 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 Prosperity Policy: Final words: This is my final column for The Journal Record. For more than seven years I’ve had the privilege, and sometimes the burden, of distilling my thoughts on state policy issues into 400 words each week. I’ve cranked out some 375 columns, or approximately 150,000 words – roughly the length of Jane Austen’s Emma! Starting next week, this space turns over to my successor at the Oklahoma Policy Institute, Ahniwake Rose. [David Blatt / Journal Record] In The News Oklahoma earns D- for premature births on March of Dimes annual report card: One in nine babies in Oklahoma was born too early, or before 37 weeks gestation, in 2018, prompting March of Dimes to give the state a D- on its annual report card. The report, released Monday, found a preterm birth rate of 11.4 percent in the state, an increase compared to 11.1 percent in 2017. Overall, the U.S. rate increased for the fourth year in a row, earning it a “C” grade. The report also highlighted racial disparities in the state. In Oklahoma, the preterm birth rate among black women is 38 percent higher than the rate among other women, the report found. [The Frontier] OK Policy: Policies that support low-income families improve the well-being of children. Oklahoma lawmaker to name new domestic violence bill after Allyssa Fielding: A new domestic violence bill to be introduced in the Oklahoma legislation will be named after Allyssa Fielding. She and her unborn child died in Tulsa last April. That same week, a domestic violence bill stalled in the state Senate. It would have classified domestic violence as a violent crime, and required offenders to serve at least 85% of their sentence. Now Rep. Marcus McEntire (R-Duncan) is pledging to try again to get the bill passed. [Fox23] Not politicians: A coalition of citizens wants to end partisan redistricting. Members argue that the practice, known as gerrymandering, essentially lets politicians pick their voters instead of the other way around. [Oklahoma Gazette] ‘People not Politicians’ holds first town hall in Stillwater. [Stillwater News Press] Quote of the Day "You can't just let people out and say 'Good luck.' There are so many variables when it comes to why someone is incarcerated and just being given the opportunity to get out doesn't mean you've solved a lot of those problems so we have to be vigilant about going after those issues." -State Rep. Jason Dunnington speaking about criminal justice reform [KFGO] Number of the Day 9 Number of states, including Oklahoma, where tax revenue is lower than in 2007-09, adjusted for inflation. Policy Note Low-income communities of color are at more risk for water problems, report finds: Across the U.S., low-income communities of color most frequently face water contamination issues and live with those problems longer, according to a new report published by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Coming Clean and the Environmental Justice Health Alliance. The report underscores that low-income communities burdened with drinking water violations are also most likely to suffer from crumbling water infrastructure and limited funding -- a consequence of housing segregation and decades-old disinvestment. [NJ.com] | Oklahoma Policy Institute
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