Andy Moore 4/22/19 Andy Moore 4/22/19

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.)

Andy Moore 3/23/19 Andy Moore 3/23/19

Independent Redistricting: A Primer

Many thanks to our intern, Megan Funderburk, for researching and writing this post.

This is our first post in what will be an ongoing series about the issues in our legislative agenda. We’re starting with Independent Redistricting because it’s the most pressing - the census is next year and then redistricting will occur the year after that.

Overview

The United States Constitution mandates that a census be taken every 10 years. States then must begin the process of redrawing both the congressional, state, and municipal districts. This process will begin again after the next census in 2020. District lines group different sets of voters in different ways. This process of redistricting is necessary to accurately reflect population changes and the community represented within the lines. District lines should attempt to keep together “communities of interest,” which can be things like people who hold similar beliefs, eat at the same places, and walk their dogs at the same park. The way district lines are drawn and how voters are grouped together powerfully impacts the representatives that are elected and what policies they will fight for.

Who is in charge of this important process?

Each state decides for themselves, often outlined in their state constitution, but most states put this responsibility solely in the hands of the legislature. Twenty two states use a separate commission to help with the process or to take over the process entirely. Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, and Washington have commissions that take over the redistricting process entirely using an independent commission. These commissions are made up of individuals who are not themselves a part of the state legislature. For these states, the legislature may have a part in choosing the members of the commission but won’t have a hand in drawing the lines themselves.

Why do some states feel the need to remove legislature from the process, either partially or completely?

When the legislature is in charge of redrawing the districts in which they run for office, it leaves the opportunity to manipulate the lines to keep incumbents in power or to dilute the voice of their opposition. When one party controls the legislature, that party then has the ability to serve their own interests by redrawing the lines in their favor. Representatives can then, essentially, choose their own voters. This is called partisan gerrymandering. This can be done by drawing lines to exclude potential opposition or by packing multiple voters of a party into one district or diluting the voters across multiple districts.

What does this mean for Oklahoma?

Oklahoma law allows the party in power to draw the district lines. With the coming 2020 census, we have to ask ourselves if this is our best option? Is there a better alternative to draw state lines to best represent the people?

Although there are criticisms for every redistricting process, there are many advocates for the independent commission. An independent commission is currently used by six states with multiple other states moving in that direction. If created well, an independent commission creates a third party that can mitigate the issues that come with the ability of incumbent legislators to draw lines to keep themselves in power. Independent commissions may be the best way to reduce the drawing of lines motivated by self-interest.

The above images are examples of four Oklahoma legislative districts - two House, two Senate, and one of each from each party - that, at least at a glance, appear to be gerrymandered. We’re not saying they necessarily are, but they do serve as a good example of why we need to pay attention to redistricting and push for an independent commission to handle it. The screenshots were taken from the OAEC Digital Legislative Guide app - a free & handy resource for anyone interested in Oklahoma politics.

Redistricting is complicated. There’s no doubt about it. The redrawing of district lines is a long, tedious process that is tough for whomever is in charge, but it’s also necessary. Our democracy relies on our voices being heard and heard equally. But it’s easy to understand that a change is necessary. Leaving the redistricting process in the hands of the very people who stand to directly benefit just doesn’t make sense. Independent commissions provide a realistic alternative that allows for transparency, accountability, and removes heavy and direct partisan involvement.

The Brennan Center for Justice provides a great resource about redistricting that attempts to make all the complicated details manageable.

If you want to try your own hand at the tough job of drawing district line, you can play this online Redistricting Game.

Andy Moore 2/4/19 Andy Moore 2/4/19

2019 State of the State [full text]

Below is the full text of Governor Stitt’s first State of the State of address, which he delivered earlier today. We will provide our response to the speech later this week on Let’s Pod This; stay tuned for that release on Friday or Saturday.

It is such an honor to be with you today. I’d like to take a moment to recognize the honored guests with us:

Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell, statewide elected officials, President Pro Temp Greg Treat, Speaker Charles McCall, Speaker Pro Temp Harold Wright, members of the 57th Legislature, cabinet members, Chief Justice Noma Gurich and members of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, tribal leaders, friends, guests, my beloved First Lady – Sarah, my six children, my parents, and the most important audience – my fellow Oklahomans.

I stand before you today to offer a vision for Oklahoma’s future that gives purpose and direction for how our new administration will lead the state. My vision for Oklahoma is very clear and simple: to make Oklahoma Top Ten. My purpose is to work with you to deliver a turnaround that ensures a better future for all four million Oklahomans. I believe it is a purpose we all share in this room today.

Before we get into the details of my very first budget, I want to discuss how we position Oklahoma well for a “turnaround” by defining the term and the expectations for this vision.

Oklahoma’s “turnaround” is when our state stops moving in the direction of decline and begins moving in the direction we want to go: to be Top Ten in the nation. To get there, it will require three steps:

First – We must bring together people from across the state, with various backgrounds, skills and talents, to serve in critical leadership roles.

Second – We must set measurable goals and put metrics in place so every state employee, agency leader, member of my administration, and each of you in our Legislature can be part of one team with one vision.

Third – We must hold ourselves responsible for delivering results and reimagine the possibilities. I’ve said it before, Oklahoma’s challenges are no different than any other state – and Oklahoma’s opportunities, I believe, are the best in the nation.

Going through this process will put Oklahoma on the path to be Top Ten. And if anyone thinks that becoming Top Ten is just a campaign slogan, let me tell you, this turnaround is already under way with individuals who are delivering Top Ten outcomes in their own classrooms, communities, and industries.

Consider Donna Gradel – An environmental teacher in Broken Arrow Public Schools. Two weeks ago, she was named one of the Top Four teachers in the nation. Donna reimagined the classroom. She moved beyond the textbook by taking her classroom outside to partner with the city of Broken Arrow to clean public water and by taking the classroom to the world by developing a system to provide sustainable food sources to orphans in Kenya.

Donna, thank you for being here today.

Consider the Gathering Place – USA Today named it the number one place in America to visit in 2019. It is an example of public-private partnership. Where 55 acres stretched across the Tulsa river front, the George Kaiser Family Foundation reimagined a free park that is bringing together all ages, races, and categories of people to enjoy Tulsa.

Consider the Oklahoma Youth Expo Community. In the early 2000s, this youth livestock show was struggling to survive, but donors, Oklahoma families, and the Legislature came together, assessed their resources, and reimagined the program. Today, OYE is not just the #1 junior livestock show in America, it is the largest in the world. Today, OYE garners young participants from all 77 counties, awards hundreds of thousands of dollars in education scholarships and has shown a $22 million economic impact on Oklahoma City.

These are just a few examples of Oklahomans who brought together a team, set measurable goals, reimagined the possibilities, and executed on their vision to deliver Top Ten results.

Today, as I present my first budget, I ask you to join me in reimagining. Today, as we consider the state of our state, Oklahomans are presented with revenue growth of potentially $600 million, a 3.6 percent unemployment rate, rising wages and a spirit of optimism.

This is because of Oklahomans who are working hard, taking risks, opening new businesses, and creating jobs. The government does not create wealth, only the private sector can. In my administration, every policy decision will promote a healthy economy.

I want to also recognize President Pro Temp Greg Treat and Speaker Charles McCall who provided committed leadership over the past few years to make hard decisions to demonstrate our state’s support of core services that Oklahomans and job creators rely on. As I promised on the campaign trail, I brought them in to our process of reimagining the budget.

As I outline my administration’s priorities this year, I want to make it clear: as elected officials, we will not always agree on the specifics of every policy – and that’s ok. We are each elected for different reasons and because of specific issues.

But you will always find my office willing to work with you and to be open minded on policy differences, because what unites us in this room is that we are committed to reimagining how we can do state government better and deliver a brighter future for Oklahomans.

First, let’s reimagine state government. Our state Constitution vests supreme executive power in the Office of the Governor, but too often that executive power has been delegated by statute to boards that are not directly accountable to the citizens of Oklahoma. State government today is much larger than it was 112 years ago. As a result, accountability for those in power is spread too thin and, at times, it seems as of no one is really in charge.

The Health Department’s crisis in 2017 taught us this lesson, and the Legislature wisely restructured the agency’s board into an advisory role and gave the executive branch the authority to fire and hire a new leader. Let’s not wait for another crisis to start making this necessary reform across our largest agencies.

Oklahomans want three things: accountability, transparency, and results. I know the legislature wants it too.

Both Senate and House leadership are committed to addressing the structure of our state’s largest agencies so that government is held more accountable to the people. By granting the governor hiring authority, you will know exactly where the buck stops – at my desk.

But reform should not stop here. We will also seek to remove board members across state government when they have conflicts of interest. And we will look to sunset and consolidate boards and commissions where there is overlap and duplication. This is common sense reform.

My budget will prioritize funding to continue performance audits of the top 12 agencies. We will fund this effort by immediately recalling the $30 million that was given to the Health Department after the agency misrepresented their financial standing to the Legislature.

We will also reimagine state government so that our customers – Oklahoma taxpayers – are the primary focus. This is why I have placed a special emphasis in my administration on the digital transformation of state agencies. Today, I am calling for the Legislature to fund a $20 million grant program where agencies can apply to receive funds to bring their services into the 21st Century and to make government more customer-centered and efficient.

Imagine digital driver licenses that are Real ID compliant. Imagine titles available electronically. Imagine one site to obtain occupational licenses and one site to pay taxes. It is time to get it done.

It is time to improve our government’s “D+” ranking in digital transparency and for the state government’s checkbook to be online, up to date, and easy to navigate. It is time for an online dashboard where you can monitor my administration’s progress on performance metrics we will set for delivering state services.

Turning our attention to education, my administration is committed to public education and understands that the large majority of our students attend public schools. Over the next few years, we will move the needle in outcomes. We will set high standards. We will enact reforms. We will invest in the classroom.

But we must first continue our investment in the teacher, because it’s not programs, curriculum, or resources that students will remember. The magic happens between the student and the teacher in the classroom

We are confronted with a nationwide teacher shortage. This is not a problem unique to our state, but Oklahoma was among the hardest hit. With recent revenue growth, I aks the Legislature to bring our teachers to number one in our region in pay and benefits. This amounts to a $1,200 increase per teacher.

I am also calling for the Legislature to funds a bonus recruitment program, up to $5 million, to encourage certified teachers to stay in Oklahoma after graduating college, to return to the classroom after a hiatus, or to move to Oklahoma for the first time.

I applaud Representative Rhonda Baker’s collaboration to get this effort underway, and I appreciate House Minority Leader Emily Virgin and her caucus for their support of a continued pay increases for our teachers.

We must also standardize the certification test for Oklahoma’s teachers, get rid of the five-year renewal fee, and reduce unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy on high-performing schools and instead shift resources to help schools who need it the most.

But these reforms and continued investment from the state will not be enough to make Oklahoma’s education system competitive. We must do the hard work of reimagining education.

Consider Cecilia Robinson-Woods, the Superintendent of the Millwood School District in Oklahoma City. After assessing the resources and unique challenges of her district, Cecilia reimagined ways to recruit and retain talent in her classrooms. It was important that teachers were not just skilled in their profession, but that they also were passionate leaders who could shape the culture of their schools and district. Cecilia partnered with Teach for America, utilized opportunities offered under state law, and implemented a new reading program. Today, the Millwood School District has seen dramatic, positive progress in outcomes.

Cecilia, thank you for being here today.

We must also look at ways to better stabilize the funding of public education. The fact that Texas is preparing to pass a teacher pay increase – at a cost of $3.7 billion – compels us to review and reform our state’s funding formula and to take the handcuffs off local communities wanting to compete, recruit, and retain the very best teachers. We must chart a bold course that allows for communities to do more for their students without being penalized with the loss of state support.

State government cannot fix education’s funding needs alone. We must stand arm-in-arm with communities, cities, and counties. Oklahoma is stronger when we are all working together.

The process of reforming the formula demands a reimagining of school districts so we can ensure not just equal funding per student, but also equal opportunity. This will take time to study what other states are doing, what is working, and what challenges we must address that are unique to Oklahoma. I am committed to be a continuous learner in this area and a leader in the discussion.

We must not forget that education should be first and foremost about our students, not about systems. I will sign into law any legislation that seeks to break down the silos between common education, career techs, and higher education so that we can better align the education experience for Oklahoma’s children and prepare them for tomorrow’s workforce of machinists, computer programmers, engineers, and more.

Next, let us take a moment to reimagine our state’s criminal justice system. We are number one in the nation for incarceration. To move the needle, it will require us to change the way we see the person who is in a cycle of incarceration for non-violent crimes.

Many years ago, I was introduced to Melinda who held the titles of daughter, mom, and fellow Oklahoman – but to the prison system, she was a drug offender. When I met her, she was looking for hope, for a better life for her son, and for an opportunity to change course.

Today, she has been an employee at Gateway for more than 13 years. Her entry into the workforce was key to remaining sober and to becoming a thriving individual in our society. Melinda’s story of redemption was possible because of a community of people who stepped in, walked with her, and gave her opportunity.

Melinda, you are why I believe in second chances. Thank you for being here today.

There can be more stories of redemption like hers. It is why my budget requests:

$1.5 million to Women in Recovery, a public-private partnership to help women identify the roots of their addictions and develop life skills, and $10 million to the County Community Safety Investment Fund, a criminal justice reform initiative the people of Oklahoma approved with SQ 781.

But money is not the sole action government must take. I am encouraged by legislation in the House to accomplish licensing reform for those with a felony. We must give Oklahomans re-entering society more opportunities to be gainfully employed and we must give employers more discretion on who they can hire.

We must also remember the people who work hard every day to keep our correctional facilities clean, safe, and operating. They are on the front lines of delivering core government services, and as revenue continues to improve, I urge us to consider ways we can better improve their work conditions and compensation.

In my budget, we will also use revenue growth to address two critical healthcare programs in Oklahoma: The Graduate Medical Expense Program to train doctors, a cost of $62 million, and the Children Health Insurance Program, a cost of $14.8 million.

These programs remind us why we must be judicious and thoughtful about seeking federal funds. In Fiscal Year 2020, these two programs alone will cost the State of Oklahoma $77 million that the federal government once paid – a 6.8 percent increase to the healthcare authority’s budget. When Washington, D.C. wants to end a program, we are left holding the bag and covering the cost.

While Medicaid expansion currently stops at a 90 percent federal match, we cannot assume that it will remain this high forever. The estimated $150 million price tag today for Oklahoma to expand Medicaid could leave us down the road fronting more than $1 billion when the federal government pulls back on its commitment. They’ve done it before and they will do it again.

Medicaid is the fastest growing expense in our state budget, and before we commit our state to accepting even more Medicaid dollars, Oklahomans deserve accountability and transparency with our state’s management of the Healthcare Authority.

Oklahoma is the only state in the nation where the governor does not have the authority to provide oversight of this agency. We are sticking out like a sore thumb, and this must change.

Healthcare is also preventative, promoting wellness through education, personal responsibility, and raising awareness. Today, I am announcing my partnership with the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon to hold a Governor’s Relay Challenge, and I invite you to join me! I’ll be forming my own team to compete in the relay, and the team that wins will join me for lunch at the Governor’s Mansion later this year.

Let’s now move to the economy. In order to make our efforts in state government sustainable, we must first grow Oklahoma. We need more taxpayers, not more taxes.

We will reimagine our economy by diversifying our marketplace, strengthening our workforce, and encouraging Oklahomans to start new businesses. Our rules must be clear, our regulations must make sense, and our tax code must remain competitive with our neighbors.

At the Department of Commerce, I have hired the very best talent in the state to lead this critical agency, and they have set measurable goals and are running hard to tell the world Oklahoma is open for business.

To best equip the agency’s mission, I ask the Legislature to support additional funds for the governor’s Quick Action Closing Fund. Since its inception, the state has granted $11 million in total awards which attracted high paying jobs with the Macy’s large distribution center in Owasso, with Boeing’s relocation of the Aircraft Modernization and Sustainment business unit, and with the Commercial Metals Company in Durant and many more.

Today, the balance of Oklahoma’s Quick Action Closing Fund is $4.3 million. By comparison, the latest legislative report for the Texas Enterprise Fund indicates the state has awarded $609 million from its Quick Action Closing Fund, resulting in 94,347 jobs. In Arkansas, their fund has awarded over $120 million, resulting in 26,684 jobs.

You can help me sign on the dotted line for new opportunities to grow Oklahoma and demonstrate to the nation that Oklahoma is not afraid to compete with our neighbors and that we intend to win!

As we close our time together, let’s end by reimagining our state budget. I promised Oklahomans that we would get to the bottom of every tax dollar and I promised to be transparent and open about the budget process.

For the first time in recent history, the governor’s budget provides you with every tax dollar we could find across the 12 largest agencies, which are spending 90 percent of the state’s total budget. It is important we talk in total dollars. This was the one consistent request I heard from Oklahomans across the campaign trail.

In this budget packet I have also included agencies’ current performance goals. As we move forward together this year, my administration will be working with agencies to hire the best people, raise accountability, and deliver measurable results.

My vision for the budget is for it to become a meaningful resource each year, to establish a common language for lawmakers and tax payers and create a transparent budget process.

Now, as we dig into the numbers, instead of across the board increases in FY’20, my budget addresses more than $230 million in obligations and another $151 million in critical needs.

My budget also casts a bold goal for our state’s savings account, I have said often why I believe the state needs $2 billion in savings.

When we look at states where the economy depends on the price of oil, they place a strong emphasis on saving during the good years. One thing we know is true, oil prices are going to go up and oil prices are going to go down.

When energy prices tumble, it directly impacts the state’s Sales Tax collection, the state’s Income Tax collection, the Gross Production Tax, and various other revenue streams. We must be honest with ourselves and recognize that last year’s tax increases made us more dependent on the price of oil. We must be good fiscal stewards of this decision by creating more stability through savings.

At the end of FY’19, our Rainy-Day Fund will have approximately $874 million with no additional support from a stabilization fund often seen in oil-rich states. Meanwhile, Texas has $12.5 billion in total savings to weather another economic downturn. North Dakota’s total savings is more than $5.8 billion.

This is why I am setting a goal for Oklahoma to have $1 billion in our savings by the end of FY’20. To get there, we must set aside an additional $250 million from revenue growth.

Being conservative with our budget surplus today will protect Oklahoma from having to cut core services in the future.

As I close, let us remember, the future doesn’t just happen. We make it happen. As public servants, our responsibility and purpose are to ensure a better future for all four million Oklahomans. This will require us to be good listeners, continuous learners, committed communicators, and bold leaders – both inside the building and around the state.

Our vision is to make Oklahoma Top Ten.

Join me! As we work together, we will move our whole state forward.

God bless you and God bless the State of Oklahoma!

Andy Moore 1/30/19 Andy Moore 1/30/19

2019 Legislative Agenda

Let’s Fix This Releases Legislative Agenda

Non-partisan group focused on making change to Oklahoma’s voting laws

OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 29, 2019) — Let’s Fix This, a non-partisan nonprofit that educates and equips Oklahomans to actively engage with their government, is releasing its first legislative agenda for the first session of the 57th Oklahoma Legislature.

Executive Director Andy Moore said that after three years of helping folks meet their legislators and navigate the hallways of the capitol, it’s time for the organization to take a much larger stance on specific voter-focused issues.

“We’ve been hearing from Oklahomans from every side of the aisle that there’s a need to help fix the basic fabric of our democracy, starting with elections,’ Moore said. “We’re going to champion issues like automatic voter registration, making elections more accessible & convenient for voters, and even opening up primary elections so that every Oklahoman can vote for whichever candidate they support the most.”

The mission of Let’s Fix This has not changed. In fact, the organization will be more focused than ever – giving Oklahomans more information, helping them get more involved in the political process, and helping them become greater advocates for the causes they support.

“We’re not abandoning our base mission of helping Oklahomans become more involved in and aware of Oklahoma politics. That’s the heart of what we do,” Moore said. “But the need to get more voters to the polls, more folks involved in the election process in our state, is overwhelming. Let’s Fix This can be the catalyst.”

The agenda:

· Automatic voter registration

· Same day voter registration

· Expanded early voting days/times

· Consolidated election days

· Elimination of straight-party voting

· Open primaries

· Independent redistricting

· Subject the legislature to the Open Records Act

A more detailed explanation of each agenda item can be found on the Let’s Fix This website.

Let’s Fix This began three years ago with a simple idea from Moore that if enough people felt encouraged to visit with their legislators, some positive changes could occur. After creating a Facebook event one evening and inviting his friends, Moore witnessed interest in the event skyrocket to nearly 600 people.

“Let’s Fix This will continue to host our Capitol Days events each month during legislative session and provide advocacy information and training for organizations and individuals,” Moore said. “But if we’re going to really effect change in our state, Let’s Fix This must focus our efforts on specific actions to create change. Our 2019 legislative agenda is that action.”

To learn more about Let’s Fix It, check out the website at https://www.letsfixthisok.org/

Join

Donate

Andy Moore 7/30/18 Andy Moore 7/30/18

Podcast Ep. 45 | Carpathians, Kardashians, and Cardassians

We manage to give you a recap this week's Oklahoma political news while also being distracted by Ghostbusters, Star Trek, and easily accessible barrier protection. 

News Round-Up

Take-Aways

First of all, you probably should know the difference between Carpathians, Kardashians, and Cardassians.
- And here's the article we discussed about the actor who played Vigo the Carpathian in Ghostbusters 2.
Despite the behavior of some of the folks at the top, most rank-and-file employees at the Oklahoma State Department of Health do really great (and important) work. During this episode we mentioned that Oklahoma has a high teen birth rate as well as high rates of STDs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea. To help reduce all those things, OSDH is now able to distribute free condoms to organizations who request them, and all you have to do to request them is send them an email.
Beyond that, this week was primarily a discussion of the articles listed above.
Oh, and we announced our Let's Fix This Election Watch Party on November 6th! Details are on our website and our Facebook page.

Andy Moore 7/17/18 Andy Moore 7/17/18

Join the LFT Board of Directors

This past Saturday was our annual board retreat, and it was fantastic. Staged in Verbode's beautiful downtown office space, we began the day with a recap of the past year and then moved into our strategy session. Tons of great ideas about how we act our our mission - educating and equipping Oklahomans to engage with their government.

As we worked to identify our target audience, someone used the term "politically curious," and it was like mental lightbulbs went on throughout the room. That term describes most of our board when we started this organization - people who were not particularly involved in politics, but who were curious about it. We saw that things were a mess, and at a time when some people were tuning out from the news at the State Capitol, we couldn't help but tune in.

As we move into our second full year as a "real" nonprofit organization, we are seeking to fill a few spots on our board. If you're interested in joining, submit your application between now and 7/31. The board plans to review the applications and make decisions at our August meeting.

Scott Melson 3/5/18 Scott Melson 3/5/18

2018 Session: Week 4 Recap

Hey everyone! It was a busy week at the Capitol with a packed schedule of committee meetings, floor votes and wrapping up business from the Second Extraordinary Session. Thursday was the deadline for bills to get out of committee in the chamber of origin. So, for the most part, any bill that failed to get of committee this week is dead and will not be heard again this session. The next step for bills that did make it out of committee is to be passed off the floor. So, look for more floor activity in the weeks ahead. The biggest news of the week was Governor Fallin signing HB1020XX; this is the final budget bill of FY17-18 and enacts 0.667% cuts across all state agencies. Combined with the Senate’s passage of the emergency appropriations bill for medical education (HB1022XX), and caps on coal tax credits and railroad rehab credits (HB 1034XX and HB1036XX), the signage of HB1020XX should signal the end of the second special session.

Don’t Miss This

Here is a list of the the articles, podcasts, blog posts and more from this week that you don’t want to miss:

First up this week is great piece from The Journal Record that summarizes a number of Senate Joint Resolutions introduced this week. If passed, these would create ballot initiatives amending the Oklahoma Constitution in a number of ways. This is definitely worth your time. Full disclosure, The Journal Record does have a paywall, so the article cannot be accessed without a subscription. The Journal Record really does a fantastic job covering local business and politics; in our opinion, a subscription is worth the money.
Our friends at NonDoc have this editorial discussing the possibility of a teacher’s strike. The article really does a great job of explaining why teachers in our state feel that a work stoppage is their only recourse, as well as exploring the potential effects and ramifications.
Gun laws are a hot topic at both the local and federal level right now, and Oklahoma Watch has put together a Q&A that summarizes all of our local laws that regulate who can carry what kind of gun and where. No matter where you fall on the gun debate, this is good information.
Oklahoma is making news nationally this week and for a couple of different issues. The Seattle Times has an update on the tracking device scandal in which Rep. Mark McBride has been a victim. The trail of who is responsible now leads to Texas and a political operative known as Dr. Dirt. This is a Scandal episode in the making.
Lastly, The Kansas City Star discusses laws making their way through both the Oklahoma and Florida legislatures that would require the display of the national motto, “In God We Trust” in all public school classrooms. The bill does require that the display either be donated or paid for with private funds rather than using taxpayer dollars.

Legislative Recap

As we noted above, this was a busy week at the Capitol. We expect that this week the Legislature will declare Sine Die on the second special session and turn their attention towards the remainder of the regular session. Given the recent budget woes faced by our state, it seems like the folks at 23rd and Lincoln might want to focus on the the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, as the recent revenue certification by the Board of Equalization anticipates a budget hole of $167.8 million for the upcoming fiscal year. So far though, it looks like budget concerns may again be pushed to the last few days and weeks of session.

Several health care related bills were heard in committee this week. Most notable to us were SB1120 and SB1123, both authored by Sen. Yen. SB1120 anticipates the passage of State Question 788 in June and significantly pares down resultant medical marijuana laws, placing limits on the medical conditions for which it can be prescribed. The bill passed committee on a vote of 6-5. SB1123 alters the circumstances under which parents can claim and exemption to mandatory vaccinations and limits it to medical exemptions only. The bill failed in committee on a vote of 3-8. Two bills that would significantly alter Oklahoma’s Medicaid program passed out of committee this week as well. HB3556 would institute a work requirement for the Medicaid program while SB1030 significantly lowers the income threshold at which individuals and families qualify for Medicaid coverage. The folks at Oklahoma Policy Institute contend that both bills would result in a loss of coverage for a significant portion of Oklahoma’s Medicaid recipients. Despite the fact that both bills passed out of the committee, we’re hearing that neither of them are likely to run the gauntlet of the Legislature and ultimately be passed into law.

A number of bills concerning firearms were heard by the House Public Safety committee this week. All sponsored by Rep. Coody, HB 2918, HB 2951, and HB 3192 all passed out of committee. HB 2918 allows for the carrying of concealed or unconcealed weapons on personal property as long as permission has been obtained. HB2951, so-called “Constitutional Carry”, allows the carrying of handguns without licensure or training. Finally, HB 3192 allows school boards to designate personnel who can carry weapons on campus. Similar to the bills changing Medicaid eligibility, we’re hearing at these measures likely don’t have a future.

One other development this week was the passage of SB1086 from the full Senate Committee on Appropriations and Budget. SB1086 repeals the capital gains deduction, a tax break that is estimated to cost the state around $100 million annually.

Next Week…

Well, that wraps up our recap of a whirlwind week. Be sure to tune in to #LetsPodThis next week and check the blog for our recap and analysis, and remember:

Decisions are made by those who show up.

Scott Melson 2/23/18 Scott Melson 2/23/18

2018 Session: Week 3 Recap

Hey guys! Welcome back - this will be a short post as the weather made for a short legislative week. The House met only on Monday and Tuesday while the Senate met briefly on Wednesday. All legislative offices were closed on Thursday with no floor or committee activity. That also meant our first Capitol Day of the year was canceled. Don’t worry though, we have several more coming upand we’d love to see you there. Also, be sure to catch up with us on Let’s Pod This - next week should be a busy one!

Hey guys! Welcome back - this will be a short post as the weather made for a short legislative week. The House met only on Monday and Tuesday while the Senate met briefly on Wednesday. All legislative offices were closed on Thursday with no floor or committee activity. That also meant our first Capitol Day of the year was canceled. Don’t worry though, we have several more coming up and we’d love to see you there. Also, be sure to catch up with us on Let’s Pod This - next week should be a busy one!

Don’t Miss This

There is so much news and noise being created these days it can be hard to know where to look for good information. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here is a list of the the articles, podcasts, blog posts and more from this week that you don’t want to miss.

We’re going to start this week with a commentary from Otis White of Civic Strategies in Governing. The piece wasn't written for Oklahoma specifically but it sure feels like it could have been. White contends state governments that find themselves facing crises of funding or gridlock could learn a lot from the way municipal governments have been handling these problems for the last twenty or thirty years. We agree.
While most of the focus on new revenue has been on raising taxes, another avenue is the creation of new jobs and industries that pay into the existing tax structure. NonDoc takes a look at HB2913, which creates a pilot program for industrial hemp. The authors think could lead to a whole new division of Oklahoma’s agriculture sector (and thereby add some much-needed diversification to our state's economy).
What would happen if all our teachers just decided not to show up for work one day? Well, that appears to be an increasingly likely possibility. Oklahoma Watch discusses the petition started by a teacher from Tulsa advocating for a work stoppage. They also recap the last time there was a teacher strike in Oklahoma and its ultimate result (hint: it was a state question and it rhymes with “fix-shorty”).
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that was created during the Obama Administration has been in the news a lot lately due to the recent Justice Department decision to rescind the program. Sometimes debates about these issues can seem very detached from how we and those people in our circles of influence live our everyday lives. This article from NewsOK highlights how personal this issue is for many Oklahomans.
The folks FiveThirtyEight have officially listed Oklahoma as one of the state who could see their Governor’s Mansion change hands in November. We included this because the idea that the Governor’s race would be competitive feels like news.

Capitol Watch and Legislative Recap

This was a short week at the Capitol but there still were some important developments. One of the most consequential events of the week was the meeting of The State Board of Equalization met this week and the news is, well, mixed. The Board of Equalization is responsible for certifying the states revenue estimate for the upcoming fiscal year; in other words, they tell the Legislature how much money they have to spend.

At their meeting on Tuesday, the board certified the revenue projection for FY18-19, which comes with a $167.8 million budget hole. This is actually a smaller budget hole than anticipated as economic growth has been more robust, but the increase in revenue is not enough meet spending obligations.

The other major piece of news was the passage of HB1020XX and HB1022XX. These will likely be two of the last bills passed in the 2nd Extraordinary Special Session of 2017. HB1020XX is the big budget bill that cuts all agencies by 0.66% for the last quarter of FY17-18. It passed both the House and Senate this week largely along party lines and will go to the Governor’s desk for signature early next week. HB1022XX is an emergency spending bill that fills a $140 million dollar funding gap in medical education created by the loss of a waiver from the federal government that matches state Medicaid dollars with federal funds for medical education. 1022XX passed the House and is expected to pass the Senate.

A couple other noteworthy developments this week were the passage of SB1104 out of the Senate Education Committee and HB1530 passing out of House Appropriations. SB1104 prohibits lunch shaming by requiring schools to provide meal applications for students as well as assistance with completing the application. It also prevents schools from taking punitive measures against students who develop negative account balances due to their inability to pay for lunches. The bills passed out of committee unanimously. HB1530 is a bipartisan bill that prohibits discrimination in wages and other compensation on the basis of sex; HB1530 passed out of committee 24-2.

Next Week

It’s going to be a busy four days at the Capitol next week. March 1 is the deadline for bills to be heard out of committee and the Legislature lost two working days this week. So, next week will likely be a whirlwind. We’ll make sure you get all the details right here. See you next week, and remember: Decisions are made by those who show up.

Scott Melson 2/17/18 Scott Melson 2/17/18

2018 Session: Week 2 Recap

Hey guys! Welcome back to blog...this week we’ve got some great articles you can check out, a recap of the major legislative activity this week and some more details about what happened with HB1033XX. We’ll also preview the upcoming week in the legislature and look ahead to our first Capitol Day of 2018 on February 22nd.

Don’t Miss This

Here is a list of the the articles, podcasts, blog posts and more from this week that you don’t want to miss:

Oklahoma Watch has a great article this week recapping the Q&A, floor debate and vote on the Step Up Plan. This is an in-depth, play-by-play of Monday afternoon and really is a good read.
Lots of Oklahomans are ticked off that the Step Up Plan failed, but I think teachers probably are probably the most upset and with good reason. NonDoc has a great piece focused on the response from teachers to the legislature.
If you needed any further evidence that our state is in dire straights, look no further than this story from the Enid News and Eagle. The focus here is on bridges rather than infrastructure generally (hint: it’s not good). Definitely worth a few minutes.
Here on the blog and definitely on the pod, we try to focus on things we find interesting, surprising or hopeful. Lately, it feels like there has been a lot of doom and gloom. We’re not excited about this report from The Frontier that broke on Monday afternoon and led to the resignation of Preston Doerflinger from all his government positions shortly thereafter. Despite the depressing nature of the content, it does represent some fantastic investigative reporting by the folks at The Frontier.
We’ll try to end on positive note this week with this inspirational piece from The Washington Post focused on a group of high-school students from Lawton traveling to Washington, DC to meet the legislators and learn about government. No matter how bad things seem right now, if all our high school students are like these kids, I think the future for Oklahoma is bright.
And we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the hilarity that ensued on Valentine's Day when folks on Twitter created Oklahoma legislature-themed Valentine's puns and tagged them with #oklegvalentines. Check it out for some good laughs (and a bunch of groans).

Legislative Watch

There was a lot going on at the Capitol this week. The main event of course was the failure of HB1033XX to meet the 75% supermajority threshold required of all revenue raising bills. Technically, the bill did pass the House; however, since it did not get a 75% supermajority, it now goes to a vote of the people. So, it passed - just not by enough?

So, what happened? Many people have expressed surprise that this package was unable to get through, given its similarity to HB1054 which came within 5 votes of passage in November. Honestly though, we’ve heard from many folks inside the Capitol that prospects for the bill never looked good for several reasons:

While an increase in gross production tax on oil and gas from 2-4% on all wells is a concession from Republicans (and industry), many Democrats feel very strongly that the tax needs to be at least 5%.
Taxes on tobacco are regressive by their nature. Most habitual tobacco users and cigarette smokers in particular are lower income individuals without a college degree. Philosophically, Democrats tend to be opposed to regressive taxes and while many Dems acknowledge the public health and policy benefits of using a tobacco tax to encourage smoking cessation, but they feel strongly that the state budget should not be balance on the backs of lower income individuals with an addiction, particularly without asking industry to bear a higher percentage of the load (see number 1).
I think the wind levy proved a poison pill for many Democrats. Generally, the caucus is very supportive of renewable energy and felt very strongly that this new tax would serve to discourage investment in an industry that is (comparably) younger and still developing. There was intense opposition to this component of the bill by Democrats and may have been a deciding factor, at least for some of them.
I think that many Democrats had concerns about other portions of the Step Up Plan. In particular, several of them expressed frustration over 2 other revenue bills that were scheduled to be heard if HB1033XX achieved the 75% supermajority. In particular, HB1035XX (capping the deduction taken by zero-emission facilities) and HB1037XX (lowering the standard deduction for state income taxes) were opposed by many Democrats.

Essentially, even though Republicans have a supermajority in the House, enough members of their caucus are opposed to tax increases under ANY circumstances that Democratic votes have to be brought on board to pass a revenue package. This package was able to attract 10 Democrats; that wasn’t enough.

A couple other things of note happened in the Legislature this week. HB2632, which would expand the “Stand Your Ground” statute to include “places of worship”. Some members of the Judiciary Committee who are themselves lawyers had some strong feelings about 1) whether this is a good idea and 2) how the bills is written.

Lastly, House Democrats held a press conference with State Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones endorsing his budget plan. The plan includes an increase in gross production tax to 5%; a $0.75 tax on cigarettes and little cigars; and a $0.03/gallon tax on gasoline and $0.06/gallon tax on diesel. The Democrats would like to add a cap on itemized deductions, allow casinos to use ball and dice games (which would create more taxable revenue for the gaming industry) and change hotel tax rates. The estimated total revenue for all of these measures is $622 million. House leadership has signaled they may be open to at least some of these ideas but only for FY18-19. Stay tuned.

Next Week

On Monday, the house will take up budget bills enacting cuts of 0.66% across all state agencies. 0.66% may not sound like a lot but it’s an effective cut of 2% as agencies have to implement these cuts in their entirety in the last quarter of the fiscal year. No agencies are being held harmless and the cuts equal about $40 million. The bills are expected to pass.

As I mentioned earlier, our first Capitol Day is Thursday, February 22nd and we hope to see you there! Be sure to look for next week’s episode of the podcast and accompanying blog post to make sure you’re up to date on everything that has gone down. Have a great week everyone and remember: Decisions are made by those who show up!

Scott Melson 2/10/18 Scott Melson 2/10/18

2018 Session: Week 1 Recap

Hey guys! Since we recorded our weekly episode of #LetsPodThis early this week for Governor Fallin’s State of the State Address, we put together a quick blog post to make sure you’re up-to-date with what has been a pretty busy first week of session.

Currently the Legislature in concurrent session, trying to wrap up the 2nd Extraordinary Session of 2017 and beginning the First Regular Session of 2018. Most of the action this week has been taken on bills filed as part of special session and most of that has been in the House.We’ve got all the details for you down below.

Don’t Miss This

1. This editorial from the Tulsa World is a must-read. It is the best call to action we’ve seen in the run-up to this legislative session, both for lawmakers and citizens.

2. Governor Fallin gave her State of the State Address on Monday, February 5. In case you missed it, the great folks at Oklahoma Watch have the full text for you here. Even better, they’ve annotated the speech to give some context and analysis. This is definitely worth a read.

3. Oklahoma is making national and international news this week. This short piece from The Economist highlights our state budget crisis with a focus on education, highlighting where we’re at and how we got here. Hat tip to Grant Hermes from News9 for putting this article on our radar.

4. The Washington Post got in on the action with this admittedly partisan op-ed that takes a critical look at the idea of supply-side (aka “trickle down”) economics as it has been employed in Oklahoma and positing what it might look like on a national scale. Lots of Twitter buzz for this one throughout the week. See what you think and let us know on Facebook or Twitter.

5. The New York Times has a fantastic podcast called The Daily hosted by Michael Barbaro that you should absolutely make part of your podcast routine. Last Friday’s (02/02/2018) episode is a really interesting interview with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, formerly the Attorney General of Oklahoma. While the focus of the interview is not on Oklahoma politics per se, rumor has it that Mr. Pruitt has his eye on another statewide office in OK, possibly running for the US Senate. So, we thought this was worthy of 20 minutes of your time.

6. After you listen to Scott Pruitt’s interview on the The Daily, you may want to take a look at this article from Politico Magazine. This is an in-depth look at the Tar Creek SuperFund site in northeastern Oklahoma. Tar Creek has been in the news lately as Mr. Pruitt is accused of revealing the findings of an audit of the clean-up to the subjects of the audit.

Legislative Watch

Early in session it can seem like nothing is happening. The late nights, major bills, Twitter drama and impassioned floor speeches typically happen in the last weeks of April or May. Not this year. With the budget crisis, concurrent sessions and the Step-Up Plan, there is A LOT going on this week.

The Step-Up Plan is getting all of the attention early in session. Several bills have been filed dealing with the both the revenue and government reform portions of the plan:

● HB1033XX: House Bill 1033, this is the big one. This is a general revenue bill that combines a number of new taxes. The bill raises taxes on tobacco products, motor fuels, increases the gross production tax on oil and gas, and taxes energy production from wind. The bill passed the House Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget and passed Senate Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget shortly thereafter. We will spend some time talking through the details of this bill on next week’s podcast. We will delve into why this bill doesn’t (or at least, may not) violate the single subject rule as well as the impact this new revenue will have on our current budget crisis.

● HB1037XX: House Bill 1037 started its life as the bill representing the income tax changes proposed by the Step-Up plan. However, immediately before the bill was brought to committee it underwent a dramatic rewrite. The final bill is a restoration of the Earned Income Tax Credit and makes changes to the standard deduction. The folks at OKPolicy seem to think this is a good change, but we still have a ways to go regarding income tax reform in Oklahoma.

● HB1027XX: House Bill 1027 is the first of the Step-Up Plan’s government reform bills. The bill authorizes the Governor to make some appointments to state boards.

● HB1029XX: House bill 1029 creates the Office of Government Accountability. This another of the Step-Up Plans government reform bills. How much it would actually reform government is another question. We’ll delve into this next week.

There were other bills considered and passed out of the Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget. In particular, the committee passed new caps on deductions used by the coal, railroad and wind industries.

Next Week…

First up on the House floor on Monday is HB1033XX.We can’t really say what else will happen next week because so much depends on this first vote. We anticipate the vote will actually open later in the day after lots of off-the-floor deal-making, arm twisting and vote counting. This will likely be a long vote, and no one knows for sure whether it will pass. The bill requires a 75% supermajority in both chambers. The committee votes both met this threshold but the full House vote on the floor is another matter entirely.

If the bill passes, it will be followed by a series of votes throughout the week on the other, arguably less contentious, votes on the other measures of the Step-Up plan. If the bill fails, the rest of the Step-Up plan bills will not be heard on the floor. At that point, what happens next is anyone’s guess. Stay tuned...Monday is a big day.

We’ll see you next week for the latest edition of #LetsPodThis. And remember: Decisions are made by those who show up!