Wednesday, June 28, 2023

[In The Know] Auditor: Oklahoma misspent millions of federal pandemic aid | Improving high-speed internet in Oklahoma | More

 

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Wednesday | June 28, 2023

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NOTE: In The Know will be on hiatus while staff are out of office for OK Policy's Summer Policy Institute and the Independence Day holiday. We will resume publishing on Wednesday, July 5.

 
 
 

$29.3 million

Amount of questionable spending of federal pandemic relief funds provided to Oklahoma during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021. [State Auditor & Inspector] | [Full report]

 

The 'Independent State Legislature Theory,' Explained

On June 27, 2023, the Supreme Court rejected the "independent state legislature theory" in Moore v. Harper. This piece explains a dubious interpretation of the Constitution called the "independent state legislature theory" that links partisan gerrymandering of congressional maps in North Carolina, attempts to dissolve the Wisconsin Election Commission, and efforts to overthrow the 2020 presidential election in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. [Brennan Center for Justice]

 

"Oklahoma has systemic issues that make me very concerned for taxpayers... If the federal government decides the State must pay back these questioned costs, you and I will end up paying the bill... The State of Oklahoma dropped the ball on compliance and oversight."

- State Auditor Cindy Byrd, said in a news release after making public an audit examining federal dollars spent during fiscal year 2021. [State Auditor & Inspector's Office]

 

Oklahoma News

Audit finds special interest groups gave Oklahoma private schools first-dibs on federal relief money while rejecting poor kids: Millions in federal relief money meant to help Oklahoma students during the pandemic was misspent at the hand of special special interest groups who gave preferential treatment to private schoolers while hundreds of needy children missed out on financial aid, a state audit has found. [The Frontier]

  • Auditor: Oklahoma Spent Millions of Federal Dollars Incorrectly [Oklahoma Watch]
  • State auditor: Oklahoma 'dropped the ball' in handling millions in pandemic relief funds [The Oklahoman]
  • State 'dropped the ball on compliance and oversight' of federal pandemic funds, auditor finds [Tulsa World]
  • Audit shows Oklahoma likely misspent millions in federal relief funds [Public Radio Tulsa]
  • 'Oklahomans should be concerned': Audit shows Oklahoma misspent millions in federal funds [KOKH Fox 25]
  • Report: Millions in federal pandemic relief funding mismanaged [Journal Record]

State Government News

OK Senate fails to override Governor's veto on tribal tobacco compact: The Oklahoma Senate has failed to override Governor Kevin Stitt's veto of Senate Bill 26 in a session held on Monday, June 26. Senate Bill 26 would have extended the Tribal Compacts Tobacco Product Sales Tax until December 31, 2024. The extension would have allowed Oklahoma to continue to receive a share of sales tax on tobacco products sold by tribal entities. [Muscogee Nation News]

How much high-speed internet can $1.2 billion build? Oklahomans are about to find out: The Biden administration announced this week Oklahoma is receiving $797.4 million in grant funds for the work through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, part of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act approved by Congress in 2021. [The Oklahoman]

Oklahoma AG says latest Supreme Court decision 'promising' for foes of Catholic charter school: Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond says the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to hear a case that could have had implications for the nation's first church-run charter school is "promising" for those who share his concerns about St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. [Tulsa World]

Health News

New EXHALE Report Highlights Lack of Self-Care Available to Black Women: On June 6, EXHALE, the groundbreaking emotional well-being application tailored exclusively for Black women and women of Color, unveiled the highly anticipated release of "The State of Self-Care for Black Women" report. This comprehensive publication delves into the intricate dynamics of mental, emotional, and physical health experienced by Black Women. [Black Wall Street Times]

Number of Oklahoma high school students using e-cigarettes greater than national data: As e-cigarette sales have been increasing across the United States, the number of Oklahoma high school students using e-cigarettes has been going down — but state numbers are still higher than that of high school students nationally. [The Oklahoman]

Criminal Justice News

Trial day two: Toxicologist says Dan Kirby 'was impaired,' friends argue otherwise: Both the prosecution and defense wrapped up their cases this afternoon on the second day of the involuntary manslaughter trial for former Eufaula city councilman and former state Rep. Dan Kirby. [NonDoc]

Economy & Business News

Money taking a toll on Oklahomans' mental health: Oklahoma is tied for the second-most financially stressed state in the nation, according to a recent report. Analysts at USA Today Blueprint using U.S. Census Bureau data found that 54% of Oklahoma residents are "very stressed financially." [Journal Record]

Education News

Oklahoma AG's opinion: Payroll deductions legal for teachers' association dues: Oklahoma's attorney general issued a formal opinion on Monday that state law allows school districts to make payroll deductions for teachers' association dues. The opinion comes as State Superintendent Ryan Walters and Gov. Kevin Stitt have criticized teachers' unions and the commonplace practice by which many of their members choose to pay their dues. [Tulsa World]

Editorial: Ten Commandments mandate? Focus instead on why public education is 49th in US: One would think that the day after a national report showed a significant drop in reading and math scores among Oklahoma middle schoolers, a course of correction at least would be mentioned at the state Board of Education meeting. Instead, Oklahoma's state schools superintendent decided a more urgent matter facing our students is that the constitutional position of separation of church and state is a "false narrative," which he seems eager to change while policing morality and promoting Christianity in each classroom. [Clytie Bunyan Column / The Oklahoman]

Column: Did you know Oklahoma has a history of church-state issues in public education?: On June 5, Oklahoma approved the nation's first Catholic charter school, which already has led to questions surrounding the legality of a publicly funded religious school. But this is not the first time a church-state issue has been raised in public education in Oklahoma. [Carol Rose Little Guest Column / The Oklahoman]

 
 

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Tuesday, June 27, 2023

[In The Know] Tobacco compact veto override fails by one vote | SCOTUS decision may impact state religious charter school | Capitol Update | More

 

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Tuesday | June 27, 2023

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Two bills creating the lion's share of anticipated revenue reduction for FY 2024 (Capitol Update)

The State Board of Equalization met recently and certified $190 million less in revenue available for appropriation for Fiscal Year 2024, which begins this week on July 1. The state constitution requires the board to meet in June each year to increase or reduce the funding available for appropriation as the result of measures passed affecting the state's revenue during the session just ended. Anticipating the loss of revenue, legislators have already taken this reduction in funding into account as they finalized the budget last month. [Steve Lewis / OK Policy]

 

30%

Rate of children whose parents lack secure employment in Oklahoma. [KIDS COUNT]

 

Inflation, Health Costs, Partisan Cooperation Among the Nation's Top Problems

The public's list of the top problems facing the nation includes inflation, health care affordability, drug addiction and gun violence. Yet the ability of Republicans and Democrats to work together rates about as high on the problems list as these other concerns. And it is one of the few, among 16 problems included, on which there is no partisan divide. [Pew Research Center]

 

"No one in Oklahoma besides our federal delegation has the ability to impact what Indian land and the definition is. That's a plenary power of Congress reserved to them by the U.S. Constitution. I don't know if the governor doesn't understand that, or just doesn't like it. But we've still got to follow the law."

- Oklahoma Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, in response to a statement by Governor Stitt last week when he expressed that he wants to clarify that the tribal-state tobacco compacts only apply to parcels of land held in trust by the federal government on behalf of tribes. [The Oklahoman]

 

Oklahoma News

Override of Gov. Stitt's veto on tribal compacts fails by one vote: The legislative attempt to extend Oklahoma's agreements with tribes on the collection of tobacco tax and motor vehicle registration revenue has failed, at least for now. Gov. Kevin Stitt had vetoed two bills that would have extended the compacts for another year, but the state Senate fell one vote short of overriding one of the bills on Monday. After the failed vote, Senate leadership adjourned without taking up the other. [The Oklahoman]

  • Tobacco compact veto override fails [Journal Record]
  • Senate fails to override Stitt veto of compact extension bill [Tulsa World]

Even with SCOTUS decision, Oklahoma AG still expecting 'much litigation' on religious charter school: A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding a lower court ruling regarding charter schools may have implications for a recently approved online Catholic charter school in Oklahoma. [Tulsa World]

Federal Government News

Oklahoma receives nearly $800 million from federal program to improve broadband internet access: Oklahoma has nearly $800 million from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to expand broadband access across the state. It's part of a $42.5 billion federal program called Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) — a component of the Biden-Harris administration's "Internet for All" initiative. [KOSU]

Oklahoma senator challenges union leader to cage fight: U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin challenged Teamsters leader Sean O'Brien on Monday to a cage fight as the feud between the two men escalated on social media. [The Oklahoman]

  • Sen. Markwayne Mullin accepts fight challenge from Teamsters boss [Tulsa World]

Oklahoma ranchers express hopes for bill in Congress: Federal legislation introduced recently by U.S. Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., has farmers and ranchers in the state hopeful for a reprieve from a new antibiotic regulation, according to the American Farmers and Ranchers Cooperative. [Journal Record]

USDA exec visits Summer Feeding Program site at Union school, Cherokee WIC program: As part of a visit across eastern Oklahoma, Deputy Under Secretary of Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Stacy Dean met with students and staff at Union's Ochoa Elementary School for cereal, fresh peaches, milk and juice. [Tulsa World]

Tribal Nations News

Supreme Court: Tribal sovereign immunity doesn't extend to bankruptcy court: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday morning that tribes are like any other state or government and cannot use sovereign immunity in Bankruptcy Court. [ICT News]

Supreme Court rejects Navajo Nation's water rights trust claim: The U.S. Supreme Court said the United States is not required "to take affirmative steps to secure water for the Tribe" because that provision is not explicitly stated in the Navajo Treaty of 1868, according to its ruling in a 5-4 vote in Arizona v. Navajo Nation, released Thursday. The case was the third and final federal Indian law case this term. [ICT News]

Health News

OKC clinic offering affordable, inclusive fertility for all people: Mate Fertility, a startup that opened its flagship clinic in OKC in 2021 and has seen more than 30 babies born, offers fertility services at 30% below the national average and has a mission to bring access to fertility care to populations who haven't traditionally benefited. [The Oklahoman]

Criminal Justice News

Dan Kirby trial begins with emotional testimony, questions over impairment: Twice-resigned politician Dan Kirby's involuntary manslaughter trial began today in federal court and featured emotional testimony from a friend of the victim and questions about the conduct of an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper who investigated the scene of Kirby's fatal motorcycle wreck that killed his girlfriend. [NonDoc]

Economy & Business News

Oil, gas production tax collections trend down in Oklahoma: Recent declines in oil and gas production tax revenues have cut into overall tax collection totals recorded by the state, and a reported decline in expectations for business performance in coming months may indicate a further shift away from record recent tax revenues. [Journal Record]

Average employer costs lower in Oklahoma than in most, BLS reports: A recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reflects that typical hourly costs to private employers associated with individual employees, such as costs of average pay, are lower in the South, the region that includes Oklahoma, than they are in other parts of the United States. [Journal Record]

Starbucks union says Pride weekend strikes closed 21 US stores, vows to disrupt dozens more: The union organizing Starbucks workers said Monday that a strike timed to Pride month closed 21 stores over the weekend, including the company's flagship Reserve Roastery in Seattle. The strike will continue through this week and is expected disrupt operations at more than 150 stores, Starbucks Workers United said. [Tulsa World]

General News

Power restored to nearly all homes, businesses in NE Oklahoma: Almost all of the homes and businesses in the Tulsa area left without electricity in the wake of a powerful storm on June 18 had been reconnected by Monday. According to PowerOutage.us, only 430 electric utility customers in Oklahoma remained without power on Monday afternoon, as compared to more than 200,000 left in the dark following the night of violent weather. [Journal Record]

Oklahoma Local News

  • 'Missing opportunities': Edmond officials float bond election to expedite road projects [NonDoc]
  • Extra bond money, state funding give boost to Oklahoma City Public Schools [The Oklahoman]
  • Broken Arrow school board approves staff stipends, support staff pay raise [Tulsa World]

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.

 
 

Contact Oklahoma Policy Institute
907 S. Detroit Ave. #1005 | Tulsa, Oklahoma 74120
918-794-3944 |
info@okpolicy.org

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