Oklahoma Senate Appropriations Chair Roger Thompson, Senator Casey Murdock comment after hearing on DOC closure of William S. Key Correctional Center
Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
CapitolBeatOK Staff Report
OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate Appropriations Chair Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, and Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, issued the following statements after the Senate Appropriations Committee held a hearing Tuesday (June 29) on the Department of Corrections’ (DOC) announcement of the closing of the William S. Key Correctional Center in Fort Supply.
Among those appearing before the committee were Tricia Everest, Cabinet Secretary of Public Safety, Deputy Secretary Jason Nelson, Scott Crow, DOC Director, and Ashlee Clemmons, DOC Chief Financial Officer.
In a statement sent to CapitolBeatOK.com, Senator Thompson said:
“I think one of the things that we heard today was that Secretary Everest and others acknowledged that this was handled wrongly, that the chain of communication could have been a lot better, not only with the Legislature but with area leaders. I was hoping to learn more about the financial savings. As appropriations chair, if we’re closing down a facility, in my mind we’ve got to be saving more than just the $1.3 million to $1.5 million for upkeep on the grounds—there has to be a savings somewhere else.
“There’s more we need to examine, including the impact on other areas, including health care and historical preservation. We’re concerned about the hospital in Buffalo where inmates are taken care of. I understand when the prison in Sayre was closed, the hospital closed shortly thereafter. We’re coming out of a pandemic, and I’m very much concerned about health care. So now we’ll start drilling down on the fiscal impact. We need to know where the dollars come from and where they go, but we also need to make sure we serve the needs of the people of Oklahoma, and right now northwestern Oklahoma seems to be hurting because of this decision made by the Department of Corrections.”
Thompson is the state Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman.
Senator Murdock commented as follows after this week’s hearing:
“First of all, I want to thank Chairman Thompson for holding this hearing. The ripple effects that will happen in northwest Oklahoma will be long-lasting. It’s a loss of over 140 jobs, and Fort Supply and Woodward County will be hurt economically. People were already struggling to survive because of downturns in the oil industry. This will compound that.
“I think this decision was hastily done—they may have been looking at it, but I don’t think they considered how devastating this is going to be for the community and for the entire area.”
Oklahoma Senate Appropriations Chair Roger Thompson, Senator Casey Murdock comment after hearing on DOC closure of William S. Key Correctional Center Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
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Jonathan Small
The “How Money” talks (https://ift.tt/2BmHpHD ) website shows that Oklahoma lost $1.79 billion in adjusted annual gross income from 1992 to 2018, with many earners fleeing to states that have no income tax. This year, lawmakers took an important step to reduce or reverse that outflow by cutting the state penalty on work—Oklahoma’s income tax.
Thanks to the outcome of this year’s legislative session, Oklahoma’s top income tax rate is poised to fall from 5 percent to 4.75 percent. That will still be far higher than the zero-percent rate in nine states that don’t tax wages at all, but it is also much better than the rates in most other states. Only a handful of states that impose an income tax will have a lower rate than Oklahoma.
In our region, Oklahoma will trail only Texas, which has no income tax, and Colorado, which has a 4.63 percent rate. (How Money Talks link here: https://ift.tt/2BmHpHD )
The ideal situation would involve full elimination of Oklahoma’s income tax, but cutting the rate is a step in the right direction.
Investment goes where it is wanted. The presence of an income tax is a strong deterrent to job creators, and the higher the rate the greater the deterrent. That’s why the nine states that impose no income tax on wages experienced a net increase in income from 1992 to 2018, according to How Money Walks.
The decision to cut taxes was also bolstered by lawmakers’ decision to simultaneously boost state savings. They set aside another $800 million, bringing state savings above $1 billion. That will allow the state government to better handle future downturns without tax increases and it also restrains the growth of government. In the past, politicians’ willingness to grow government ultimately harmed private-sector investment because taxes were raised to keep pace with spending, rather than keeping spending in line with tax collections.
Some argued Oklahoma should provide tax credits that reduce income-tax liability for most Oklahomans, rather than tax cuts, because under Oklahoma’s Constitution tax credits can be repealed with a simple majority vote while tax rates require a three-fourth supermajority to increase.
But that reality means tax credits will be seen as temporary by entrepreneurs, reducing their appeal for those seeking to make long-term investments in Oklahoma. Cutting rates sent a message: Oklahoma is open for business, wants you to invest here, and wants you for the long haul.
People have been voting with their feet for decades by moving to states that do not penalize work. Now, Oklahoma may become a destination, rather than a departure point, for more of those people.
NOTE: Jonathan Small’s commentaries and analyses appear often on The City Sentinel website, and in the print edition. This article first appeared at the website of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA): https://ift.tt/2BmHpHD
Small’s commentary is reposted here, with permission.
Tax Cuts put Oklahoma on a better path Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Steve Fair
The Hyde Amendment is a legislative provision that bars the use of federal tax dollars to pay for abortions, except to save the life of the woman or if the pregnancy arises from rape or incest. It was passed in 1976 by a vote of 312-93 in the U.S. House. It was named for Republican Congressman Henry Hyde of Illinois and has saved an estimated 2.5 million unborn children since it’s inception.
It was the first major legislative gain by the pro-life movement after the Roe vs. Wade ruling by the Supreme Court in 1973. Congress has altered the Hyde amendment several times through the years. In 2017, then Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, passed H.R. 7, which would have made the Hyde amendment permanent, but it failed to pass the Senate and did not become law.
Three observations:
First, the Democratic Party platform calls for the repeal of the Hyde amendment. It was added to the platform in 2016. It says: We believe unequivocally, like the majority of Americans, that every woman should have access to quality reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion — regardless of where she lives, how much money she makes, or how she is insured.
Democrats believe the American taxpayer should fund abortion -- whether they agree with it or not.
Democrats cite statistics that the Hyde amendment disproportionately affects lower income women, saying that 42 percent of abortion recipients live below the poverty line. In President Biden’s 2021 budget to Congress, he removed the long-standing ban on federal funded abortions. Biden, a lifelong Catholic, supported the Hyde amendment for decades but during the 2020 presidential election he promised he would work to get it repealed.
“Women’s rights and women’s health are under assault like we haven’t seen in the last 50 years. If I believe health is a right, as I do, I can no longer support the Hyde amendment,” Biden said during the campaign.
Second, the fight to retain the Hyde amendment will be in the U.S. Senate.
With Democrats in control of the U.S. House, it is likely they will vote to repeal the amendment. There are just two pro-life Democrats left in the House. There are only three Democrats in the Senate. Those five are the firewall.
It appears the Hyde amendment will not be repealed this year, but the Democratic Party has primaried pro-life members in the past two election cycles, defeating a Democrat pro-life Congressman last year. It makes the 2022 election cycle very important for the unborn.
Third, a majority of Americans oppose taxpayer funded abortions.
In a January 2021 poll conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, 58 percent of Americans oppose or strongly oppose using tax dollars to pay for abortions.
Democrats run the risk of aliening pro-life Democrats if they continue to push for repeal of Hyde.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports there are 11.2 abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age in America. There are over 800,000 babies aborted in the United States each year.
President Biden says he believes in the right to health care, but the unborn American’s’ ‘right to health care’ is under savage assault.
The first shot of the assault is the repeal of the Hyde Amendment.
Note: A commentator and writer, Steve Fair is also chairman for the Oklahoma Republican Party in the state’s Fourth Congressional District. He can be reached by email at steve.fair@ymail.com. His blog is stevefair.blogspot.com.
Hyde Amendment Under Attack! An Analysis Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Patrick B. McGuigan, Special to The Southwest Ledger
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The first woman to hold the title of Majority Floor Leader in the Oklahoma Senate shared a range of candid reflections in a recent interview, and in an article about the ups and downs of the spring 2021 session of the Legislature.
Asked to explain why she first ran for public office, Senator Kim R. David remembered: “I was asked if I’d run for office. The Senate leadership was looking for women who are also small business owners and I fit that description.
“My husband and I sat and talked about it. The question in our minds was whether I could make a difference. We looked at everything through that viewpoint. I thought I could make a difference. He agreed. I wanted to make life better for my kids.”
After 11 years at the Capitol, she responded to a request to name her greatest success: “I’ve seen a lot of legislation come and go. I hope everybody who looks at my time in the Legislature understands that I want to be remembered as a person who was willing to make a difference. The old definition of insanity is to keep doing the same things over and over, and expect to somehow get a different result.
“I worked on many issues, and always asked myself if the step under consideration was the right thing to do. As I look back, I believe the work on encouraging better prospects for women who are incarcerated was important. I believe we made great strides in that area.
“A lot of the DHS [Department of Human Services] picture has improved, and for those facing mental health challenges. We enacted major reforms.
“Related to that, I am happy we devoted a lot more attention to first responders, and getting them assistance for mental health – processing what they’ve seen and experienced and dealing with it.”
On the flip side, outlining her greatest disappointment, the Republican from Porter said, “I have learned that change is slow. I believe we have moved the needle quite a bit. However, I’ve seen a lot of knowledge walk out the door at the Legislature. I’m not sure 12 years is enough time to do what needs to be done on important questions.
“I’d like to move the needle forward, including discussion of that loss of experience and understanding as capable people leave the Legislature. After they’re gone, we start all over again, it seems.”
In a recent article “from the majority floor leader’s desk” Sen. David looked back at the 2021 legislative session with satisfaction.
Her reflections in that essay provide more detail to comments she made reported by The Southwest Ledger (June 10).
A change in the flexible benefits “our dedicated 33,000 state employees by modernizing the annual ... employee flexible benefit allowance to better address ever-increasing healthcare costs.”
As for the hefty state budget approved late in May, she wrote, “It’s hard to believe we’ve come so far from the $1.3 billion revenue shortfall we were facing last year from low energy prices and the pandemic.”
Sen. David wrote the spending framework will “protect our core state services like education, public safety, and health and human services, among the many others. It restores last session’s cuts and increases most of the nearly 70 state agency budgets.
“Our public schools are always a priority and received a revenue boost of nearly $172 million, resulting in a historic $3.2 billion budget, which accounts for over one-third of the total state budget. Overall, including higher education and other education-related agencies, Oklahoma education will receive nearly $4.17 billion, which is nearly half of the total state budget.”
The Legislature passed and the governor signed “a $42 million investment ... to expand broadband services statewide, especially in rural areas. Oklahoma ranks 47th nationally in broadband connectivity, hurting not only those trying to work and learn, but deterring businesses from locating here. This provider tax rebate will help more communities get the high-speed internet service they need to function in our digital age.”
At the same time, she pointed out, “All Oklahomans will receive tax relief through the reduction of the personal income tax to 4.75 percent, and low-income families will also receive additional relief through the restoration of the state earned income tax credit refundability. Our business community will see relief through the corporate income tax being reduced to 4 percent.”
On an issue of note, Sen. David wrote: “The budget includes $164 million to fund the voter-approved Medicaid expansion. OU Health’s historic sales tax credit was also restored to allow significantly more nurses and doctors to be trained, addressing our state’s dangerous shortage of medical professionals, especially in rural areas like ours.
“Further helping rural Oklahoma, an additional $15 million will be provided for Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) grants for critical infrastructure projects in communities of 7,000 or less. These grants cover transportation, water and other major infrastructure needs.”
In our interview, I asked about her hopes for Oklahoma. She replied succinctly: “I hope others will take up the legacy of the work we’ve done in 12 years. We need to continue to grow jobs and grow the economy. We can never be a ‘Top 10 state’ without a stronger and stronger economy. I don’t want to leave us at 47th or 48th in any good things.”
NOTE: This profile first appeared in The Southwest Ledger https://ift.tt/3usqXPF. Southwest Ledger, 7602 US Highway 277, Elgin, OK 73538, (580) 350-1111. It is reposted here with permission.
In her own words, Sen. David looks back at session, years at Capitol, hopes for future Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Patrick B. McGuigan
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State Senator Lonnie Paxton was elected to the District 23 seat in and around Tuttle (southeast of Oklahoma City) in 2016.
That year, he almost won the GOP nomination outright in the primary, garnering 49.5 percent of support. He then won the general election easily. Last fall, Paxton won his second four-year term without having an opponent in either party. He is accumulating a record of achievement for his work, as we gray-haired scribes used to say, “under the Capitol Dome.”
Last winter, Paxton was put in charge of the Senate portion of all aspects of redistricting. Every 10 years, the Oklahoma Legislature is constitutionally required to redraw legislative and congressional district boundaries using the latest U.S. Census data. The requirement is stated in the U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 2, Clause 3.
Paxton served as chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting. The process seemed wider open and ultimately more collegial than any in this observer’s memory. As the process wound down, he wrote in a Senate staff press release, “At the outset, we pledged to have an open and transparent redistricting process, and we delivered. At every turn, we engaged with the public and sought their input in the redistricting process as part of our commitment to transparency. The results were maps that are more compact and better than the current legislative boundaries.”
Paxton and state Rep. Ryan Martinez, R-Edmond, shepherded a process that included town halls (18 in-person and four virtual) across the state. Paxton told Southwest Ledger, “We worked extremely hard at being transparent and open. We would up having 18 town halls across the state, trying to touch every corner and all parts of that issue. Members had open access to the sixth-floor work area where we had the redistricting office. “We sought all the members and we accepted and listened to comments all the way through the process. Members felt as if they were involved. It was important to let everybody participate, and that’s what happened.
“Re-apportionment for Congressional seats and redistricting of the legislative seats is important. We did not grow enough to get another congressional seat, but we grew and that meant many legislative districts will be different this next election.” Some parts of the discussion before final votes on the new legislative lines took longer than others. Paxton reflected, “One of the things I’ve learned is that different cities have different views on how to draw the lines.”
While many communities want to have a single senator, that is not a universal preference: “In Lawton, they like to have two seats and that stayed in place.” The result? Well, in a year when kind words across partisan lines were rare (but not completely missing), Senate Democratic Leader Kay Floyd, of Oklahoma City, said in a staff release: “Oklahoma Senate Democrats continue to believe the redrawing of legislative districts should be handled by an independent redistricting commission. Since this option is not currently possible, we chose to engage with the existing process led by the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting.…
“While the new map produced by the committee and approved by the Senate today is not perfect, members of our caucus were able to vote for it because the redistricting process included input from our caucus and from the communities we represent. The redistricting bill passed by the Senate Tuesday also includes an amendment authored by Sen. (Julia) Kirt, which will ensure the district lines are adjusted, if necessary, when final population data is received from the United States Census Bureau later this year.”
Still ahead will be tinkering with congressional district lines once a final, revised Census count is released. Even with that in mind, the comity of the process seems a lot like a compliment to the conservative Senator Paxton. In a discussion of other pro-active achievements or issues of importance, Paxton pointed to his efforts to rein in renewing gaps between available resources expected costs in state pension systems, with recent approval of Cost-of-Living-Adjustments (COLAs) beyond anticipated growth.
After getting to the Capitol, “I quickly immersed myself in those issues. I think (departing state Treasurer) Randy McDaniel and (former state Senator) Mike Mazzei saved the state from an economic disaster in the work they did a decade ago. I learned all these years later how difficult that reform was.
“Today, I think we’ve lost some ground or the momentum we had then. I’m a volunteer firefighter and I understand how important, for example, the firefighter pension is. But it remains the poorest funded of all the systems. The firefighter unions are pressing back against making that more sound. In the final bill that passed so overwhelmingly last year I voted no. To some extent we have suspended the reforms achieved in earlier years. I am going to keep working on that.”
As challenging as it is to discuss pensions – even, or perhaps especially, with fellow firefighters – Paxton has stuck to the goals he articulated in a 2019 press release: “For decades, Democrats raided the state pension funds to balance the budget or pay for political pet projects. That left state systems severely underfunded and the state with billions in unfunded liabilities.”
The issue is one on which Paxton remains laser-focused, even as he rises in the Capitol power structure.
In our interview, Paxton continued, “Another area – one I sort of stumbled into – is the medical marijuana issue. I have become one of the thorns in the sides of the big producers. I have become sympathetic to the craft producers, the smaller businesses.
“I think that a community, a city, should be able to treat every industry, every business the same in terms of inspections and other requirements. But much of the medical marijuana business is Big Business. There are outsiders coming in with big investors in publicly traded companies that feel as if they are exempt (from laws and regulations) and want to stay that way.
“My position, an important area of work for me, is to protect small owners and consumers, and be attentive about those bigger companies.” A legislative success (gratifying to Paxton) this year was a reform that “took three tries to achieve. We’ve made our rules more rational when it comes to replacing a U.S. Senator who leaves office early. We were one of only a few states that had “built in” a requirement that it was a nine-month minimum process to get a new senator elected.”
He commented, “I don’t think a governor should get to be an incumbent-maker, but we figured out that what we first sought: to require that a person appointed promise not to seek the office, we were bumping up against U.S. constitutional provisions.
“So now, the final version of the bill only requires that a person appointed (so the position gets filled and Oklahoma has representation in the Senate) would submit a sworn affidavit that they won’t run. That was accomplished on the last day of the legislation session.”
The governor signed the change.
In life outside the Legislature, Paxton is an insurance agent, property company owner and a farmer/rancher. Having completed five full sessions at the State Capitol, he has stuck to his rhetorical guns, despite his demonstrated ability (in the redistricting process) to work with every legislative element.
So, what, I asked, is Oklahoma’s greatest challenge?
He replied, “Without a doubt, our greatest challenge as a state is the McGirt issue.”
The matter he chose reflected the pervasive and growing impact of “McGirt v. Oklahoma,” issued in July 2020. After the decision recreating the Muscogee Nation of pre-statehood days was promulgated, this writer soon tagged it the most important legal outcome in Oklahoma history. Initial rhetorical efforts to downplay its significance (generally from fans of the 5-4 Court edict) have been quietly abandoned in recent weeks.
Just days ago, the Biden administration terminated state government powers to administer surface land issues in much of eastern Oklahoma.
Last week, the federal government announced a projected $82 million in new spending to oppose efforts of the state and local jurisdictions to retain important areas of jurisdiction. And yet, opposition has intensified to a proposed “land fix” crafted to benefit primarily two of the five biggest tribes – with little of substance for the smaller Indian nations.
Paxton said the aftermath of McGirt is and will likely remain, “a challenge. Nobody has come up with a solution. It will probably take another, fresh U.S. Supreme Court decision.”
We wrapped up discussing the greatest challenge facing our county in the near term. Paxton thought it over briefly, then replied, “It’s easy to say the greatest challenge is we are so harshly divided. That is, itself, the result of the failure of national news organizations.
“I should not get a break just because I am an R (Republican); and they (Democrats) shouldn’t get a break because they are a D (Democrat).”
Paxton concluded, “The free press is the ultimate of all the checks and balances. They are important to our entire system. Good reporters should be looking at all of us to assure corruption is found and rooted out. I don’t believe that is happening.”
NOTE: This profile first appeared in The Southwest Ledger – https://ift.tt/3usqXPF. Southwest Ledger, 7602 US Highway 277, Elgin, OK 73538, (580) 350-1111. It is reposted here with permission.
Paxton is Persistent – About Policy, Principles and the Press Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Pat McGuigan
For more than a year, Ellyn Novak Hefner guided The City Sentinel newspaper’s coverage of
Oklahoma’s STABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) program. STABLE accounts were already a wonderful mechanism for the support of special needs children, young adults, and their families.
This spring, the Legislature approved and Governor Kevin Stitt signed a measure making the STABLE accounts have equal tax benefits to an Oklahoma college savings account ... providing another reason for Oklahomans with disabilities to save.
This newspaper has previously reported on and applauded this important reform. I am appreciative of the leadership Ellyn provided for this cause – including her indispensable role in our coverage and advancement of this worthy cause.
More on Ellyn Novak Hefner: She is the Chartered Special Needs Consultant (ChSNC) and a financial professional with Arogos Financial advisors. She helps families with access to information, specialists, financial products and services that can help improve the quality of life for people with disabilities and special needs.
Ellyn serves on the Daily Living Center board and as a board member for the Santa Fe Family Life Center in Oklahoma City. She is the past-president of the National Non-profit organization, Sotos Syndrome Support Association. She is an ambassador for the ABLE account in the state of Oklahoma, OKSTABLE. Ellyn lives in Oklahoma City and is the proud mom of three children.
Note: This story is featured in the July 2021 print edition of The City Sentinel, an independent, non-partisan and locally-owned newspaper based in Oklahoma City.
Ellyn Hefner: State Law to help those with special needs Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Patrick B. McGuigan
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More than 120,000 Oklahomans have been enrolled in Medicaid under terms of the expansion program that began on June 1, officials with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority said Wednesday (June 23).
That number could reach 200,000 by month’s end.
A total of 120,354 individuals in Oklahoma have been approved for benefits through expansion since June 1. In total through last week’s report, 77,244 of those persons are female, 43,110 are males. While 70,856 are located in the state’s urban areas, 40,498 are in rural areas.
As for the ages of the new enrollees in Medicaid, 31,316 are 19 to 24 years old; 35,826 are from 25 to 34 years old; 28,508 are from age 35 to 44; and 9,583 are from age 55 to 64.
The racial make-up of the expansion population is (thus far) as follows: 4,867 people were listed as American Indian or Alaskan Native, 3,354 as Asian or Pacific Islander, 12,440 as Black or African American, and 74,073 as white. Those listing two or more races equaled 7,371, while 8,269 declined to specify.
These new enrollees will be added to the 970,574 Oklahomans who were in SoonerCare through the May 2021 reports. In all, 139,751 of those enrolled were in CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program).
The Oklahoma numbers are driven by voter approval of State Question 802, a ballot initiative narrowly approved a year ago. As summarized in the Oklahoma Health Care Authority’s report, S.Q. 802 expanded Medicaid eligibility to “adults ages 19-64 whose income is 138 percent (133 percent with a 5 percent disregard) of the federal poverty level or lower. This equates to an estimated annual income of $17,796 for an individual or $36,588 for a family of four.”
In response to a question from this reporter, OHCA communications staff said, “The state share costs for expansion will be approximately $164 million for year one.” Some advocates of Medicaid Expansion contend net costs will be lower due to savings achieved through better health outcomes, impacting the budget positively in that way.
The Oklahoma surge is part of a dramatic surge in Medicaid enrollment throughout the United States.
The latest information from U.S. government officials details 73 million Americans in Medicaid, and 6.8 million children in CHIP. In all, approximately one of every four Americans are now covered under Medicaid or CHIP.
Yet another 63 million Americans presently derive their health insurance coverage through traditional Medicare. Of the 143+ million Americans insured through these programs, 37 million are children.
Advocates of expanded government-run and taxpayer-financed health insurance are applauding the trend.
“There’s no question that one of the best ways to improve health outcomes is to reduce the number of uninsured. Providing Medicaid coverage to at least 200,000 working, low-income adults in our state will allow earlier access to basic primary care, avoid delays in care, and provide better management of chronic conditions. Multiple studies have shown that one of the great- est determinants of health is access to health care. We are excited to see our state finally expand Medicaid coverage to these individuals and encourage people to get enrolled,” said Patti Davis, president of Oklahoma Hospital Association.
Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA), a critic of Medicaid expansion, told this reporter: “No one should be surprised that enrollment would be soaring in a ‘free’ welfare program that has limited accountability and that hasn’t been found to make significant improvements in health outcomes for participants. The Oregon studies of health outcomes in states that have expanded Medicaid have shown little correlation, if any–and in a couple of states a negative correlation – between expanding health programs like Medicaid and the actual health outcomes for citizens.
“Furthermore, a comprehensive study by the Goldwater Institute shows that expanding Medicaid allows hospitals to increase their claimed amount of uncompensated care, which therefore allows them to continue to raise prices on non-Medicaid payers,” Small said.
NOTE: This news report first appeared in The Southwest Ledger https://ift.tt/3usqXPF. Southwest Ledger, 7602 US Highway 277, Elgin, OK 73538, (580) 350-1111. It is reposted here with permission.
Medicaid Expansion Adds 120K+ Oklahomans to benefit rolls Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK Oklahoma State Senators request investigation into price increases in the building supply industry6/26/2021
Staff Report
OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa, has been joined by nearly a dozen fellow members of the Senate in asking Interim Attorney General Dawn Cash to investigate allegations of price gouging and market manipulation in the building supply industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other members joining Rogers in requesting the investigation were Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair; Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant; Sen. George Burns, R-Pollard; Sen. Kim David, R-Porter; Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain; Sen. James Leewright, R-Bristow; Sen. Jake Merrick, R-Yukon; Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt; Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington; Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman; and Sen. George Young, D-Oklahoma City.
Rogers said construction material price spikes have been a top concern among many constituents for the past several months and noted the increases have caused project delays and financial hardships.
“I have one constituent who is looking at an additional $100,000 in costs due to these increases. Lumber prices have shot up four to six times higher than what they were about half a year ago. Sheets of oriented strand board that were previously $11 each are now $48 even though they can be manufactured for less than $4 each,” Rogers said.
“Hot-rolled, coil steel has spiked almost 270% in less than a year. It’s outrageous, and it’s hurt individuals and Oklahoma businesses.”
Rogers said the Oklahoma Emergency Price Stabilization Act prohibits any increase of more than 10% for the price of goods or services during a declared emergency and for up to 30 days after the emergency ends. The statute allows the Office of Attorney General to pursue charges against individuals or businesses that engage in price gouging.
Additionally, Rogers said other business practices or agency regulations relating to interstate commerce in the industry could be abused to create market manipulation. He requested the office to work with the U.S. Attorney General to identify other violations along those lines.
Oklahoma State Senators request investigation into price increases in the building supply industry Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Ray Carter
The first session of Advancing Oklahoma, a “statewide conversation on race” involving five civic organizations, launched this month with a presentation by George Henderson (https://ift.tt/3dh9yDb ), who became one of the first black professors at the University of Oklahoma in 1967.
A key part of Henderson’s message: All lives matter.
“I believe this: Ultimately, at the end of our lives, the only race of any significance is the human race,” Henderson said. “Race is a myth. Bigotry is not. Each of us — each of us — have done some cruel things. I have told jokes when I knew better. I have not helped others when I could have. You don’t have to confess if you don’t want to, but I encourage you to be honest. I became a better person, a better teacher, a better father, a better human being when I embraced all of my students as my children or grandchildren and all of my neighbors as my friends.”
In making that statement, Henderson appeared to be swimming against the currents of Critical Race Theory and its tenets, including their recent application at OU.
While Henderson encouraged Oklahomans to treat each other as family, the University of Oklahoma mandated “diversity, equity, and inclusion” training for students during the 2020-21 school year that decried the concept of equality and even appeared to give implicit support for racial segregation at times.
One of the modules in OU’s “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” training declared, “In order to promote diversity we must proactively correct historical power imbalances. Equal treatment is not the same thing as equity.”
The training declared that equity “means fairness,” which it defined to include “giving everyone” the “guarantee” of “advancement for all.” The training then told students, “Equality is different — it means sameness, so treating people equally means treating everyone the same, whether or not that is fair.”
At another point, the training module asked students if they agreed with the statement,
“Despite different starting points and privileges, we have equal opportunity, and if people work hard, they will be successful.” If students clicked a tab stating, “I agree,” they were then informed, “Equality of opportunity is the idea that every person has or should have the same access to the same opportunities. However, if we acknowledge that certain characteristics have been and remain more or less desirable in society, it is important that we also realize that individuals will experience the world differently based on those characteristics, effort notwithstanding.”
Another provision of OU’s “diversity, equity and inclusion” training for students appeared to endorse a soft form of racial segregation, telling white students to respect “spaces that are reserved for BIPOC people to discuss issues privately and safely.”
BIPOC is shorthand for “black, indigenous, people of color.”
A separate report issued by OU’s Gibbs College of Architecture vowed (https://ift.tt/3xT9LEv ) the school would teach white students “cultural humility.”
Henderson’s comments also contrasted with those of some prominent Critical Race Theory leaders, including Ibram X. Kendi, author of “How to Be an Antiracist.” Kendi has expressly written (https://ift.tt/3gWjvs7 ) that “if racial discrimination is defined as treating, considering, or making a distinction in favor or against an individual based on that person’s race, then racial discrimination is not inherently racist.”
“The only remedy to racist discrimination is antiracist discrimination,” Kendi wrote. “The only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination. The only remedy to present discrimination is future discrimination.”
Kendi was active in opposing a merit-based selection process for the Boston Latin School, the Boston Latin Academy, and the John D. O’Bryant School of Math & Science after that process granted admission to the prestigious schools to a disproportionate share of Asian-descent applicants.
The contrast between the alleged “social injustices” of today and those faced by Henderson early in his career are stark.
When Henderson joined the OU faculty in 1967, he and his wife became the first African-American couple to purchase a home in Norman. Henderson said the realtor who sold him the house was soon forced out of business.
The early years of his tenure were marked by harsh, racist opposition.
“I had no idea that doing this thing would mean moving into your house and having garbage thrown on the lawn, obscene phone calls at all hours of the night, people driving by your house calling you and your children everything except something kind, police stopping me at night or in the day and asking why I was in ‘that neighborhood,’” Henderson said.
But he stressed that Oklahoma has changed dramatically in the years since, noting his own descendants are now multiracial.
“Oklahoma ain’t what it wants to be. It ain’t what it used to be. It ain’t what it’s gonna be,” Henderson said. “But when I look around this place called Oklahoma, I know that it’s better now than what it was, and this is our challenge: Let’s make it better.”
Henderson encouraged Oklahomans to not evaluate their state and its citizens through a prism of the worst parts of its history or the worst acts of certain individuals.
“History’s fine,” Henderson said. “Let’s understand the cruel things that happened. But don’t ever forget that some very good things have happened.”
Advancing Oklahoma is offered to the members of Leadership Oklahoma, The Oklahoma Academy, Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice, and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
Materials touting Advancing Oklahoma include numerous references to the importance of “equity,” a key term associated with Marxist-derived Critical Race Theory.
Paycom is the presenting sponsor for the event, while 12 other entities are listed as lower-tier sponsors.
In a March 3, 2020 letter to the University of Oklahoma’s board of regents written prior to imposition of the aforementioned “diversity, equity and inclusion” student training, Paycom
CEO Chad Richison wrote to complain that the university’s “previous diversity training efforts failed because they assured free speech protection” and announced Paycom was yanking advertising from the school. (https://ift.tt/3ddvWxa )
The Advancing Oklahoma session began with a disclaimer stating, “Sponsors and participating organizations are not responsible for and do not endorse any content published or disseminated at Advancing Oklahoma meetings or events. Sponsoring organizations take no responsibility for and make no endorsement of the materials, presentations, opinions, statements, articles, or social media postings of speakers or participants in Advancing Oklahoma.”
NOTE: This report was first posted here:
https://ift.tt/3hcWS1A . It is reposted with permission.
Prominent Black OU Professor says ‘Race is a Myth’ Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Staff Report
Oklahoma City -- Breaking a century-old tradition in the name of health and safety, what a press release describes as "the largest convention organization in the world" has moved its annual in-person event to a virtual format for the second time in as many years, canceling nearly 6,000 conventions in 240 lands. Summers in Oklahoma City have featured Jehovah’s Witnesses streaming into the city to take over hotels and fill restaurants as they held their conventions at the Jim Norick Arena. In 2020, the pandemic unexpectedly interrupted that tradition, moving the international religious organization to cancel in-person conventions throughout the world and launch a global virtual event. This was a first for Jehovah’s Witnesses, who have held public conventions in stadiums, arenas, convention centers, and theaters around the world since 1897. “Powerful by Faith!” is the theme of the 2021 global event, which will be delivered in more than 500 languages to households throughout the globe over six weekends during July and August 2021, uniting some 15-20 million people in 240 countries. Since the convention is typically held from Friday through Sunday, the program will be available in six installments corresponding to morning and afternoon sessions. “Friday” morning’s session will be available for streaming or download beginning Monday, June 28. Lamonte Minor has attended conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Oklahoma City for 36 years. Although he misses meeting together with fellow believers, he stated, “I appreciate the hard work” and the efforts to “make sure we don’t miss our annual convention.” According to a press release sent to The City Sentinel newspaper, “The continued risk of bringing thousands of people together in cities around the world prompted the organization to opt for a virtual platform for the second consecutive year. However, the move has not curbed the enthusiasm for the annual event. Congregations around the world are inviting the public to join them in this historic occasion.” “Faith has helped our global brotherhood to continue to thrive even during a pandemic,” said Robert Hendriks for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Our faith will continue to unite us in worship — even virtually – as millions gather in private homes around the world to enjoy a powerful and inspiring spiritual program.” All are invited to attend the event by going to jw.org on the web or JW Broadcasting on the free JW Library iOS or Android App, or on streaming platforms like Roku TV, Apple TV, and others. The program is free and accessible to all. For information, visit online: https://ift.tt/2QQGDxU Uniting the World in Faith -- Jehovah’s Witnesses Hold Global Virtual Event in 240 Lands, 500+ Languages 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
September 2021
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