[Weekly Wonk] Interim studies focused on children and youth issues | Overcoming complacency | Minimum wage

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.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser Sunday, July 31, 2022 Subscribe  //  View latest headlines Policy Matters: Change requires overcoming complacency Read Policy Matters Interim studies indicate increased focus on children and youth issues (Capitol Update) Read Capitol Update Numbers of the Day $15.75 per hour — Estimated living wage for a single childless adult in Oklahoma. For a single person with one child, the living rate is $30.94 per hour. [Living Wage Calculator, MIT] 1 in 4 — Rate of Oklahoma jobs in occupations with median annual pay below 100% poverty threshold for a family of four ($25,100) [Prosperity Now] 3 in 5 — Rate of women who occupy minimum wage jobs in Oklahoma [National Women's Law Center] 30 — Number of states that have minimum wager higher than the federal minimum wage rate [Yahoo Finance]  $2.13 per hour — Oklahoma's "tipped minimum wage" for certain employees who earn regular tips — such as restaurant servers — may be paid a minimum wage lower than the state or federal minimum, so long as the tips make up the difference. [U.S. Department of Labor] Weekly 'What's That?' Minimum Wage The minimum wage is the lowest wage per hour that may be paid by law to most employees in most jobs. The U.S. federal government first adopted a national minimum wage in 1938 as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and it has been raised by Congress over twenty times since then.  The federal minimum wage was set as $7.25 per hour effective July 2009. The federal minimum wage has remained unchanged for over 12 years, the longest period ever without an increase. During this period, the minimum wage has lost over 20 percent of its value when adjusted for inflation, and some 40 percent of its value compared to its peak in 1968. As of 2021, Oklahoma is one of 20 states that has a minimum wage set at the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Meanwhile, 30 states and D.C. have set a higher minimum, of which 20, including four of Oklahoma's neighbors, are higher than $10 per hour. In addition, 45 cities have set a local minimum wage higher than their state minimum. However, the Oklahoma Legislature in 2014 passed a preemption law prohibiting municipalities from setting their own minimum wage. Some employees may be paid less than the minimum wage, also known as the subminimum wage. For example, an employer may pay a tipped employee as little as $2.13 an hour in direct wages if that amount plus the tips received equal at least the federal minimum wage, the employee retains all tips, and the employee customarily and regularly receives more than $30 a month in tips. Employers may also gain authorization to pay subminimum wages to workers who have disabilities for the work being performed. Certain young workers and full-time student workers may also be paid less than the standard minimum wage. Look up more key terms to understand Oklahoma politics and government here. Quote of the Week "When adjusted for population and inflation, Oklahoma is spending 12% less than it did in 2000. We've been here before. We can't cut our way to prosperity." -Emma Morris, Health Care and Revenue Policy Analyst, OK Policy, addressing the proposed "supply side revival" policies that seek to cut taxes. [Tulsa World]  Editorial of the Week Enid News & Eagle Editorial: Options available to help inflation pressures on Oklahoma families What to do with $698 million? The Legislature is trying to figure that out since Oklahoma did not win the Panasonic plant our state had been wooing with that monetary incentive. Lawmakers aren't sure yet how they'll spend that money – or even if they will spend that money in the short-term; however, there are some options they could consider. First, they could keep the money and hold it for another economic incentive project. Some lawmakers say Panasonic is considering building a second plant in Oklahoma; however, who knows when that might happen? While the state should definitely keep up its economic development recruiting efforts, it might not be necessary to pigeonhole that entire amount in the short-term. Prior to the Panasonic proposal, lawmakers were toying with various ideas to help offset inflationary pressures for Oklahomans in the form of tax cuts or incentives. Many Republican lawmakers at the time wanted to temporarily suspend the state sales tax on groceries. Democrats are in favor of reinvesting those funds back into core services. They are recommending money should be put into the state's coffers so the state's gas tax can be put on hold and the state sales tax on groceries can be cut. While putting a hold on state grocery sales tax is viable, cutting the state tax on fuel is not, simply because those taxes fund road and infrastructure improvements — something Oklahoma already is behind in and desperately needs to keep in place. It would make sense to maintain some of those funds for a future economic development project; however, state leaders also should consider inflation relief, including updating the state Sales Tax Relief Credit to account for inflation, passing a one-time tax rebate targeted to Oklahomans most impacted by inflation and restoring inflation protection for the Earned Income Tax Credit. Providing inflation relief immediately would benefit low- to moderate-income families the most. Inflation targets the very items these families spend the most of their income on. These options would provide some immediate relief most families need but wouldn't do future economic damage by passing permanent tax cuts. [Editorial / Enid News & Eagle] This Week We're Reading... Rising minimum wages in 20 states and localities help protect workers and families against higher prices [Economic Policy Institute] NOTE: July 24th marked the 13th anniversary of the last time the minimum wage was increased.  States That Raise Minimum Wage May Counterbalance Inflation [Society for Human Resource Management]  Nearly Half of States Raised Their Minimum Wage This Year [Route Fifty] The cheeseburger economics of the minimum wage [OK Policy Archive] The State of Work: Valuing Work [OK Policy Archive] 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. Your support makes this possible. OK Policy is here to cut through the noise and look at the bottom line for what this means for everyday Oklahomans. Tax-deductible donations from individuals like you makes our work possible. Support Our Work With Your Donation Contact Oklahoma Policy Institute 907 S. Detroit Ave. #1005 | Tulsa, Oklahoma 74120 918-794-3944 | info@okpolicy.org Connect with us: Unsubscribe or Manage Your Preferences

[In The Know] Tulsa, Mustang schools admonished after HB1775 complaints | Status of Women in Oklahoma | Capitol Update

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. Some stories included here are behind paywall or require subscription. OK Policy encourages the support of Oklahoma's state and local media, which are vital to an informed citizenry. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser Friday | July 29, 2022 Subscribe  //  View latest headlines New from OK Policy Interim studies indicate increased focus on children and youth issues (Capitol Update) There was not a lot of substantive legislation aimed directly at children and youth issues that passed in this legislative session compared to the 2021 session. But judging from the interim study requests by a variety of legislators, this next session may be a more active year. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update] Capitol Update Number of the Day $2.13/hour Oklahoma's "tipped minimum wage" for certain employees who earn regular tips — such as restaurant servers — may be paid a minimum wage lower than the state or federal minimum, so long as the tips make up the difference. [U.S. Department of Labor] Policy Note Nearly Half of States Raised Their Minimum Wage This Year Laws that increase minimum wages in response to inflation are meant to ensure that people earning minimum wage can continue to purchase the same amount of goods and services each year. While these increases help low-wage workers handle the rising costs of living, they're often not high enough to ensure economic stability. [Route Fifty] Quote of the Day "(W)e know too many women remain on the sidelines because they face unnecessary obstacles such as pay inequality, access to affordable child care, limited family leave, entrepreneurship restrictions, sexual harassment and inadequate public policies. All of these issues disproportionately effect women, yet they are solvable." -United WE President and CEO Wendy Doyle speaking about the release of the Status of Women in Oklahoma report [Tulsa World]  Oklahoma News 'Warning': State board admonishes Tulsa, Mustang Public Schools after HB 1775 complaints: The Oklahoma State Board of Education voted 4-2 today to lower the accreditation status of Tulsa Public Schools to "accredited with warning" owing to a teacher's complaint that a third-party vendor's training violated new State Department of Education rules that prohibit certain instruction about race and gender. The board also voted 4-2 to lower Mustang Public Schools' accreditation to "accredited with warning" owing to a student exercise about how people have "different experiences in life." [NonDoc] Tulsa, Mustang schools' accreditation demoted for HB 1775 violations [The Oklahoman] Tulsa Public Schools accredited with a warning over HB1775 violation [Tulsa World] 'We need to keep some level of decorum': Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting features political theatrics, little policy talk [StateImpact Oklahoma / KGOU] Study: Oklahoma women earn about 75 cents for every dollar earned by men: A nonprofit is seeking change after a study found that Oklahoma women earned an average of 74.5 cents for every dollar earned by men during 2015 to 2019. The gender earnings gap outpaces the average of the U.S. and grows greater for women of color in the state, lead study author Laura Ahlstrom said, with Hispanic women earning 50 cents of the men's dollar and Black women, 58 cents. [Tulsa World] Life is harder for Oklahoma women than women in any other state, new report shows [KTUL] Initiative to examine economic needs of women [Journal Record] Report: Status of Women in Oklahoma [United WE / OSU Spears School of Business]  State Government News Attorneys accuse OTA of dodging discovery in lawsuits: Two attorneys who have each filed a lawsuit against the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority have accused the agency of trying to avoid the discovery process in court. [Norman Transcript] First-time unemployment claims increase almost 30%: State unemployment claims increased nearly 30% last week from the prior seven-day period. First-time claims have increased four consecutive weeks and have not been at this level since October 2021 when 3,442 first-time claims were reported. [Tulsa World] OSU Center for Health Sciences, state Medical Examiner's Office dedicate new shared facility: A new building at the OSU Center for Health Sciences that will house both new school facilities and the eastern office of the state's chief medical examiner got its official introduction to the community Thursday. [Tulsa World] Online voter registration, COVID funding audit, supply side revival and more (Audio): The podcast guests talk about about Oklahoma falling behind in online registration for new voters in the states, Education Secretary Ryan Walters releasing funding to Tulsa Public Schools for early childhood education and federal auditors want Oklahoma to return COVID funding money they say was misspent by Gov. Kevin Stitt's administration. [This Week in Oklahoma Politics Podcast / KOSU] Federal Government News Rep. Frank Lucas turns against research bill he worked on for years: After working for three years on a bill to boost scientific research in the United States, Rep. Frank Lucas voted against the legislation on Thursday and blamed a Democratic budget deal reached in the Senate this week that will raise corporate taxes to fund climate and health initiatives. [The Oklahoman] Tribal Nations News Column: Why Oklahoma tribes are crucial to state's economic future: Oklahoma tribes provide a wide variety of services to governments and non-Native businesses, and savvy business owners and executives have gained huge benefits by working with us. [James Collard Guest Column / The Oklahoman] Cherokee Nation expands fund to help citizens struggling to afford housing payments: The Cherokee Nation is working to help those struggling to afford housing payments and other home-related costs. Officials said they're expanding their Homeowner Assistance Fund program to help Cherokee Nation citizens experiencing financial hardships due to the pandemic. [Public Radio Tulsa] Voting and Election News Sen. Jim Inhofe has a strained relationship with the man favored to succeed him: Retiring U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe's relationship with U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin hit a low point after Mullin's unauthorized attempt to visit Afghanistan last year. Now Inhofe has misgivings about the frontrunner to win his seat in November. [The Frontier] Tom Woods v. Keith Barenberg: SD 4 runoff gets 'dirty' over mental health remarks: The Republican runoff for State Senate District 4 in eastern Oklahoma has turned contentious after the first-place finisher in the June primary said one of his opponents seeking treatment for depression made him mentally incompetent and unfit for office. [NonDoc] Health News OSDH: 12,328 More COVID-19 Cases Reported Statewide, 36 Virus-Related Deaths Added To Provisional Death Count: Thirty-six virus-related deaths and 12,328 coronavirus cases have been added to the state's count since July 21, according to weekly numbers released by the Oklahoma State Department of Health. [News on 6] Monkeypox cases rise in Oklahoma, across U.S. What to know about vaccination, testing: Oklahoma hasn't seen anywhere near the number of cases in other parts of the country, like New York and California. But cases are rising here, too — the state's case count doubled Tuesday, rising from four to eight cases, and a ninth has since been reported. [The Oklahoman] Economy & Business News Targeting 'Woke Capital': N.D.A.s prevent community members, like workers and local businesses, from sharing their input on the deal until after it is completed. One recent example is the $4 billion battery factory that Panasonic will build in Kansas, which will get nearly $1 billion in subsidies. [New York Times] Regional manufacturing grows moderately, according to Federal Reserve Bank of KC report: Manufacturing activity in Oklahoma and regional states grew moderately in July, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City said in a report Thursday. However, several company representatives reported ongoing supply chain problems and razor-thin profit margins. [Tulsa World] Column: Don't look now, but Oklahoma is diving headlong into the green economy: The world economy's foundation is built on coal, gas and oil. Any transition away from these is going to be a massive, global undertaking. But it's one that is happening, even here in Oklahoma. Business, it would seem, is voting with its feet. [Bob Doucette Column / Tulsa World] Education News TPS pulls challenged books from shelves until formal review can be done: Two graphic novels whose inclusion in some of Tulsa Public Schools' campus libraries drew the ire of two state education officials have been pulled from shelves. [Tulsa World] Prater's Seeworth Academy charging decision looms for senator, judge, others: In June, Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater filed criminal charges against the founders and former chief financial officer of Epic Charter Schools, dramatically advancing a case that took nearly a decade to investigate and that involves a web of political powerbrokers. [NonDoc] Muskogee schools superintendent discusses contributing factors to district's teacher shortage: During his 31 years working in education, Muskogee Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jarod Mendenhall said he's never had issues finding people to teach like he has in the last few months. [Public Radio Tulsa] Editorial: Dial back the rhetoric on books at schools: This week, Ryan Walters, the state secretary of education angling to become Oklahoma's next superintendent of public instruction, waded in with an attack on Tulsa Public Schools that strikes many casual observers as a bit disingenous. He's the latest in a string of crusaders railing against Tulsa Superintendent Deborah Gist, and employing the epithets of "woke" and "leftist" to demonize her, the board of education, the teachers, and by extension, the students. [Editorial / Tahlequah Daily Press] General News Column: Oklahomans with disabilities are part of the bigger picture: Over the years, Disability Pride Month expanded to honor diversity and promote inclusion of the people in the disability community, which is the largest and most diverse minority group in Oklahoma and the U.S. [Melinda Fruendtis Guest Column / The Oklahoman] Oklahoma Historical Society to host Oklahoma All-Black Towns State Conference: On Saturday, Aug. 20, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. the Oklahoma Historical Society is partnering with the Oklahoma Conference of Black Mayors to present the Oklahoma All-Black Towns State Conference, an event that will bring together the mayors of Oklahoma's 13 all Black towns. The conference is designed to encourage a network of state agencies to join with the mayors to share resources enabling them to collect, preserve, and share their town histories. [Tahlequah Daily Press] Oklahoma Local News Two female Tulsa firefighters file sex-discrimination lawsuit after denied promotions [Tulsa World] Tulsa's economic development chief's salary bumped to $203K [Tulsa World] Calls for Wynnewood police officer to resign after alleged disregard for miscarried fetus [The Oklahoman] You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail. 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. Some stories included here are behind paywall or require subscription. OK Policy encourages the support of Oklahoma's state and local media, which are vital to an informed citizenry. Your support makes this possible.   OK Policy is here to cut through the noise and look at the bottom line for what news and policy means for everyday Oklahomans. Tax-deductible donations from individuals like you makes our work possible. Support Our Work with a Donation Contact Oklahoma Policy Institute 907 S. Detroit Ave. #1005 | Tulsa, Oklahoma 74120 918-794-3944 | info@okpolicy.org Connect with us: Unsubscribe or Manage Your Preferences