2019 wrap-up...and a look ahead

Episode Description

Did Governor Stitt deliver on the plans and promises he listed during his 2019 State of the State address? We break it down and then look ahead at what to expect from the 2020 legislative session.

Show Notes / Episode Outline

A look at Governor Stitt’s first year

• Full text of his 2019 State of the State

  • He got expanded hiring & firing authority 

  • Beta version of digital drivers license is now available (and maybe the full version as well?)

  • Teachers got another small raise

  • Changes made to school funding formula?

  • 780 retroactivity passed, plus big changes to pardon & parole board

  • He spent substantial time talking about why we should not expand Medicaid. 

    • Also announced his Governors Challenge for the marathon - do we think he’ll do that again? 

  • Expand Rainy Day Fund to $2B - did that happen? 

  • How did he do on transparency, esp regarding the budget?

  • Tribal gaming situation

  • You know what hasn’t been talked about much? OSDH. 

2019 legislative session

• Many new legislators, and yet, same ol’ topics

  • Abortion

  • Guns

  • Healthcare (and Medicaid is still being discussed)

  • Part of the story was how quiet the okleg was this year

What to expect in 2020

• Legislative session expectations & rumors

  • Recommendation(s) from Medicaid working group; will that result in an actual bill?

  • More rule making related to medical marijuana?

  • COLA for retirees

  • Legislatively referred ballot measures related to abortion? (Some sort of trigger bill, perhaps?)

  • Efforts to restrict ballot measures? (It’s been added to the State Chamber’s 2030 plan)

  • Last year at this time, the fiscal outlook was more positive than it is now, right? Price of oil was higher, number of rigs was higher. How does that influence what happens this year? (And if it doesn’t, why not?)

Ballot initiatives filed thus far

• Medicaid expansion

• Independent redistricting

• Criminal justice reform

• Rumored:

  • Permitless carry repealer

  • Legislative-referred measure pertaining to abortion

  • Any others? 

What to expect from Let’s Fix This

• Annual Predict-o-Rama in early February

• Bill tracking / updates related to election reform.

• Civic education online courses (released throughout the year) 

• Back to our weekly update podcast format!

• The Election Night Show 2020: Nov. 3rd