Oklahoma Policy Institute News Archive: [Weekly Wonk] Expanding driver's license eligibility | 988 a positive step, but more work remains

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Sunday, July 24, 2022

Expanding driver's license eligibility is better for all of us

It's a fact of life that getting around in Oklahoma requires a driver's license. Because immigrants in Oklahoma who are undocumented are barred from getting one, the lack of a license presents a major challenge for 85,000 Oklahomans to get to work, doctor's appointments, the grocery store, or take children to school. Allowing all immigrants access to driver's licenses would increase road safety, boost the economy, and give immigrants a form of identification and peace of mind. [Gabriela Ramirez-Perez / OK Policy]

Policy Matters: 988 a positive step, but more must be done

Read Policy Matters

If Oklahoma wants to draw businesses, we might need to invest in our people (Capitol Update)

Read Capitol Update

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Numbers of the Day

14% — Percentage of Oklahoma adults in households with children up to four-years-old who cut work hours due to childcare disruptions caused by the pandemic, Sept.-Oct. 2021 [KIDS COUNT]
111% — Increase in pretrial detention rate in 59 rural Oklahoma counties from 2000 to 2015 [Vera Institute for Justice]
$17.22 — In states like Oklahoma with restrictive licensing rules for immigrants who are undocumented, insurance premiums are an estimated $17.22 higher per year than in states with licenses available to all drivers. [Notre Dame Student Policy Network]
1 in 12 — Rate of immigrant workers in Oklahoma's labor force [American Immigration Council]
13 years — The number of years it has been since the federal minimum wage was last adjusted, which was July 24, 2009 [U.S. Bureau of Labor]

Weekly 'What's That?'

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a federal program that protects certain undocumented immigrants from deportation. Created by an Obama administration Executive Order in 2012, it allows people who were brought to the United States without authorization before their 16th birthday to apply for temporary protected status for two years, renewable for two year terms. Applicants must meet several criteria, as defined by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services:

Be under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012;

Came to the United States before reaching your 16th birthday;

Have continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007, up to the present time;

Were physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012, and at the time of making your request for consideration of deferred action with USCIS;

Had no lawful status on June 15, 2012;

Are currently in school, have graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, have obtained a general education development (GED) certificate, or are an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States; and

Have not been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, or three or more other misdemeanors, and do not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.

In September 2017, the Trump administration announced that it planned to end DACA. A federal court ruled that action illegal and kept the program in place. In June 2020, the Supreme Court overturned the Trump Administration decision to end DACA. On July 16, 2021, a U.S. district court in Texas issued a decision and injunction holding that DACA is unlawful but allowing the program to continue for current recipients. As of November 2021, the program is not accepting new applicants. The Biden Administration, which has tried unsuccessfully to provide a path to citizenship for DACA recipients, is appealing the Texas court decision and is also moving forward with rulemaking on the DACA process.

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

Quote of the Week

"I think that there was a presumption that our unemployment benefits were too generous and I think that's probably wrong. I think there are real-world issues, like trying to find childcare and making those arrangements to get back to work."

– Sen. Michael Brooks, D-Oklahoma City, speaking about a law that cuts the number of weeks unemployed Oklahomans can receive financial support. [Oklahoma Watch]

Editorial of the Week

Tulsa World Editorial: Stitt's mounting problems with fiscal oversight

A federal investigative audit released this week provides a clearer look where Oklahoma is failing in taxpayer spending and oversight. It points to systems established by Gov. Kevin Stitt and his appointees.

Of the $39.9 million Stitt received in federal COVID-19 relief funds for schools, only the $8 million sent to the Oklahoma State Department of Education was spent appropriately, according the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education.

The rest was wrongly allocated or sloppily managed, particularly in documentation, auditors said. Federal officials have demanded further investigation, corrective actions and possible repayment, according to a story from reporters Andrea Eger and Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton.

Auditors found accountability flaws in the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Funds (GEER). Questions were raised about how contracts and grants were awarded and tracked.

"Oklahoma did not develop any written monitoring policies and procedures and conducted only limited monitoring activities," the report states.

Previously, a sliver of GEER funds — about $8 million from the "Bridge the Gap" program overseen by Secretary of Education Ryan Walters — was found to be riddled with problems. It allowed low-income parents to buy school items online without restriction, which led to wrongful purchases such as Christmas trees. The state returned nearly $3 million because it wasn't allocated on time.

Oklahoma will likely be forced to return about $653,000 auditors found misspent. But a more complete investigation of all purchases is underway, so that amount could go up.

Stitt and Walters blamed the vendor, but federal auditors found state officials declined the option to limit purchases to a pre-approved list. That kicked the door open to rightly examine the rest of the GEER funds.

In public speeches, Stitt says the buck stops with him. This audit certainly does.

[Editorial / Tulsa World]

This Week We're Reading...

Unemployment Insurance: Economic Lessons from the Last Two Recessions [Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond]
The Harmful Ripples of Pretrial Detention [Arnold Ventures]
DACA Decade: From students to careers and families [FWD.us]
States Are Making Progress on Expanding Access to Driver's Licenses [Center for American Progress]
The value of the federal minimum wage is at its lowest point in 66 years [Economic Policy Institute] NOTE: July 24th marks the 13th anniversary of the last time the minimum wage was increased.

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.

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