Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act becomes law in Oklahoma
Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Pat McGuigan
Oklahoma City – Advocates for robust programs of school choice were happy with enactment of Senate Bill 1080, deemed the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act.
A press release from the advocacy group Choice Matters described S.B. 1080 as “a landmark achievement for those looking to give parents more options when it comes to where and how to educate their children.”
Robert Ruiz, executive director of Choice Matters, said in comments sent to CapitolBeatOK.com, “As a parent, nothing is more important than ensuring your kids are receiving a great education. And nothing is more dispiriting than feeling trapped in a school that isn’t a good fit for your child. Equal Opportunity Scholarships help to ensure that parents and children are never trapped; regardless of their income level, they can still pursue options and find the best fit. That is especially important for children with special needs or children coping with bullying.
“Our lawmakers took a stand today on behalf of giving parents and students more choices and more pathways to success. We are grateful to see that kind of leadership and positive vision at the State Capitol,” Ruiz concluded
Jonathan Small of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs was effusive after the proposal passed the Legislature and Governor Stitt affixed his signature. In a statement, Small said, “Decades from now, when today’s children are adults, thousands of them will look back and know they were able to achieve great things thanks to the education made possible by lawmakers with this vote today.
“A quality education opens the door to a better life for all children, but especially those whose current circumstances are mired in challenges few of us can comprehend. When those families are limited to only one local public school, many of those children wind up short-changed by a system that does not cater to their needs. By increasing school choice for those families, we are making Oklahoma a better place — a place where families from all backgrounds have the opportunity to achieve and thrive.
“This is a great day for kids thanks to the leadership of Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat, Gov. Kevin Stitt, House Speaker Charles McCall, and the many lawmakers who supported this bill.”
As for Treat, his statement stressed, “The Equal Opportunity Scholarship program provides tax credits to donors who voluntarily donate funds to support education. The grants can be used by private schools to support low-income families and by public schools for innovation or classroom support.”
Senate Bill 1080 increases the amount of tax credits within the program to $50 million, with half for private school students and half for public school students. Treat said the program already “has benefited homeless children and low-income families. The changes we are making to the program will help deserving students receive a high-quality education they otherwise could not afford.
The Oklahoma City Republican said, “The changes also will generate more funding for public schools by giving their supporters more ways to donate. This is a tremendous bill for students, families and Oklahoma education overall. I appreciate the overwhelming support of my Senate colleagues and look forward to the Oklahoma House passing the bill.”
State Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, is a persistent critic of school choice programs, although many of her urban constituents rely on them for access to better schools. She asserted, “I am increasingly disappointed the Legislature chooses to ignore the will of their constituents. Handing our tax dollars over to private schools, that have their own sources of revenue and that only a fraction of Oklahoma’s families utilize, is not equitable. The fact is that 90 percent of Oklahoma’s families choose public schools. That is where our dollars should stay.”
Sen. Hicks’s perspective was overwhelmingly rejected in the Senate on May 18, when the upper chamber gave 36-11 consent to the law (with one member not voting). In the House, the Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act garnered 63-36 support (with two members not voting).
Governor Kevin Stitt enthusiastically signed the legislation into law.
The state’s chief executive, “Over the past year, it’s become even more clear that education is not one-size-fits-all. Parents and students across Oklahoma want more options, and this program helps create more opportunities for kids to attend the school that best fits their needs.”
A sketch of the legislation from Choice Matters rebuffed the often-repeated assertions of Hicks and other critics of S.B. 1080: “Equal Opportunity Scholarships help children in low and modest income households attend private schools. Two-thirds of Opportunity Scholarships go to students with incomes at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level.
“The average income of a scholarship recipient is $45,000 for a family of four. Over 2,500 students receive scholarship dollars each year. In addition to serving students in lower-income families, some are coping with homelessness, addiction, autism, physical disabilities, bullying and other situations which are difficult for public schools to manage.”
The group’s analysis continued, “Equal Opportunity Scholarships also help public schools. Currently, any public school district with a student population under 4,500 (there are 166 districts that meet that qualification) can apply for funds to support ‘innovative educational programs.’ For example, Chickasha public school has used funds to support robotics and STEM programs.
“Tax credits drive the success of this program, which is supported by private dollars. Donors to both public-school programs and private school scholarships receive a 50 percent tax credit on their donations (75 percent tax credit if the donor is willing to donate the same or greater amount for two consecutive years.) However, the $5 million cap had been reached in recent years, discouraging growth and future donations. S.B. 1080 raises that cap to $50 million, which will encourage more donations and more growth in the Equal Opportunity Scholarship program.”
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Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act becomes law in Oklahoma Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
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Pat McGuigan
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Oklahoma City -- As newspapers like The Southwest Ledger and The City Sentinel went to press this week, the widespread assumption in Oklahoma state government circles was that Gov. Kevin Stitt would allow Senate Bill 131 to go into effect without any action on his part.
As the Legislature left town, that was indeed the case.
The new law, aiming to stymie Stitt’s plans to create Managed Care for the Medicaid Expansion process, was advanced by state Rep. Marcus McEntire and Sen. Jessica Garvin, both Duncan Republicans.
The result is a disappointment for Stitt and his hopes to bring burgeoning health care costs under some kind of control.
Compounding the disappointment, S,B. 131 assures that mixed results for patients will continue.
The governor and the Managed Care Organizations he chose last winter will be able to bring some patients into managed care, but the profitable “nonprofit” hospitals will retain their massive financial returns for at least the next four years.
As reflected in last week’s column (‘Good News and Bad News on Managed Care: A Commentary'), S.B. 131 “falls into that immortal category of legislation on which both sides (primarily, to be sure, those in the legislative majority) can declare victory, while not really advancing the interests of beneficiaries of health care.”
NOTE: Pat McGuigan crafted a series of commentaries, analyses and reports on Medicaid Expansion and Managed Care. To study the issue from Pat’s perspective, visit www.City-Sentinel.com or https://ift.tt/3c3Sujp.
Not-so-random thoughts on Managed Care Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Angela Monson
In late May, many individuals across the state mourned the death of Senator Bob Cullison, a statesman extraordinaire.
His passing affords those of us who knew him and worked with him an opportunity to remember and reflect upon his tenacity, his style, his demeanor and his friendship. I am one of the fortunate folks who had an opportunity to work with Cullison for many years and in several capacities, and I am pleased to share thoughts about his life and his contributions to the State Senate – and to Oklahoma.
I met Sen. Cullison in 1981 when I started a job -- a newly created position for the Oklahoma Legislature.
As one of only two joint employees (the Legislative Service Bureau had recently been reorganized and the House of Representatives and the Senate employed their own individual staff), I had the good fortune to work with members of both Houses.
It was also the first time I worked with Sen. Cullison. Although his participation on the Joint Committee on Federal Funds (the committee I staffed) was limited, he clearly knew and understood the implications of the substantial loss of federal funding for state and community-based services. He chose to be an advocate for programs dependent upon federal dollars, encouraging and debating in favor of the replacement of lost federal funds with state dollars. As a result, many services, such as those provided by community health centers, continued without major disruption.
In the late 1980s, I began working for a small not-for-profit focused on expanding health care coverage in Oklahoma. Sen. Cullison had not yet become President Pro Tempore, but he was definitely a leader in the state Senate.
We became close allies, advocating for children and mothers who had very limited access to health care services. I am not sure what might have occurred in his life before entering the Legislature, but Bob Cullison had a heart and compassion for those who were in need; and he was willing to use his influence to make life better for them.
In 1988, shortly after Sen. Cullison was elected President Pro Tempore, for the first time in any substantial way, Oklahoma made a substantial expansion of enrollees in the Medicaid program. Coverage was extended to children and pregnant women. It is possible that such a dramatic change could have occurred under other Senate leadership, but resistance from several members on the other side of the aisle was quickly put to bed by Sen. Cullison. I am grateful to him and his leadership to ensure the passage of a key policy reform.
As President Pro Tempore, Senator Cullison served with three different House Speakers: Jim Barker, Steve Lewis and finally, Glen Johnson. As I observed his interactions with leaders of the “Lower House”, Sen. Cullison always seemed to be somewhat reserved, soft spoken, always much more willing to listen than to speak.
However, it did not take long to realize, as the old saying goes, “still water runs deep”. By no means was he a wimp (please excuse the use of such jargon, but there is no better descriptive word that I can use here)! Throughout his term as President of the Senate, Sen. Cullison was the constant.
As leadership in the House changed rather rapidly (three Speakers in about 3 years (1989-91), I contend that the progress made by the Legislature, including House Bill 1017, the legendary education reform bill, occurred largely because of the stability provided by Cullison.
In 1993, I became a member of the Oklahoma State Senate.
Sen. Cullison was President of the Senate when I was elected. After serving for three years as a member of the Oklahoma House, I knew first-hand the importance of the Leader.
During the few years Sen. Cullison and I served together, my respect and admiration for him grew. My earlier assessment of his demeanor and style still held true. His door was open to everyone, he listened, he sought input, he encouraged. Without question, Bob Cullison was a Senator’s Senator.
A few years after Sen. Cullison departed the Oklahoma Legislature to become a member of the Oklahoma Tax Commission, I became chair of the Senate Finance Committee. That is the panel that heard the bills that impacted the collection of state tax revenue in Oklahoma and other bills guiding the Commission as an agency.
Both of us were then in new roles, and quite different in the dynamics of the positions, yet nothing changed: His willingness to help, candor and genuine desire to make things better was as clear as ever.
He and the other Commissioners made great strides to improve Oklahoma tax systems, and to advocate for a tax structure that was fair and equitable – especially for working families in Oklahoma.
Sen. Cullison will be missed by many. The things that he accomplished in Oklahoma will impact the lives of those who live here for many generations to come, if not for all times.
I can not end these brief reflections without also expressing appreciation to Sen. Bernice Shedrick, Sen. Cullison’s partner for many years. Their collective desire to improve education in Oklahoma, and their recognition of the value and worth of Oklahoma’s working families, strengthened their individual influence.
Many shared many things with Sen. Cullison – including a great love for the State of Oklahoma. I am fortunate to be included in that number.
Note: This tribute was composed for The City Sentinel newspaper, June 2021 print edition. https://ift.tt/3oZWyXn . Angela Monson is a former state Senator, who served with Robert V. Cullison. He died in late May.
Tribute: Mourning the death of Bob Cullison, a statesman extraordinaire Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Pat McGuigan
Julius Jones is innocent. He must never be executed.
He merits not only commutation in the short term, but a finding of actual innocence in the long run.
His hearing before the Pardon and Parole (P&P) Board is set for September 13 at 10 a.m.. Some dramatics connected with the efforts of former Attorney General Mike Hunter and Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater (who is not seeking reelection) must not detract from the strong case for actual innocence in the case of Julius Jones.
Last year, state Rep. Kevin McDugle, R-Broken Arrow, laid out the case for permanent reforms in Oklahoma’s death penalty provisions.
He contributed wisdom in supporting an Interim Study that included serious examination of recommendations first made in the Oklahoma Death Penalty Review Commission’s historic report.
In the course of that Interim Study, McDugle made a strong case for the actual innocence of Richard Glossip.
Somehow, I had missed his March 3 letter to Governor Kevin Stitt and members of the Pardon and Parole Board. He strongly encouraged commutation of the death sentence facing Julius Jones. McDugle wrote that with commutation Oklahoma could “avoid a grave miscarriage of justice.”
He reflected, “I have often said that, if Oklahoma is going to carry out executions, it must do them right. At a minimum, that means ensuring that every prisoner on death row has received a fair trial and that no compelling evidence exists to call into question their guilt.”
Rep. McDugle’s well-sustained argument is worth quoting at length:
“In the case of Julius Jones, I believe we are falling short of that threshold on both fronts. Regarding his trial, an under-prepared and overwhelmed defense team failed to present Mr. Jones’ alibi and failed to show the jury photographs that indicate Mr. Jones did not fit the eyewitness description of the shooter. Meanwhile, the jury was never told that the prosecution’s star witness, co-defendant Christopher Jordan, was being offered a reduced sentence to testify against Mr. Jones. Each one of these developments may have offered the ‘reasonable doubt’ Mr. Jones needed to avoid conviction if they had been presented to a jury.
“Furthermore, new evidence uncovered by Mr. Jones’ defense team and documented by both ‘The Frontier’ and the ‘Washington Post’ supports the possibility that Mr. Jones is innocent and has been wrongfully imprisoned by the state for nearly two decades. The fact that multiple men, with no knowledge of each other and no ties to Mr. Jones, have individually come forward to disclose that Christopher Jordan has openly bragged about killing Paul Howell and framing his co-defendant, is a revelation that cannot be ignored. However one feels about the death penalty, it seems impossible to support the execution of one man for murder when another man has confessed on multiple occasions to committing that same murder.
“For all these reasons, I urge you to conduct a serious and fair-minded review of Mr. Jones’ case. Having reviewed the evidence available in the public record, I am confident that you will see fit to commute his sentence and avoid a grave miscarriage of justice.”
The McDugle letter should be studied by those who still support Oklahoma executions, but particularly by those who consider the Jones case “Exhibit A” in the case against the process as practiced in Oklahoma.
Dale Baich and his colleague Amanda Bass have battled long and hard for Jones.
In a May 11 letter to Tom Bates, now the executive director at the P&P Board, Baich argued against Hunter’s attempt to intervene against Jones. (Engaging in reasonable speculation, it would not be surprising if Jones’ lawyers move to strike a protest letter Hunter, now former A.G., entered in the Jones commutation process.)
Baich vigorously opposes a plan to prevent Julius Jones from addressing the P&P Board on September 13, explicitly confronting the assertion Jones had two “misconducts”.
Baich relates that in 2020, “we sent a letter to Scott Crowe, Director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections explaining why the allegations of misconduct are unfounded. … [T]he two incidents concerned the alleged possession of a cell phone charger and an alleged unauthorized conference call.”
From Baich: “March 6, 2020: Mr. Jones was strip-searched and placed semi-naked in a shower while his property was confiscated, and his cell searched. He was written up for allegedly having a cell phone charger in his possession (but no cell phone). The phone charger was never shown to Mr. Jones despite his request. Instead, he was shown a grainy photocopy of a photograph of the alleged cell phone charger that is completely indiscernible. We requested all documentation pertaining to this incident, including a video of the search. Our request was essentially ignored. We were given only another copy of the same undecipherable photocopy, and the video of the search was not provided to us. Under the circumstances, we do not believe there is any evidence or basis to characterize this unsupported allegation as a misconduct.”
Continuing, for April 22, 2020: “Mr. Jones was written up for allegedly participating in an ‘unauthorized conference call on February 28, 2020 (with no explanation as to why the write-up happened almost two months later). That assertion is not true. To the contrary, Mr. Jones had an authorized call with his sister, during which she put him on speaker phone so he could be heard by other people who were in the room with Mr. Jones’ sister.”
Baich contends – and I agree – neither asserted event “is based on any actual evidence. The timing, lack of transparency, and the Department of Corrections’ refusal to respond to our reasonable requests is troubling. If those alleged misconducts are going to be considered by the Board, it should only be based on a full consideration of all alleged evidence, which, to date, has been withheld from us.”
(Corrections has also asserted Jones had bad results in a drug screening – but the case for that is so weak it merits mere mention, not serious consideration.)
Baich expressed – and I agree – “that these alleged misconducts were not issued as a pretext to retaliate against Mr. Jones and prejudice his ability to get a full and fair hearing before the Board.” Further, he challenged an assertion that Corrections can keep Jones from the commutation hearing because of where he is serving his sentence: “There is no provision in the Code, nor are we aware of any authority, that would allow Mr. Jones to be excluded from appearing merely because he is housed in a maximum-security prison.”
In his letter to Bates, Baich (no shrinking violet, for which I am grateful) reports, “You note that an investigator is currently working on a report on Mr. Jones case for the Board. If the investigator needs any additional information from Mr. Jones, please have the investigator reach out directly to us as counsel, rather than going through prison staff.
Denied access to prosecution files (once promised by Prater), Baich notes that the Oklahoma Death Penalty Review Commission recommended, “All Oklahoma district attorneys’ offices and the Office of the Attorney General should be required to allow open-file discovery at all stages of a capital case, including during the direct appeal, state post-conviction review, federal habeas corpus review, and any clemency proceedings.”
Baich’s letter was copied to Kyle Counts, General Counsel for the P&P board, Adam Luck, Board Chair, and members C. Alien McCall, Larry Morris, Kelley Doyle, and Scott Williams.
Originally set for June, the long-anticipated hearing has already slipped into the fall. Pressures on the board (including announced investigations of members) smack of inappropriate pressure.
Some wonder if D.A. Prater is following the 2013 playbook develop in a previous round of pressure on the board.
The unwillingness to surrender files promised in the past raises many questions.
If the withheld evidence is a slam dunk, if they are so sure of the contents, why not share the information with defense lawyers and the general public?
There are some who wait on federal courts to show up, like Deus Ex Machina from ancient Greek plays, to rescue the state from the worst abuses of the death penalty process. But that is not the job of the judiciary.
Elected representatives and public officials would best serve the state by ending the discredited system of capital punishment as actually practiced.
Short of that, responsible players in our state government should at least work through the process to take the worst cases off the table – right now, or at least this year.
Another Innocent Man -- Julius Jones merits commutation, for starters Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Patrick B. McGuigan
To celebrate the formal release of Dr. Nyla Ali Khan’s newest book, a SPECIAL EVENT is scheduled for Thursday evening, May 27 at 5 p.m. Complimentary refreshments will be served for the gathering at Commonplace Books in downtown Edmond (21 S. Broadway 73074).
Dr. Nyla, who often contributes to CapitolBeatOK.com as a commentator or reporter, is a respected Oklahoman.
A native of Kashmir, she became an American citizen only a few months ago.
In a review of Dr. Nyla’s book, Professor Stephen Morrow from Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) observed:
"Professor Nyla Ali Khan’s newest book, ‘Educational Strategies for Youth Empowerment in Conflict Zones: Transforming, not Transmitting, Trauma’ (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021), is a call to action: action formulated in a deep consciousness of understanding and caring.
“Composed out of her own inborn care for the peoples of Jammu and Kashmir and their trauma of insurgency and counterinsurgency, Professor Khan asks of her readers to develop a deeper consciousness of the suffering and alienation of the young people there and beyond.
“Simply put, as readers, we are asked to care.”
In his review, Morrow also wrote:
“I refer Dr. Khan’s work, first and foremost, to the Western reader though her inclusive research and analysis of trauma take us around the historically traumatized globe.
“This consciousness of care is set out through the researchers, thinkers, sociologists, psychologists, and organizations who make it their life work to care for the traumatized.
“Khan’s insights lay out the deeper human condition that traumas impose damage upon. A fragility of life, that once aware of and conscious of, gives greater insight to the connection and responsibility we have to each other across the globe.
“The care work she calls us to are transforming the ills of trauma to the agency of well-being and change agent."
Speaking for myself, I appreciate Dr. Nyla Ali Khan.
She has a heart for the dispossessed -- especially for students living in zones of conflict around the world. For those who read her works regularly, this may seem like a statement of the obvious. That’s ok: Stating the obvious, as I have written elsewhere, can be an act of courage in many circumstances.
Since first I met her in June 2019 (after having read through some of her works in the months before), each exchange of more than a few minutes has turned to our shared concerns for contemporary students in America, and in many other places.
While flowing from the tradition of her past scholarly works, there is in this new work a deeper personal and reflective tone.
Yes, this new book is an academic work. Still, the intelligent non-academic can study it with deep benefit, should they possess or if they fashion a heart open to practical, methodical, caring steps toward a better world.
Americans are blessed – privileged, if you will – to live in a country where ideas are actually taken seriously, at least by many of us.
Noble titles as a means to privilege are banned here, yet noble spirits have the liberty to explore and flourish. And, each American has the freedom to recognize, and honor, the best among us.
History teaches lessons, but the past does not bind anyone to pre-determined outcomes. Social conditions can seem limiting, yet America is a place uniquely open to the shattering of expectations for those born without fortune or a famous last name.
America is a place where a woman of special merit, an immigrant, can emerge as a local leader within a matter of years – a mere fraction of one human lifetime.
America is a land of possibilities – as was intended by the best of our ancestors.
Nyla Ali Khan is a brilliant example of possibilities, many of which are realized already.
Her book offers means to help others. It is a book for we, the living, reaching for a brighter future.
Note: Be sure you go to the proper location! This Thursday’s event is at Commonplace Books, 21 S. Broadway in the heart of downtown Edmond.
May 27 book event for Dr. Nyla Khan’s 'Educational Strategies for Youth Empowerment’ spurs reflections on possibilities Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Staff Report
OKLAHOMA CITY – State Representative Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, has been elected to serve as House Democratic Leader. Her term will begin after the November 2022 general elections.
The Oklahoma House Democratic Caucus held caucus elections early this month to determine caucus leadership for the 59th Legislative Session. Under caucus rules, the new leadership team will not begin their new role until after next year’s general elections.
“All of the members of the House Democratic Caucus are talented and remain dedicated to a better Oklahoma,” said House Minority Leader Emily Virgin, D-Norman.
“The members elected … are going to be instrumental in ensuring that millions of Oklahomans have their voice heard. I appreciate each of them for stepping forward to serve, and I look forward to helping them in any way that I can.”
Munson, who currently serves as the caucus chair, will assume the Caucus Leader’s post late next year. “I’d like to thank my colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus for their trust in me,” said Munson in the caucus statement sent to The City Sentinel newspaper, CapitolBeatOK.com and other news organizations.
“Our mission now is to expand our caucus so our legislature can truly represent the growing diversity and voices of all Oklahomans. As a young Asian-American woman growing up in Oklahoma, I would have never imagined that I could someday become a state legislator, much less the leader of the House Democratic Caucus. I hope this is a message to every under-represented Oklahoman — you are seen, you are heard, and you can do whatever you dream to accomplish.”
Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater, was elected to serve as the next caucus chair of the House Democratic Caucus, replacing Rep. Munson in that post.
“I feel truly blessed to have this vote of confidence,” Ranson said. “As a former educator, there are quite a few things, like ensuring everyone feels heard or just staying organized on a daily basis, that translates well into the position of caucus chair. The reason I ran is that I believe I can use my educator skillset to help our caucus and ultimately our state.”
Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, was elected to serve as the next vice-chair of the House Democratic Caucus.
“I ran for caucus vice chair because historian wasn’t an option,” Waldron said. “The vice-chair position is an opportunity to help our caucus stay engaged and to ensure that we are all moving forward with the same foot. I appreciate the members who voted, and I can’t wait to serve the people of Oklahoma in this capacity.”
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Representative Cyndi Munson will be Oklahoma House Democratic Caucus leader after November 2022 election Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Ray Carter, Center for Independent Journalism
Members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives have passed a significant expansion of a school-choice program that has benefited thousands of low-income students, sending the measure to Gov. Kevin Stitt to be signed into law.
“These opportunities are real,” said House Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City, “and they change the trajectories of peoples’ lives.”
Senate Bill 1080 increases the size of the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act, which provides tax credits to those who donate to organizations that provide private-school scholarships. (https://ift.tt/3f6LYKO )
Under current law, the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship program is limited to $3.5 million annually in tax credits for donations to organizations that provide private-school scholarships. S.B. 1080 would raise that figure to $25 million.
Under the program, at least 58 percent of private-school scholarship recipients must qualify for the federal free-and-reduced lunch program, ensuring most students benefiting from the program are from working families.
The legislation also boosts a tax-credit program for private donations to public schools, raising that program’s cap from $1.5 million annually to $25 million. The legislation also makes all public schools eligible for the program for the first time and provides additional avenues for donors to support local public schools.
Echols said the legislation would provide at least $33.3 million in private funding for each side of the program if the full $25 million in credits is expended. That provides a net increase in public-school funding compared to what would occur if no credits were issued, he noted.
The Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act has been described as life-changing and lifesaving. Its beneficiaries have included students previously trapped in schools that produce poor academic outcomes, students attending “sober school” while recovering from addiction, children recovering from trauma and abuse, and homeless students.
Supporters noted children from often-dire situations have benefited from the program and many more would be aided by its expansion.
Rep. Ryan Martinez, R-Edmond, recalled his childhood when he and three other boys, all from low-income households whose families had immigrated to the United States years ago, were “forced to go to the school that failed their parents and their grandparents before them.”
He said the four boys were quickly “labeled as problem children,” and the attitude of school officials was, “Let’s face it: We don’t have the time or the resources. These are just little brown kids that are probably going to end up drug dealers, prisoners, dead. Who cares? Just another statistic, right?”
One of the boys dropped out of school in the ninth grade and died of an overdose by age 18. The second dropped out in the tenth grade, became a drug dealer, and died in a shooting by age 20. The third boy graduated high school but still struggled to find gainful employment.
“He did graduate high school, but never learned how to read,” Martinez said. “You can imagine it’s really, really tough to find a job with a meaningful income not knowing how to read.”
By age 24, that boy was in prison for drug crimes.
Of the four boys, Martinez was the only one to find success — a fact he attributed to his parents working multiple jobs to pay for him to attend a private school.
“I got an opportunity to succeed in life because of that choice that my parents were able to make,” Martinez said. “I always wonder what my friends that are dead or in prison or overdosed, what would have happened to their life if they would have had an opportunity like I did? Could they have gone to college? Could they have been meaningful members of society that had a chance to succeed? I think that they could have. And if this bill helps one kid, I’m in.”
Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, said a child with autism, Jordan, was adopted out of the state’s foster care system and benefited from the scholarship law.
“Through the Equal Opportunity Scholarship fund, Jordan’s mom was able to find him a school that better fits his needs and is, according to her, challenging him to make sure that he meets his full potential,” Caldwell said.
Another child, Riley, was born with a heart defect, kidney defect, brain abnormalities, epilepsy, and cognitive behavioral delays.
“Doctors told Riley’s parents she would never walk,” Caldwell said. “But because of the teachers in her school and the work they did, she’s walking today. And it was only through the Equal Opportunity Scholarship fund that they had that choice.”
Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, an Elgin Republican who was a public-school teacher, said a one-size-fits-all approach to students does not serve them well.
“When I was a first-year teacher in a very small, rural school, I had a homeless student. I had a student who had spent her junior year in a drug-rehabilitation program. I had a student who was asked to not come back to CareerTech at Christmastime. I had a student who was a 19-year-old sophomore who had gone to live with an aunt because he had been involved with a gang,” Hasenbeck said. “And I went back my second year. And throughout my educational career, I learned that there aren’t any resources for kids like that available to public-school students. So the entire time of my career I spent trying to find ways that we could fill the gaps for those particular students.”
She said S.B. 1080 would help similar students across Oklahoma.
“This is going to be good for those kids who fall between the gaps,” Hasenbeck said.
Critics of the program dismissed Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship success stories.
“This isn’t some heart-string-tugging commercial where we all believe that we’re helping that ‘one impoverished family in that next town over from us,’” said Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa. “By and large, this is a discount coupon, mostly for the upper class.”
Other critics suggested there is little reason to expect students like those described by Martinez to emerge from public school prepared for life.
“The problem, it’s not education,” said Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Oklahoma City. “It is kids who are raised by wolves.”
Critics also argued tax-credit scholarships drain money from public schools.
Rep. Jacob Rosecrants, D-Norman, called the scholarship program a “Trojan horse” that will “unleash a surprise attack within the walls of our public schools.” He said tax credits associated with S.B. 1080 “will lower the amount of tax dollars that our state collects at a time when our public schools cannot afford it.”
“This is the first step to privatization of public ed,” said Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater.
But supporters said those arguments are fatally flawed.
“For that rationale to hold true, every tax credit and every tax deduction that someone takes is taking money away from our public schools,” Caldwell said.
“It means that every deduction you take for donating to your church or to the local animal shelter, what you’re really doing is just ripping the money right out of the hands of the kids in your district. But is that true? Does that logic even make sense? Of course not.”
Many who criticized Senate Bill 1080 voted (https://ift.tt/3u8MPyY) earlier this year for legislation to provide $20 million in subsidies to film productions, and House Democrats endorsed a budget plan (https://ift.tt/3vdbPGr) that included $24 million for an “earned income tax credit.”
Echols noted lawmakers have provided enormous funding increases to public schools in recent years, including a record appropriation this year.
“During my five years as floor leader, we have added over three-quarters of a billion dollars into funding for public education,” Echols said.
Rep. Regina Goodwin, D-Tulsa, said that increase “falls far short of what we should have been doing.”
“I don’t think anybody, any of us, deserves a pat on the back for what we’ve done for education in Oklahoma,” Goodwin said.
S.B. 1080 previously passed the Senate on a 36-11 vote (https://ift.tt/3yvCC2K) , and on Thursday (May 20) it won approval in the Oklahoma House on a 63-36 vote (http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf/2021-22%20SUPPORT%20DOCUMENTS/votes/House/SB1080_VOTES.HTM).
The bill now proceeds to Gov. Kevin Stitt, who has long endorsed expansion of the program.
Final passage was hailed by groups that have fought to increase school-choice options for all Oklahomans.
“Decades from now, when today’s children are adults, thousands of them will look back and know they were able to achieve great things thanks to the education made possible by lawmakers with this vote today,” said Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.
“A quality education opens the door to a better life for all children, but especially those whose current circumstances are mired in challenges few of us can comprehend. When those families are limited to only one local public school, many of those children wind up short-changed by a system that does not cater to their needs. By increasing school choice for those families, we are making Oklahoma a better place — a place where families from all backgrounds have the opportunity to achieve and thrive.”
Jennifer Carter, Oklahoma Senior Advisor for the American Federation for Children, said S.B. 1080 is “the largest expansion of a school choice tax credit program in the country so far this year and makes clear Oklahoma puts kids and their parents first.”
“This expansion means thousands of additional children will be able to access the school that best fits their needs and makes possible the opportunities they deserve,” Carter said.
NOTE: This story is reposted with permission. It first appeared here:
https://ift.tt/3hYF9Np. Ray Carter is director of the Center for Independent Journalism. He work is supported through the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. Carter’s reports often appear at the CapitolBeatOK.com website, and at City-Sentinel.com, as well as in the pages of The City Sentinel newspaper. Both news organizations are independent, non-partisan and locally-owned.
School Choice bill headed to Governor Stitt Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Staff Report
OKLAHOMA CITY (May 20, 2021) — Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, issued a statement praising lawmakers for voting to expand the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act.
That program provides tax credits to individuals and entities that donate to organizations that provide low-income children with scholarships to private schools. Under current law, the program is limited to $3.5 million annually in tax credits for donations to scholarship-granting organizations. Senate Bill 1080, which received final passage in the Oklahoma Legislature this week, raises that cap to $25 million.
The text of Small’s statement, sent to CapitolBeatOK.com, The City Sentinel newspaper and other news organizations, follows:
“Decades from now, when today’s children are adults, thousands of them will look back and know they were able to achieve great things thanks to the education made possible by lawmakers with this vote today.
“A quality education opens the door to a better life for all children, but especially those whose current circumstances are mired in challenges few of us can comprehend. When those families are limited to only one local public school, many of those children wind up short-changed by a system that does not cater to their needs. By increasing school choice for those families, we are making Oklahoma better place — a place where families from all backgrounds have the opportunity to achieve and thrive.
"This is a great day for kids thanks to the leadership of Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat, Governor Kevin Stitt, House Speaker Charles McCall, and the many lawmakers who supported this bill.”
Editor’s NOTE: According to its organizational literature, the "Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs is a free-market think tank that works to advance principles and policies that support free enterprise, limited government, individual initiative and personal responsibility."
Jonathan Small of Oklahoma Council for Public Affairs applauds expanded tax-credit scholarship program Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Ray Carter, Center for Independent Journalism
The fallout from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared a tribal reservation was never disestablished in Oklahoma has now led lawmakers to create a new fund to cover millions of dollars in anticipated state legal expenses.
“There will have to be a case that goes through the system that resolves the questions around McGirt,” said House Appropriations and Budget Chairman Kevin Wallace, R-Wellston. “The ruling said it was for major crimes and who had jurisdiction over major crimes. There’s a whole bunch of spinoff of uncertainty and unknown questions that still need to be answered that will take litigation to resolve.”
In 'McGirt v. Oklahoma', the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Muscogee Nation’s reservation was never disestablished. While the ruling applied only to Muscogee Nation land and questions of criminal prosecution under the federal Major Crimes Act, its precedent and basis are expected to result in application to numerous other issues, such as taxation and regulation, and also include the land of at least four other tribes — the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, and Seminole nations — whose combined territory includes most of eastern Oklahoma.
Subsequent court rulings have steadily expanded the decision’s reach, as expected.
Rep. Wallace said the state is already dealing with cases where individuals or entities have claimed they do not owe state taxes because of the ruling.
While the attorney general represents state government in most cases, Wallace noted the state also contracts with private attorneys on cases that involve great complexity and specialization.
House Bill 2951 (http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2021-22%20FLR/HFLR/HB2951%20HFLR.PDF) would create a new “State-Tribal Litigation Revolving Fund” within the Office of Management and Enterprise Services “for the purpose of hiring legal counsel and paying legal expenses of the State related to legal controversies between the State of Oklahoma and tribal governments.”
Under the bill, all expenditures from the fund would have to be authorized by the legislative Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations.
Lawmakers are expected to deposit $10 million into the fund this year.
Rep. Merleyn Bell, D-Norman, suggested that may be only the tip of the financial iceberg, saying she wondered “if $10 million will be enough, based on how much we spent in the past.”
“Do you feel that this is just sort of a drop in the bucket, or will we need to be adding more money to this fund in the future?” Bell asked.
“Only time will tell,” Wallace responded.
House Minority Leader Emily Virgin, D-Norman, urged lawmakers to oppose the bill, saying it could pay for legal counsel in state-tribal disputes other than McGirt-related conflicts, such as disputes over state-tribal compacts on gaming or tobacco.
“While we’re being told that this bill does one thing, the consequences could be much greater,” Virgin said.
H.B. 2951 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on an 80-18 vote (https://ift.tt/2QFNVEE) that broke along party lines, with Republicans in support. The bill now proceeds to the Oklahoma Senate.
NOTE: This story is reposted with permission. It first appeared here: https://ift.tt/3vcJhx0 . Ray Carter is director of the Center for Independent Journalism. He work is supported through the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. Carter’s reports often appear at the CapitolBeatOK.com webiste, and at City-Sentinel.com, as well as in the pages of The City Sentinel newspaper. Both news organizations are independent, non-partisan and locally-owned.
Millions in ‘McGirt’ legal costs expected Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Pat McGuigan
https://ift.tt/3fcl6t3
Hopes for a fully operational Managed Care system for implementation of Medicaid Expansion in Oklahoma probably ended on Wednesday (May 19).
There are enough nuances in the legislation that it is difficult to discern fully what it really means – assuming the House approves the Senate changes (as seems likely) and the measure goes to Gov. Kevin Stitt.
Even then, if Stitt vetoes it, perhaps some or even many Republicans will vote to sustain his veto.
The bad news about Senate Bill 131 is that despite apparent improvements made in a Senate Conference Report, the measure passed 39-8.
The good news is that many provisions within this still-lousy bill have drawn the scrutiny of well-informed opponents.
The bad news is that in its present form, it essentially locks in for several years the guaranteed profits of the largest “nonprofit” entities in Oklahoma health care. Those are the status quo players who characterized Managed Care (a system operating in 40 states) a “Health Care Hold-Up.”
The good news is that some Medicaid recipients and some important parts of the new system will still evolve toward a Managed Care system, as health care reformers had hoped.
The bad news is that some Medicaid recipients will, for now, be outside any sort of Managed Care. Those folks will remain trapped within parts of the system which hide true costs (a problem that might have ameliorated by a reform that got spiked a few weeks ago).
Although the good news is that the governor might still veto, the bad news is that he would likely be overridden — although that is not quite certain.
The good news is that the work of those who criticized S.B. 131 after it became a method to erode Gov. Stitt’s executive authority did im- pact the debate. Their efforts caused some meaningful changes to the original bill.
The bad news is that it is still lousy, piece-of-crap legislation.
The further bad news is that S.B. 131 falls into that immortal category of legislation on which both sides (primarily, to be sure, those in the legislative majority) can declare victory, while not really advancing the interests of beneficiaries of health care.
HOW THE SENATORS VOTED ON MAY 19
Supporting Senate Bill 131 on Wednesday were Sens. Mark Allen, R-Spiro; Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair; Mary Boren, D-Norman; Michael Brooks, D-Oklahoma City; David Bullard, R-Durant; George Burns, R-Pollard; Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City; Jo Anna Dossett, D-Tulsa; J.J. Dossett, D-Owasso; Tom Dugger, R-Stillwater; Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City; Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan; Chuck Hall, R-Perry; Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain; John Haste, R-Broken Arrow; Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City; Brent Howard, R-Altus; Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher; Chris Kidd, R-Waurika; Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City; James Leewright, R-Bristow; Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa; Greg McCortney, R-Ada; and Jake Merrick, R-Yukon.
Also voting yes were: Joe Newhouse, R-Tulsa; Roland Pederson, R-Burlington; Dewayne Pemberton, R-Muskogee; Adam Pugh, R-Edmond; Marty Quinn, R-Claremore; Dave Rader, R-Tulsa; Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City; Frank Simpson, R-Springer; Rob Standridge, R-Norman; Brenda Stanley, R-Midwest City; Blake Stephens, R-Tahlequah; Zack Taylor, R-Seminole; Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City; and Darrell Weaver, R-Moore.
Voting against passage were Sens. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow; Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville; Kim David, R-Porter; Shane Jett, R-Oklahoma City; John Michael Montgomery, R-Lawton; Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle; Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa; and George Young, D-Oklahoma City.
Not voting on Senate Bill 131 was Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt.
NOTE: This analysis first appeared in The Southwest Ledger, May 20, 2021 print edition and online: https://ift.tt/3usqXPF . Southwest Ledger, 7602 US Highway 277, Elgin, OK 73538, (580) 350-1111. It is reposted here with permission. Oklahoma journalist Pat McGuigan is writing a series of reports, analyses and commentaries on Medicaid Expansion and Managed Care.
Good news and bad news on Managed Care: A Commentary Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK |
Pat McGuiganThe dean of all Oklahoma Journalism, Mr Patrick McGuigan; has a rich history of service in many aspects of both covering the news and producing the information that the public needs to know. Archives
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