after Supreme Court pass on treaty case: The 2019 term ended Thursday with a no decision in a case from Oklahoma that could determine the extent of Indian Country. The court had been expected to rule one way or another on the status of tribal lands in Oklahoma. [Indian Country Today] The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday asked for additional arguments from attorneys representing the state of Oklahoma and an Oklahoma man who claimed he should have been tried in federal court rather than state court. [Tulsa World] Federal government wants cut of Oklahoma’s $270 million opioid settlement: The federal government says it is entitled to a portion of a $270 million settlement the state reached with Purdue Pharma to end an opioid lawsuit. [Tulsa World] Read the CMS letter seeking Oklahoma opioid settlement money [NonDoc] Cell by Cell: Suspected of driving drunk, a long-haul trucker died in jail—but he actually had pneumonia: The police officer who pulled over long-haul trucker Michael James Hoeppner for weaving erratically across lanes on U.S. Route 69 in March thought he was high or drunk. The state medical examiner’s office would later find that Hoeppner had no drugs or alcohol in his system but that he had died of pneumonia caused by the flu. Hoeppner had not been high or drunk — just deathly ill. [The Frontier] The Oklahoman Editorial Board: Good advice from an Oklahoma ex-convict: A former inmate at Oklahoma’s McLeod Correctional Facility in Atoka has a solid suggestion for policymakers. If the state is serious about reducing its inmate population, he said, “then this is the program they should be growing.” He was talking about a program he had completed that teaches inmates how to become machinists. [Editorial Board / The Oklahoman] Tulsa World Editorial Board: TCC Second Chance program working to give better future for inmates: Tulsa Community College continues to give a better path for incarcerated Oklahomans with the increasing success of its Second Chance program. On Tuesday, more than 70 people incarcerated at the Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy graduated with degrees or certifications they earned while beyond bars. [Tulsa World] Hamilton: An interim study proposal that needs to be approved: It’s well documented that native women living on tribal lands are murdered or go missing at alarming rates – 10 times the national average in some communities. What’s often less known is that indigenous women living in urban areas apparently are killed or disappear at extraordinary rates, too – and their cases frequently go unsolved. [Arnold Hamilton / Journal Record] Despite new appropriations, 16 Oklahoma colleges raise tuition or fees: The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education approved increases to tuition and/or mandatory fees for 16 of Oklahoma’s 25 public colleges and universities Thursday, despite the system receiving $28 million in new appropriations from the Legislature for next year. [NonDoc] State spending on higher education has decreased by 26 percent since 2008 with Oklahoma leading the nation for the most drastic cuts between 2012 and 2017.  State's noncompliance for selling tobacco to minors has increased during recent years: Oklahoma’s reported retailer violation rates for selling tobacco to minors continue in an upward trend as Oklahoma’s violation percentage increased from 13 percent in the 2017 fiscal year to 17.9 percent in 2018’s fiscal year. [Stillwater News Press] Ardmore community seeking ways to address childhood trauma amid low state rankings in well-being, high drug-related arrests: Most parents would never look at their child and say, ‘I can’t wait to mess you up.’ Instead, it’s often ‘I want better for you than I ever had,’ said Ardmore Behavioral Health Collaborative Director Ashely Godwin. [The Ardmoreite] Read more about Oklahoma’s ranking in the 2019 KIDS COUNT Data Book. After canceling last day of school, Jenks Public Schools receives waiver from state after narrowly missing hourly instruction minimum: The state education board on Thursday approved a request for Jenks Public Schools to receive a waiver for failing to meet its annual instruction minimum after canceling the final day of school due to flooding. [Tulsa World] 'No foul play' involved in death of former state lawmaker: Police investigating the fatal shooting of a former state senator concluded there was no foul play. Jonathan Nichols, 53, died inside his home from "an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound," police said Thursday in a three-paragraph news release. [The Oklahoman] Ackerman McQueen challenges claims as NRA cuts ties, ends NRATV: The NRA is cutting ties with its longtime advertising agency Ackerman McQueen and is also ending operations at NRATV. The Oklahoma City firm has worked with the National Rifle Association for 38 years, but that relationship imploded over the past few months with lawsuits filed by both sides alleging fraudulent billings, betrayal, blackmail and lies. [The Oklahoman] Quote of the Day “We do know that heavy precipitation events, more intense precipitation events, have been increasing over time. And that is expected to continue to increase as we warm the atmosphere.” -State Climatologist Gary McManus, speaking about increasing pressure from climate change on Oklahoma dams, most of which have have met or exceeded their 50-year design life [State Impact Oklahoma] Number of the Day 28% Percentage of children in Oklahoma whose parents lack secure employment (2017). [Source: KIDS COUNT] See previous Numbers of the Day here. Policy Note An unlikely weapon in battling poverty: Diapers: While Americans are aware that people in poverty must apply for food stamps, stand in line at food pantries, and generally fight and fret to stay clothed, housed, and insured, many don’t realize how big a problem the lack of diapers poses. [Inquirer]  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

 

 

28%

Percentage of children in Oklahoma whose parents lack secure employment (2017).

[Source: KIDS COUNT]

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Quote of the Day | June 28, 2019

“We do know that heavy precipitation events, more intense precipitation events, have been increasing over time. And that is expected to continue to increase as we warm the atmosphere.”

-State Climatologist Gary McManus, speaking about increasing pressure from climate change on Oklahoma dams, most of which have have met or exceeded their 50-year design life [State Impact Oklahoma]

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[In The Know] Tuition rates to increase; Epic accused of manipulating enrollment; driving people into debt

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. New from OK Policy OK Policy selects Ahniwake Rose as new Executive Director: Oklahoma Policy Institute announced today that Ahniwake Rose, an Oklahoma native who is currently serving as Deputy Director and interim Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians in Washington, D.C., has been chosen to lead the organization as its next Executive Director. She will replace longtime director David Blatt, who earlier this year announced his intention to step down this fall. [OK Policy] Prosperity Policy: A bottom 10 state for children: A new assessment of the well-being of Oklahoma’s children shows we have tremendous work to do to ensure that all children are able to thrive. Oklahoma ranks 42nd out of all 50 states for overall child well-being, according to the 2019 Kids Count Data Book, released last week by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Oklahoma Policy Institute. [David Blatt / Journal Record] Read more about Oklahoma's ranking in the 2019 KIDS COUNT Data Book. In The News Tuition rates likely to increase: A legislatively mandated raise for higher education faculty is further squeezing the budgets of many colleges and universities across the state, school presidents said Wednesday. Despite an additional $28 million cash infusion by the Legislature to help fund higher education, most of Oklahoma’s college students should expect to see their tuition rates to climb an average of $5 a credit hour, officials told the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. [CHNI] Former Epic teachers describe pressure to manipulate enrollment: Administrators at Epic Charter Schools have been allowing, encouraging or pressuring teachers to manipulate students’ enrollment for years in order to improve employees’ bonus pay, according to at least seven former teachers. Teacher bonuses were dangled like “a carrot” and used to push for withdrawals of low-performing students, the teachers said. [Oklahoma Watch] One in four students at Oklahoma’s largest virtual charter school are automatically disenrolled due to 10 consecutive absences, a rate more than twice the state average. [The Oklahoman] In Oklahoma, private companies run pretrial services, driving people into debt: Cleveland County Pretrial Services is one of a growing number of private for-profit corporations entering the pretrial services industry in jurisdictions across the country, charging people for their own community-based supervision. This particular company has contracted with Cleveland County, Oklahoma, since 2008, charging people anywhere from $40 to $300 per month (plus occasionally an $8 daily fee for electronic monitoring) for different levels of supervision as they await trial. [The Appeal] Oklahoma's Fort Sill has a history of jailing minority groups. Migrant children could be next: Minority groups gathered Saturday at Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma, to protest plans to house more than 1,400 migrant children there later this summer. But for many among the 200-some that gathered last week, Fort Sill has a history of incarcerating minority groups. The site was used in the 1860s and 70s to jail Native Americans — notably Geronimo — and served as an internment camp for 700 Japanese Americans during World War II. [PRI] Longtime Tulsa County death-row inmate found dead in prison infirmary: A death-row inmate from Tulsa County sentenced in 1998 reportedly died in prison on June 6. Shelton Jackson, 46, was pronounced dead in the Oklahoma State Penitentiary infirmary after serving 21 years in prison, Department of Corrections spokesman Matt Elliott said in an email. A corrections officer reportedly found Jackson unresponsive about 2:45 a.m. in an infirmary unit cell, Elliott said. [Tulsa World] Moore lawmakers talk Capitol harmony, rule out GPT increase: Four lawmakers, all with at least one link to local voters, answered a few prepared questions at the end of a luncheon at The Station in Central Park. All of them agreed that this past legislative session was 180-degrees from 2018, which included the teacher walk out and intense bickering over education funding. [Norman Transcript] Dewey F. Bartlett Jr.: It ain’t rainin’, but Big Oil is pourin’ water down your back: The members of the Oklahoma Energy Producers Alliance are proud to have led the way for a flat 7% gross production tax for all wells to pay our teachers properly. We went as far as organizing an initiative petition drive to let the voters decide. The Legislature compromised at 5% GPT for new wells. [Dewey F. Barlett Jr. / Tulsa World] Attorney General Mike Hunter says opioid makers tried to 'brainwash' prescribers: Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter said Wednesday he believes evidence has shown that Johnson & Johnson was a "kingpin" in an opioid crisis that has killed about 7,000 Oklahomans as the midpoint was reached in a Cleveland County District Court trial. [The Oklahoman] Oklahoma's final witness in opioid trial rips into drugmaker Johnson & Johnson: The final witness for the state of Oklahoma on Tuesday said Johnson & Johnson's claims that the company bears zero responsibility for the state's opioid epidemic are "absolutely incorrect" and "is one of the most difficult things to swallow." [CNN] Emotional testimony was heard in court here Wednesday as Terri White, chief officer at the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, defended the state’s response to an opioid abuse and addiction epidemic it blames on Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Pharmaceuticals and other drug companies. [Journal Record] SeeWorth charter school preps hand-off to OKCPS: Wednesday, SeeWorth Academy Charter School Board concluded the business necessary for turning over operation of the school to Oklahoma City Public Schools, once the sponsor of the school. Monday, July 1, a new alternative school fully within OKCPS called “SeeWorth Academy” will start preparations for the new school year under the leadership of Principal Shane Nelson. [Free Press OKC] The board of directors for Justice Alma Wilson Seeworth Academy charter school approved a motion for an audit on a corporate account during a meeting Wednesday. [NonDoc] New campus to triple capacity of school for homeless children: Every year, Oklahoma’s only school for homeless children has to turn children away. But with work on its new campus expected to be completed in October, Oklahoma City-based Positive Tomorrows will be able to triple the number of homeless children while expanding the grades it reaches. [Journal Record] OKCPS board avoids ugly inter-member confrontation – for now: Most of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education members were engaged in a highly unusual inter-board struggle in the courtroom of District Judge Richard C. Ogden Monday. When they started, it was only two hours until the next regular meeting of the board, so anxious looks at the clock in the courtroom were far more frequent than usual. [Free Press OKC] Joe Harroz spoke to Jones Day, confirms Title IX review: When it comes to the sexual misconduct investigations of former OU President David Boren, current President Joe Harroz says he “was around for the relevant time periods.” Speaking Tuesday after an OU Board of Regents meeting at the Chickasaw Retreat and Conference Center, Harroz revealed he was interviewed by the Jones Day law firm hired by regents and his predecessor, Jim Gallogly, to investigate allegations against Boren. [NonDoc] Study shows Muscogee (Creek) Nation has $1 billion-plus national economic impact: The Muscogee (Creek) Nation supports 8,700 jobs and contributes more than $1.4 billion a year to the national economy, according to the tribe’s first-ever large scale economic impact study, released Wednesday morning. In Oklahoma alone, the tribe’s economic impact in 2017 reached $866 million, including $12 million provided to state and local education programs and $7.6 million for roads, bridges and other infrastructure, the tribe said. [Tulsa World] Quote of the Day "Assuming the role of the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Policy Institute is an absolute honor and I am extremely excited to join the talented OK Policy team, Together we will continue to ensure all Oklahomans have the opportunity to thrive, and I appreciate the confidence that the Board of Directors has placed in me." -Ahniwake Rose, OK Policy's new Executive Director [OK Policy] Number of the Day 6.4% Increase in home prices in Oklahoma in the first quarter of 2019 compared to a year ago. [Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City] See previous Numbers of the Day here. Policy Note 1 in 4 workers in U.S. don't get any paid vacation time or holidays: The United States is the only advanced economy that does not federally mandate any paid vacation days or holidays. About one in four workers in the U.S. don't get any paid vacation time or holidays at all. That particularly affects lower-income workers, part-time employees and small business workers. [CBS News] 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

 

 

OK Policy Announces New Executive Director

View this email in your browser. Oklahoma Policy Institute announced today that Ahniwake Rose, an Oklahoma native who is currently serving as Deputy Director and interim Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians in Washington, D.C., has been chosen to lead the organization as its next Executive Director. She will replace longtime director David Blatt, who earlier this year announced his intention to step down this fall. “I’m excited about the next chapter for OK Policy as we build on the solid foundation David has established,” said Don Millican, OK Policy’s Board Chair.  “Ahniwake has the background and leadership skills perfectly suited to continue expanding OK Policy’s impact toward a brighter tomorrow for all Oklahomans.” Rose grew up in Owasso. Her professional career has involved nearly two decades of leadership experience in non-profits and civil rights. After five years as legislative analyst and policy director for the National Congress of American Indians, she became Executive Director of the National Indian Education Association, where she served from 2012-18. Most recently she returned to the National Congress of American Indians as their Deputy Director and interim Executive Director. She has also worked for Nortel Government Solutions and the American Red Cross. A citizen of the Cherokee Nation and also of Muscogee Creek descent, Rose earned a Bachelor of Science in communication studies from Arizona State University and a Masters of Arts in organizational communication from Bowling Green University. “Assuming the role of the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Policy Institute is an absolute honor and I am extremely excited to join the talented OK Policy team,” Rose said. “Together we will continue to ensure all Oklahomans have the opportunity to thrive, and I appreciate the confidence that the Board of Directors has placed in me.” Rose was selected as Executive Director from a field of over 50 applicants. "The search committee was incredibly pleased by the highly talented candidate pool and we are delighted that the Board voted unanimously to extend an offer to Ahniwake to be OK Policy's next leader,” said Board vice-chair Felicia Collins Correia and past chair Ann-Clore Duncan, who together led the search committee. “The Board looks forward to working with Ahniwake as OK Policy continues to inform Oklahomans with critical objective data,” they added. Rose will assume the Executive Director position in late August. Blatt will continue at OK Policy through October to help ensure a smooth and successful transition. “With Ahniwake taking over as Executive Director, I am highly confident that OK Policy will continue to build on its success and cement its role as Oklahoma’s indispensable source of credible information and effective advocacy,” said Blatt. Rose added, “I would also like to extend my gratitude to David for his remarkable leadership and look forward to working closely with him in this transition." OK Policy works to advance fiscal responsibility and expanded opportunity for all Oklahomans through non-partisan research, analysis, and advocacy. Launched in 2008, OK Policy has grown rapidly in recent years and currently has a full-time staff of 17 people and a $1.8 million annual budget. Rose will join an experienced leadership team that includes Deputy Director Shiloh Kantz, Policy Director Carly Putnam, and Outreach and Legislative Director Sabine Brown. OK Policy is a member of the KIDS COUNT network of state organizations that provide state and local data into trends affecting child and family well-being, and of the State Priorities Partnership, a network of more than 40 independent, nonprofit research and policy organizations that work to advance equity and prosperity. “OK Policy has gained national attention for how it has informed public debates on ways to make Oklahoma a thriving state where everyone has the opportunity to succeed,” said Nicholas Johnson, Senior Vice President for State Fiscal Policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which coordinates the State Priorities Partnership. “Ahniwake has the skills and experience to continue Oklahoma’s national leadership.” 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] Health Care Authority budget; OK in top 3 medical marijuana states; OK Supreme Court broadens same-sex custody rig

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 Health Care Authority approves $6 billion budget: The Oklahoma Health Care Authority Board on Tuesday approved a budget for fiscal year 2020 of more than $6 billion. The budget represents an increase of 2.9%, or about $169 million, over fiscal year 2019. The budget includes just over $1 billion in state funding. That is less than the Health Care Authority received from the state this fiscal year, but the agency will receive more federal dollars due to an increase in its Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate. [The Oklahoman] Oklahoma among top 3 medical marijuana states by patients one year after SQ 788 vote: When Oklahomans voted one year ago in favor of State Question 788, officials thought about 80,000 patients, or about 2% of the state’s estimated population, would register in the first year of a legal medical marijuana program. As of June 24, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority has already registered more than 3.5% of the population as patients, with little sign of applications slowing. [Tulsa World] Denying dispensaries: Not all property owners interested in this booming business: Medical marijuana as an industry is booming in Oklahoma, with sales, patients, growers, processors and dispensaries continuing to increase throughout the state. But while it may seem like there is a dispensary on every corner, not every property owner is open to leasing to marijuana-related businesses. [The Oklahoman] Ed secretary backs funds for inmate education during Oklahoma visit: Each carrying a diploma, more than 70 incarcerated men walked across the stage to shake the hand of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. Tuesday morning was graduation day at Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy, as dozens of inmates graduated with a degree or certificate at the 2019 Tulsa Community College Second Chance Commencement. [The Oklahoman] Click here to read prepared remarks by Secretary DeVos at Tulsa Community College’s Second Chance Commencement. State official: Marketing worsened Oklahoma's opioid crisis: Johnson & Johnson "unleashed a series of bombs on the United States of America" that caused the opioid epidemic, Oklahoma's mental health commissioner testified Tuesday. “Those bombs hit squarely, squarely in the middle of our country in Oklahoma," said Terri White, commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. [The Oklahoman] Oklahoma Supreme Court broadens custody rights for same-sex parents: A non-biological parent who was in a same-sex relationship can establish custody and visitation rights on equal terms with the biological parent, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. “Consistent with the best interests of children in similar scenarios, we hold that non-biological same-sex parents may attain complete parity with biological parents,” the court said in an 8-1 decision. [The Oklahoman] Misinformation biggest threat to elections, Oklahoma official says: As the U.S. House prepared to take up an election security bill, Oklahoma state Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said Tuesday that states should have the latitude to design their own systems. “I encourage federal policy makers to keep in mind that each state is different,” Ziriax said in testimony in Washington, D.C., to House Science, Space and Technology subcommittees. [The Oklahoman] A tough place to be a kid: State ranks 42 out of 50 in the KIDS COUNT Data Book: Oklahoma has ranked in the bottom 10 in the United States for child well-being in areas like education, health, food security and family and community in the latest edition of the KIDS COUNT Data Book. The report is released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and is considered the most comprehensive annual report on child well-being in the United States and has been published since 1990. [Duncan Banner] Film shows effect on kids of locking up parents: A new film documenting the impact on children whose parents are in prison will air this week on public television. Produced by Norman veterinarian John Otto and Oscar winner Gray Frederickson, the heart-wrenching documentary, titled “Children of Hope,” gives kids of incarcerated parents a platform to share the pain and long-term repercussions of having a mom or dad behind bars. [The Oklahoman] Why we're covering Epic Charter Schools, and what's next: Our first stories about Epic Charter Schools ran in 2016, back when the Oklahoma City-based virtual school enrolled about 6,000 students. It has since grown to more than 21,000 students. And with that, its share of state funding has increased substantially, to $112.9 million in fiscal year 2019. [Oklahoma Watch] OU regents keep tuition and fees level for second straight year: In his first meeting as University of Oklahoma president, Joe Harroz praised the Oklahoma Legislature’s appropriation increase for higher education and presented the OU Board of Regents with a budget that “eliminates a structural operating deficit,” offers a faculty and staff pay raise and holds mandatory tuition and fees level for the second straight year. [NonDoc] OKCPS board approves leasing empty schools: Oklahoma City Public Schools will begin repurposing 11 closed schools after receiving board approval Monday night to lease the buildings. The school district's Board of Education voted in favor of allowing Superintendent Sean McDaniel to sign leases for eight new tenants should OKCPS complete negotiations on the buildings. [The Oklahoman] Joy Hofmeister to succeed Garrett King as OETA board chair: The Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA) Board of Directors today named Joy Hofmeister to succeed Garrett King as Chair of the Board for Oklahoma Fiscal Year 2020. King was nominated by Governor Mary Fallin and confirmed by the Senate in 2015. His appointment ends June 30, 2019. [KFOR] Initiative aims at neighborhood park enhancements: An initiative drive to enact a dedicated sales tax fund for parks is to begin Thursday, seeking new money to benefit neighborhoods throughout Oklahoma City. Former Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid, a physician and leader of the petition drive, said Wednesday that studies show vibrant, active urban park systems are central to residents' overall good health. [The Oklahoman] Turnpike tolls set to rise again for cash customers: The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority on Tuesday voted to increase tolls by an average of 2.5% for cash customers. The hike is the third and final increase to pay for Driving Forward, a turnpike expansion and improvement project, said Jack Damrill, Turnpike Authority spokesman. [The Oklahoman] Oklahoma Democrats ask DNC to order new state party election: Members of the Oklahoma Democratic Party are calling on the Democratic National Committee to invalidate the results of a June state party election to elect a new party chair. Eight Oklahoma Democrats, including Christine Byrd, who lost the party chair election, sent a letter to the DNC on Monday requesting a new election to select a party leader. [The Oklahoman] Quote of the Day “Look at what divides opportunity in society. Usually what makes the difference is education. So if an education is inaccessible, if it’s only available based on your economic circumstance, then I don’t know how you can be a great university.” -University of Oklahoma President Joe Harroz, after the OU regents approved a budget that keeps tuition and fees level for a second straight year [NonDoc] Number of the Day 16.7% Percentage of Oklahoma 6th to 12th graders who said they have seriously considered attempting suicide in the past 12 months. [Source: ODMHSAS] See previous Numbers of the Day here. Policy Note The city that’s giving people money: The program’s proponents have argued that its test subjects would be good stewards of the resources. They would use the money to improve their lives, keep the bills paid, and plan for the future—and Stockton would benefit from a little economic stimulus as they did. But the project has country-sized ambitions, not just neighborhood-sized ones. It wants to show the United States, in this age of late-capitalist excess, fear-stoking automation, polarized politics, and surging socialism, that individuals are the best judges of how to spend the resources that they have. [CityLab] 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