Podcast Ep. 81 | BudgetWatch 2019
Description
With less than a month 'til the end of session, we discuss rumors about the budget, the status of criminal justice reform, and Governor Stitt's use of the veto. We also curse more than usual. Earmuffs, kids. #SSGOTV.
Announcements
A Night to Remember! May 4 letsfixthisok.org/prom
Capitol Days: May 8th is Child Advocacy Day with OICA. Register at oica.org.
Episode Notes
Overview:
Most bills thru both House & Senate. Those with issues headed to conference committee.
Which means it’s time for...JCAB!
Budget Watch 2019:
OK House Dems release their budget proposal
How does this stack up against the Governor’s proposal from February?
Does it really matter? (Spoiler: No.)
Rumor has it that the House & Senate reportedly in agreement...which means the Governor is now the issue. (Dun dun DUUUUUN)
But also...where are we on Criminal Justice Reform?
Gov. Kevin Stitt rolls out new criminal justice reform package (Tulsa World)
New funding structure for DAs and courts
$10m to mental health
Occupational licensing
Expedited commutation for offenders convicted of drug possession crimes to other felonies that are now misdemeanors
Expedited process for expungements
HB1269: sentence modification by courts
Capitol Insider: Is Judicial Reform On Stitt's Agenda? (KGOU)
In other news...
Governor signs bill to make rib eye the ‘state steak of Oklahoma (KFOR)
Stitt vetoes bills on hunting, #oklaed, public workers
No guides on publicly managed lands
No mechanism to certify new police & fire unions
No “instructional expenditure”
No overtime for low-paid state employees
Open Primaries: A Primer
Many thanks to our intern, Megan Funderburk, for researching and writing this post.
This is the second post in an ongoing series about the issues in our legislative agenda.
A primary election is an election in which a party decides who they will nominate to run for a particular office. Democrats have a Democratic primary to decide who the Democratic nominee will be, and Republicans have a Republican primary to decide who the Republican nominee will be.
Sounds pretty simple, right? Well…not so much. Many states are struggling to address concerns about their primary election system by answering questions such as:
Who gets to vote in these elections?
Should only Republicans vote for Republicans and Democrats for Democrats?
What about Independent voters or those that are unaffiliated?
Should voters be forced to simply forfeit their voice until the general election when the choices are considerably more limited?
Primaries are either open or closed, with variations within each of these models. States may use one type of primary for their state and local elections and a different type for their presidential elections. The basic types of primary elections are:
An open primary is a primary in which voters are not asked to declare a party affiliation on their voter registration form. At the polls, voters can choose which party’s ballot they receive regardless of party affiliation (or lack thereof).
A partially open primary asks voters to publicly declare which party’s ballot they would like on the day of voting which then registers the voter with that party. In most states with partially open primaries, voters may change their party affiliation on the day of voting.
A closed primary means that only those who have previously registered with a party may vote for that party’s nominees. In most states with closed primaries, you can’t change your party affiliation in the months surrounding the election.
In a partially closed primary, it is up to political parties to decide whether to allow unaffiliated voters to vote in their primaries while still excluding members of the opposing party.
A few states, like California, have adopted a “top two” primary system in which all candidates are listed together on the ballot and the top two, regardless of party affiliation move on to the general election.
Oklahoma currently uses a partially closed primary system. According to state law, party leaders are given the authority to allow unaffiliated voters or voters not registered with a party to vote in their nominating primaries. Parties make this decision every two years. The Oklahoma Democratic Party currently allows Independent voters to vote in the Democratic primaries. Voters must be registered with the Republican party to vote in the Republican primaries. Voters may choose to change their party affiliation but cannot do so between April 1 and August 31 in even-numbered years.
Advocates for an open-primary system argue that if everybody is given a voice at primary elections then it will increase the likelihood of more moderate candidates. According to the Oklahoma State Election Board, nearly 16% of Oklahoman voters are registered as Independent, and that number has increased nearly 35% over the past decade. With an increasing pool of Independent voters and a general dissatisfaction with hyper-partisan practices, moderation seems to be just what we need. Primaries are paid for with our tax dollars, yet we allow the parties get to tell us who gets to vote. There are pros and cons to each system, but an open system works under the assumption that everyone deserves a vote, even in a primary.
Two bills related to primary elections were filed this year in the Oklahoma legislature: Bill HB1026 by Rep. Tadlock sought to make county sheriff elections nonpartisan in an attempt to remove some politics from law enforcement. Bill HB1153 by Rep. Grego sought to authorize counties to vote to make county elections nonpartisan, including county officers and district attorney. Both bills were assigned to the House Rules Committee, but neither were heard, and thus they are dead…for this year, at least.
Helpful links
Click here to view the Election Board’s “Online Voter Tool,” where you can confirm your registration, find your polling place, view sample ballots for upcoming elections, and track your absentee ballot. (Speaking of which, if you’re not already registered to vote absentee (aka “vote by mail"), you should, and you can do it online right here.)
Podcast Ep. 79 | Rally for Coverage (with Sabine Brown & Carly Putnam)
Episode Description
Sabine Brown (Together Oklahoma) and Carly Putnam (Oklahoma Policy Institute) join us to review the current state of healthcare in Oklahoma and their upcoming "Rally for Coverage."
Press release
COALITION TO EXPAND COVERAGE HOSTS RALLY AT STATE CAPITOL WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 10 A.M.
TULSA, OK — A broad coalition of Oklahomans are holding a rally day at the state Capitol to call on lawmakers to expand health coverage for more than 100,000 currently uninsured Oklahomans. This coverage expansion can be paid for using 90 percent federal dollars.
The rally is set for Wednesday, April 24 at 10 a.m. It will focus on Oklahoma’s opportunity to extend SoonerCare or private health coverage to Oklahomans making below the poverty level. Free buses to the rally will be available from cities across the state.
“Expanding care will help ensure that over 100,000 Oklahomans have access to the care they need while boosting hospitals and other health care providers in our communities across the state,” said Carly Putnam, Policy Director of Oklahoma Policy Institute, a state policy organization that is coordinating the rally. “It’s time we brought Oklahomans’ tax dollars back home to take care of Oklahomans.”
The rally is organized by the Coalition to Expand Coverage, a broad coalition of Oklahoma groups and individuals, including Oklahoma Policy Institute, Together Oklahoma, ACLU of Oklahoma, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Heart Association, CAIR Oklahoma, Coalition of Oklahoma Breastfeeding Advocates, E.B Consulting OKC, Evolution Foundation, Family & Children’s Services, Fellowship Congregational Church UCC, Guiding Right, Inc., Indivisible Stillwater, Improving Lives, Inc, League of Women Voters of Oklahoma, Mental Health Association Oklahoma, Morton Comprehensive Health Services, NAACP Oklahoma City, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Psoriasis Foundation, NASW Oklahoma Chapter, O.B. Hearne DDS, Oklahoma AFL-CIO, Oklahoma Conference of Churches, Oklahoma Heart Association, Oklahoma Hospital Association, Oklahoma Lawyers for Children, Oklahoma Primary Care Association, Oklahoma State Conference NAACP, Oklahoma State Medical Association, Oklahoma Women’s Coalition, Planned Parenthood Great Plains, Potts Family Foundation, Rock Whisperer LLC, St. John Health System, Take Control Initiative, TARC, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The Oklahoma Academy, and Tulsa CARES. Additional members are joining the coalition on an ongoing basis.
“If we don’t expand coverage, Oklahoma will only fall further behind in health and economic competitiveness,” said Sabine Brown, outreach and advocacy coordinator for Oklahoma Policy Institute and Together Oklahoma. “All Oklahomans are invited to join this effort to make sure we can all see a doctor and get treatment when we need it.” To get information as it's released, learn more about the campaign, or sign on to the coalition, visit coverok.org.
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Media Contact:
Tracey Zeeck
405.501.2700 – mobile
OK Policy Contact:
Gene Perry
918.794.3944 – office
Podcast Ep. 74 | Dead Candidates Society (with Megan Funderburk & Bo Broadwater)
Episode Description
Should deceased candidates be allowed to remain on the ballot? We discuss the implications of that situation along with independent redistricting and the structure & finances of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES).
Articles & Links
Legislators to study cost of living adjustments for Oklahoma state retirees (Tulsa World)
Edmond mayoral election and Edmond Sun poll
Our blog post on Independent Redistricting
