(The Center Square) - Despite the Oklahoma Supreme Court's ruling on Wednesday striking down two abortion laws, a 1910 law outlawing abortion still stands, according to the Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond's office.

"Except for certain circumstances outlined in that statute, abortion is still unlawful in the State of Oklahoma," the office said in a statement sent to The Center Square.

The state Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision ruled two abortion bills passed in 2022 are unconstitutional. House Bill 4327 banned abortions except to save the mother's life and allowed abortion providers to be sued in civil court for up to $10,000 for violating the law. Senate Bill 1503 in 2022 prohibited abortions after a fetus' heartbeat was detected unless it would save the mother's life.

Gov. Kevin Stitt said he "disagreed wholeheartedly" with the Supreme Court's decision.

"This court has once more over-involved itself in the state's democratic process, and has interceded to undo legislation created by the will of the people," Stitt said. "I agree with Justice Rowe's dissent, 'The issues presented in this matter are political questions, which are better resolved by the people via our democratic process.'"

Other Republicans agreed with Stitt and said the court exercised "judicial activism."

"On Wednesday, a rogue Oklahoma Supreme Court, acting as self-appointed legislators, unleashed another attack on Oklahoma's unborn children," said Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville. "The court also thumbed its nose at the Legislature and showed their contempt for the separation of powers."

Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, said the court is out of touch with Oklahomans.

"They are, however, making judicial reform more and more of a necessity and the Legislature will reform the courts to be what they should have been all along," he said.

House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson said she is pleased by the decision.

"As SB1503 and HB4327 advanced through the legislative process in 2022, House Democrats continually questioned their constitutionality," Munson, D-Oklahoma City, said. "Today's ruling is a reminder, for the supermajority in both chambers, that putting forth extremist legislation for partisan political points is a waste of taxpayer time and money."

via Oklahoma's Center Square News

(The Center Square) - The Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down two abortion laws Wednesday passed by state lawmakers in 2022, calling them "unconstitutional."

Senate Bill 4327 banned abortions except to save the mother's life and allowed abortion providers to be sued in civil court for up to $10,000 for violating the law.

State lawmakers also passed Senate Bill 1503 in 2022, known as the "Heartbeat Act." The bill banned abortions after a fetus' heartbeat was detected unless it would save the mother's life.

The concurring justices referred to a March ruling in a separate case that said women have a "limited right to abortion."

The justices also said the Heartbeat Act does not define a "medical emergency and has no severability clause.

House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, said he was disappointed with the ruling.

"Oklahoma is one of the most pro-life states in the nation," McCall said in a statement. "Today's ruling won't change that, and we will continue to be a voice for the voiceless as we strive to protect the right to life in the State of Oklahoma."

This is a developing story.

via Oklahoma's Center Square News

(The Center Square) – Environmental, social and governance investment standards are a hot topic among Republican lawmakers across the U.S. who see it as a political move to force a progressive agenda.

Democrats, on the other hand, see it as a smart investing strategy.

Oklahoma is the latest state to attract national attention to ESG investing, even though the Legislature passed a bill regarding it last year. State Treasurer Todd Russ published a list of 13 financial institutions banned from doing business with the state of Oklahoma earlier this month because of their ESG policies regarding fossil fuels.

Those 13 companies have 90 days to tell the state it has stopped boycotting energy companies. And if they haven't stopped their boycott, the law grants the state six months to divest itself of 50% of investments with the financial company and a full year to divest 100%.

In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill that prevents the state's treasurer from investing state funds based on ESG. The bill's fiscal note states it will not significantly impact state or local revenues.

Some Republican states are raising concerns and sometimes rejecting bills banning ESG-related policies.

The North Dakota House of Representatives rejected a bill that would have required the North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions to monitor banks for ESG policies. The bill would have cost the state about $1.7 million, with most of that going to salaries for additional bank examiners.

The Arkansas Legislature also discussed possible fiscal implications when discussing a bill similar to Oklahoma's, requiring the state to divest from financial institutions with ESG standards. The treasurer would also have to maintain a list of those financial institutions. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the legislation.

Fiscal concerns have not deterred every state from opposing ESG standards. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed House Bill 1008, which prohibits the board of trustees of the Indiana public retirement system "from making an investment decision with the purpose of influencing any social or environmental policy or attempting to influence the governance of any corporation for nonfinancial purposes." It also requires the pension board to make investment decisions "solely in the financial interest of the participants and beneficiaries of the system for the exclusive purposes of providing financial benefits to participants and beneficiaries and defraying reasonable expenses of administering the system." This despite concerns concerns the state could lose $6.7 billion in investments.

Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs testified before the U.S. House Oversight Committee earlier this month. Frerichs told the panel that ESG was simply data used to make investment decisions. Treasurers and comptrollers from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New York City, Oregon, Vermont and Washington state issued a statement backing Frerichs' testimony.

“The truth is simple. More data on risk leads to stronger returns for retirement accounts over the long term," they said. “Ignoring risks to focus on short-term gains is not aligned with the needs of millions of Americans saving for retirement or their families’ education. But it is aligned with a short-term outlook to boost corporate profits. That’s why we’re hearing such loud and manufactured outrage against responsible investing.”

While Republicans are banning financial institutions with ESG investment standards, Democratic-controlled states are embracing policies.

New York lawmakers are considering a bill establishing a Green New Deal task force. The task force would develop a “detailed statewide, industrial, economic mobilization plan for the transition of the New York economy to become greenhouse neutral by 2030.” One of the bill’s goals is to promote “economic and environmental justice and equality.”

Washington state lawmakers are considering a bill that would require "the state investment board publicly report on the climate-related financial risk, social responsibility, and proxy voting and corporate governance policies within its private and public market portfolios, including the alignment of the fund with the Paris climate agreement and Washington's climate policy goals." The legislation has yet to be heard in committee.

In Arizona, the Republican-majority Legislature passed a bill banning banks from using a "social credit score" when making lending decisions. Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed the bill, calling it ambiguous as it doesn't define a "social credit score."

And in Illinois, Democratic lawmakers passed a bill that requires investment managers of Illinois public funds, including pension systems, to disclose how they integrate environmental, social and governance policies into their investment strategies. The bill is set to be sent to Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

via Oklahoma's Center Square News

(The Center Square) – Several states have already banned or are considering banning foreign ownership of farmland from U.S. adversaries such as China, a trend that has its recent roots in North Dakota.

Chinese food manufacturer Fufeng Group purchased 370 acres of land for a corn milling plant in Grand Forks in November 2021.

By January 2023, the Grand Forks City Council announced it would deny building permits for the plant, killing the project 12 miles from the Grand Forks Air Force Base.

The pressure came from state and federal officials concerned about the proposed plant's ties to China and its proximity to the base. A report from the Air Force that officially called the purchase of the land a "threat to national security" sealed the transaction's fate.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 40.8 million acres of U.S. farmland is owned by foreign citizens, companies or countries as of 2021. China owned about 384,000 acres of U.S. farmland.

While the Grand Forks plan is dead, states' efforts to prevent China and other communist countries from owning land are ongoing.

North Dakota lawmakers this session passed a bill that prevents city or county governments from entering into land deals with foreign adversaries. Other legislators have also introduced or passed bills dealing with foreign ownership of agricultural land.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was one of the first governors to ban the Chinese-owned app TikTok from state-owned devices, but her push to ban the country and others from purchasing land was not as successful.

The state banned aliens from owning more than 160 acres of land in 1979. Lawmakers wanted to establish the "Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States – South Dakota," which would scrutinize all foreign farmland purchases.

Senate Bill 185 failed to make it out of the Senate.

Republicans in Arizona also failed to pass a bill banning foreign entities from owning land in their state. It passed the Senate but did not garner enough votes in the House.

Other states are having more success with passing similar legislation.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed Senate Bill 203 this session that bans land purchases by what it refers to as "foreign adversaries," defined as "any foreign government or foreign non government person determined by the U.S. secretary of commerce to have engaged in a long-term pattern or serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the United States ..."

The governor’s office identified China, North Korea, Russia, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela in a news release about signing the legislation.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation in May that prohibits the sale of farmland and land near military bases to the Chinese Communist Party and its agents. The measure also prevents any governmental entity from knowingly entering into contracts with the CCP, or countries and entities of concern. The attorney general will able to bring a civil action against any entity in violation and the civil penalty for doing so will be twice the amount that the entity submitted a bid or proposal.

North Carolina representatives passed a bill that prevents adversarial foreign governments from acquiring farmland or property near military installations. The legislation is in the Senate.

Texas senators passed a bill that would ban foreign nationals from countries posing security threats, including China, from purchasing farmland but the measure didn't get through the House. Gov. Greg Abbott supports the ban and he could add it to the list of items during a summer legislative session he is expected to call.

The possibility of foreign entities owning farmlands is not just a Republican issue. State Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Sanger, introduced a bill in heavily-Democratic California that would track foreign ownership of farmland and ban foreign purchases in 2024. The bill was placed in the Legislature's suspense file, killing it for this session.

Federal level

More than 45 members of Congress signed on to the "Prohibition of Agricultural Land for the People’s Republic of China Act." The bill was introduced by U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., in 2022 but did not make it out of committee. The current bill is in two committees – Foreign Affairs and Agriculture.

The Senate is considering a bipartisan bill banning several countries from purchasing American farmland. The "Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security Act" would add the secretary of agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. The lead sponsors are Sens. John Tester, D-Mont., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D. The bill is assigned to the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.

via Oklahoma's Center Square News

(The Center Square) - Oklahoma lawmakers did not include a grocery tax cut in their $12.9 billion budget requested by Gov. Kevin Stitt, and they overrode several of his vetoes, including one that strips him of the ability to appoint all members of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.

The Legislature approved a measure eliminating the franchise tax, which they said would return about $55 million to businesses every year. The bill also eliminated the marriage tax, saving couples about $14.7 million.

Among the vetoes the chambers overrode is House Bill 2263, which would have allowed the House and Senate leaders to appoint two members each to the authority and allow the governor to appoint two. Currently, the governor appoints all six members. The bill also reduced the members' terms from eight years to six.

Stitt called the bill "unconstitutional" in his veto message.

Lawmakers also overrode Stitt's veto that removed funding from the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority. The governor told Fox News the veto was because of "problematic LBGTQ content."

After tenuous negotiations, both chambers agreed on an education package that offers teacher pay raises and school choice tax credits. Democrats disagreed with the school choice tax credits and cited them as one of the reasons for their "no" vote against the budget.

"I think the Republican supermajority has simply done a 'slight of hand' trick with the budget this year. They put $625 million into education while forcing Oklahomans to pay $700 million for private school tuition for a few wealthy Oklahomans," said House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City.

Rep. Kevin Wallace, R-Wellston, who chairs the House Appropriations and Budget Committee, called the budget "historic."

"We've increased education funding by 21.5%, giving teachers another large pay raise and supporting classroom learning and school safety," Wallace said. "We've included more funding for affordable housing, health care and the Rural Economic Transportation Reliability and Optimization Fund as well as many other services to benefit all Oklahomans. We have economic incentives that will bring more investment and thousands of jobs to our state."

Oklahoma lawmakers said sine die to the regular session but called a special session to vote on the budget. If Stitt vetoes, they have the option of returning at a later date.

via Oklahoma's Center Square News

The United States has the most dynamic economy in the world. Where it once was symbolized by the automotive and steel industries, the American economy is now the world's technology colossus. But the U.S. economy is more than that. It is a unique sum of the parts of 50 states whose identities are often tied to a particular job or industry. (And domestic workers hold the most jobs in these 12 states.)

Using data on employment by state for all detailed occupations from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Wage and Employment Statistics survey for May 2022, 24/7 Wall St. identified the most unique job in every state.

Based on location quotient - the ratio of the concentration of an occupation's employment in a state relative to its concentration nationwide - gambling surveillance officers and gambling investigators ranks as the most unique occupation in Oklahoma. With 1,700 jobs in the field out of 1,604,790 jobs in the state, the occupation is 14.9 times more concentrated in Oklahoma than it is nationwide.

The average annual wage for workers in the occupation across the state is $31,310, compared to $39,290 nationwide.

StateMost unique jobOccupation's location quotientOccupation employment in stateOccupation's avg. annual wage in state ($)AlabamaTextile winding, twisting, and drawing out machine setters, operators, and tenders6.21,99037,270AlaskaZoologists and wildlife biologists20.774081,320ArizonaContinuous mining machine operators6.81,88051,800ArkansasAgricultural product graders and sorters7.61,47033,470CaliforniaCrop, nursery, and greenhouse farmworkers and laborers5.6188,58034,790ColoradoAtmospheric and space scientists5.71,050107,220ConnecticutMethal and plastic lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders5.41,16048,140DelawareMeat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers8.33,40031,190FloridaBridge and lock tenders3.682032,040GeorgiaTextile winding, twisting, and drawing out machine setters, operators, and tenders11.58,57034,890HawaiiMotorboat operators45.457052,930IdahoNuclear engineers9.0590149,100IllinoisMisc. mathematical science occupations6.396079,540IndianaMetal-refining furnace operators and tenders10.64,29067,860IowaAgricultural technicians9.21,25049,630KansasAircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers19.25,76056,560KentuckyMetal and plastic forging machine setters, operators, and tenders7.31,00052,490LouisianaSailors and marine oilers19.16,79052,910MaineLogging equipment operators7.476043,240MarylandAstronomers18.0690141,880MassachusettsBiochemists and biophysicists10.58,250117,830MichiganMetal and plastic patternmakers9.359064,050MinnesotaMisc. gambling service workers13.23,09030,520MississippiUpholsterers17.03,50037,280MissouriCooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders6.883048,000MontanaGambling and sports book writers and runners21.757020,020NebraskaTransportation equipment electrical and electronics installers and repairers8.950073,550NevadaGambling managers31.81,46090,350New HampshireMisc. metal and plastic workers6.561040,520New JerseyShampooers7.81,62029,190New MexicoExtraction worker helpers17.567043,760New YorkTransit and railroad police7.01,46076,290North CarolinaTextile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders7.41,55030,030North DakotaWellhead pumpers30.61,22064,350OhioEngine and other machine assemblers4.27,66056,370OklahomaGambling surveillance officers and investigators14.91,70031,310OregonMisc. personal care and service workers24.218,43034,900PennsylvaniaMetal pourers and casters4.51,07042,690Rhode IslandJewelers and precious stone and metal workers7.564045,750South CarolinaTire builders15.44,12052,610South DakotaForest and conservation workers34.461033,250TennesseeStatistical assistants12.01,69051,840TexasOil and gas derrick operators7.26,93051,570UtahContinuous mining machine operators7.21,07063,690VermontMisc. community and social service specialists5.094048,080VirginiaMetal and plastic layout workers12.62,26057,530WashingtonTapers7.42,42075,320West VirginiaMining roof bolters87.568066,080WisconsinFoundry mold and coremakers5.31,15043,410WyomingOil and gas roustabouts28.52,02048,120

via Oklahoma's Center Square News

(The Center Square) - Gov. Kevin Stitt said Friday he is considering calling the Oklahoma Legislature back for another special session to get tax cuts done after the House passed a budget that did not include the tax cuts he proposed.

During the governor's weekly press conference, he told reporters a second special session is not out of the question. Lawmakers passed the $12.9 billion budget, but it did not include income or grocery tax cuts.

"You know, when you think about it, when we have $6 billion in savings and we have $1.2 billion in excess revenue above expenses, you shouldn't just spend all that money," Stitt said. "You should give some of that back to the taxpayer. The fact that we weren't able to get that done, to me, is just unbelievable."

The governor highlighted other states with lower income tax rates than Oklahoma.

"We're getting further and further behind. Pennsylvania: their tax rate is 3.07%. Michigan – these are democratic states – Michigan, their tax rate is 4.25%," Stitt said. "North Carolina is what ours is, 4.75%, but they've got a plan right now by 2027 to go to 3.99%. Iowa is going to 3.9%. Louisiana currently is 4.25%. That doesn't include all the states that are already at zero percent. South Dakota's at zero, Nevada's at zero, Wyoming's at zero. North Dakota is at 2.9%. I could go on and on about how we're getting further and further behind."

He said passing tax cuts would help Oklahoma get closer to becoming the most business-friendly state in the country, which the governor has repeatedly said is one of his goals.

"When we have excess revenue, we need to just slowly slow the growth of government and not spend every dime that we have in revenue. And remember, when we do a tax cut and we put money back in Oklahomans' pockets, it's not like it disappears. All we're saying is they know how to spend their money better than the government," Stitt said.

The governor said he would not give up on tax cuts.

"I'm not going to stop advocating for lower taxes when we have excess revenue to spend. I'm not going to be a governor who just wants to grow government and spend every dime that we have," Stitt said.

via Oklahoma's Center Square News

(The Center Square) - Gov. Kevin Stitt signed private and homeschool tax credits Thursday that was praised by some and called a "voucher scheme" by others.

"School choice shouldn't be just for the rich or those who can afford it," Stitt said. Now it's available for every single family in the state of Oklahoma."

Proponents said the bill would increase school quality statewide.

"House Bill 1934 will help every child in every family find the school that best suits their unique needs. At the same time, it will help improve student outcomes and the academic quality of all Oklahoma schools by injecting more choice and competition into our education landscape," said Jennifer Carter, a senior advisor with the American Federation for Children-Oklahoma.

House and Senate Democrats challenged the bill saying the tax credits shouldn't be included in the budget.

"This budget prioritizes vouchers over the needs of our 700,000 public school students," said House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, in a statement Wednesday. "This budget did not provide increased funding for mental health counselors or school nurses that our public schools so desperately need."

Families will be eligible for at least $5,000 per child in tax credits in January 2024, with households making less than $75,000 eligible for up to a $7,500 tax credit.

Homeschool students will be eligible for $1,000 tax credits each which can be used for online curricula, tutoring and instructional materials.

The homeschool credits are capped at $5 million a year. The private school tax credits are capped at $150 million in the tax year 2024, $200 million in the tax year 2025, and $250 million in the tax year 2026 and subsequent tax years, according to the bill.

Former Oklahoma state representative Tom Newell, who now serves as vice president of government affairs for "Yes, Every Kid," said lawmakers had worked on school choice tax credits for years.

"This is a monumental opportunity to remove barriers to learning and modernize the educational experience for students," Newell said. "Every Oklahoma family can now decide where and how to educate their children, regardless of their zip code or income level — as is their right."

Also included in the education package are pay raises for teachers. The raises are between $3,000 to $6,000 annually, depending on experience.

The state invested $625 million into education this legislative session, Stitt said.

via Oklahoma's Center Square News

(The Center Square) – Manufacturing in the middle of America was steady in May and expectations are it will remain flat, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

The Manufacturing Survey for May found prices for raw materials have declined. It also found prices for finished goods decreased somewhat compared to the last month and the previous year. It projected prices will continue to drop during the next six months.

“Regional factory activity was largely unchanged in May,” said Chad Wilkerson, senior vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, which covers western Missouri, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, northern New Mexico, Oklahoma and Wyoming. “Prices cooled significantly over the last month and year and are expected to cool further.”

The organization uses a composite index to assess the sector. It’s an average of indexes measuring production, new orders employment, supplier delivery time and raw materials. The May index was -1, up from -10 in April and 0 in March.

“The increase from last month was driven by both durable and non-durable goods, especially by paper, primary metal and miscellaneous durable goods manufacturing,” the report said. “Month-over-month indexes were mixed. The production, volume of shipments, volume of new orders, number of employees, and finished goods inventories indexes all increased closer to their March levels after a significant decline in April.”

The average employee workweek and new orders indexes were down slightly compared to April. All year-over-year indexes increased or remained close to April levels, except for price indexes, which dropped.

The report found the future composite index was modestly positive at 2. Most indexes on expectations for the next six months were similar to April projections. There were some increases in new orders and backlogs of orders.

The report asked respondents the question, “If your firm is facing higher costs (inputs and labor), what share of those increases are you able to pass through to customers in the form of higher prices?” Approximately 27% of firms responded they would pass zero to 20% of the increase to customers and 24% would pass 80% to 100% to purchasers.

Nationally, economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in April for the six consecutive month, according to the Institute for Supply Management. The decline followed a 28-month period of growth.

“The April composite index reading reflects companies continuing to manage outputs to better match demand for the first half of 2023 and prepare for growth in the late summer/early fall period,” Timothy Fiore, chair of the Institute for Supply Management, said in a statement.

via Oklahoma's Center Square News

(The Center Square) – A coalition of 19 attorneys general signed a letter urging President Joe Biden not to expand his executive powers to raise or ignore the debt ceiling without congressional approval.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti led the group and was prompted by Biden’s statements on his assertion the executive branch has authority under the 14th Amendment to bypass Congress.

“Our constitutional system may be frustrating at times, but it is the fundamental guarantor of American liberty, and we must all abide by the oaths we swore to defend it,” the letter states. “The Constitution very deliberately invests the power of the purse in Congress. That power includes the authority to tax, the authority to spend, and, explicitly, the authority to borrow money on the credit of the United States.”

Biden and Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy and their staffs have been in negotiations to reach an agreement to raise the nation’s debt ceiling and prevent the U.S. government from defaulting on its debt obligations. Earlier this week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrote to McCarthy and warned that the Treasury may be unable to pay its bills as early as June 1. Business and consumer confidence would also be influenced by not increasing the debt limit.

“The Constitution is clear that only Congress has the power to authorize an increase in the national debt,” Skrmetti said in a statement. “The separation of powers in our constitutional system may be frustrating sometimes, but the checks and balances it creates are the heart of American liberty. If we start taking illegal shortcuts, no matter how compelling the justification, we put our whole system at risk.”

Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey was one of the attorneys general who signed the letter and called Biden’s possible actions political.

“President Biden is yet again ignoring the blatant framework of our Constitution, which is the very bedrock of our nation, to satisfy his political agenda,” Bailey said in a statement. “If not for the states, the federal government would run roughshod over our nation’s system of checks and balances. I will not stand by and allow the integrity of our nation to be eroded by a President who has no respect for the Constitution.”

The letter expressed a belief that Biden and legislators will reach a solution but warned of legal ramifications if Congress is bypassed.

“We have faith that you and our federal legislators will find a solution and resolve the immediate problem,” the letter stated. “But should your administration attempt an authoritarian end-run around the separation of powers, we will not hesitate to use the legal tools at our disposal to defend the integrity of our constitutional system.”

In addition to Tennessee and Missouri, the letter was signed by the top law enforcement officials from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.

via Oklahoma's Center Square News