Expert says ‘sloppy research’ mars one defense of Medicaid expansion

Defenders of Medicaid expansion claim there’s no relation between expansion of that welfare program and the number of disabled individuals put on waiting lists for state services. But a national policy expert says research dismissing that connection has glaring methodological flaws and is a “political talking point in search of data.”

LOFT may be used more by watchdogs than lawmakers

This year, lawmakers created the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT), which will audit agency budgets and evaluate the effectiveness of state programs and services, issuing published reports of resulting conclusions.

Supporters say the office will lead to better legislative oversight and more efficient use of taxpayer dollars. But officials in other states with similar programs say private-sector watchdogs, rather than politicians, often make better use of the resulting data.

OCPA still waiting for OU open records

Is the University of Oklahoma a campus rife with racism, hostility to other minority groups, and rampant threats, intimidation, and discrimination? Hopefully not, but there’s no way to tell for certain because the university has failed to respond to requests for details about complaints filed with the school’s bias hotline.

Mulready: Bills increase insurance choices

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready says this year’s passage of two bills to increase access to health insurance and give people protection against catastrophic events represent a small step forward in addressing Oklahoma’s health needs.

New budget hits near record high

The $8.3 billion appropriated budget is a near record for Oklahoma. This brings the two-year increase in appropriations to $1.2 billion.

Legislative session comes to an end

The Oklahoma Legislature effectively ended this year’s session on Thursday when lawmakers passed a resolution allowing both chambers to stand adjourned for more than three days and declaring sine die adjournment will occur by 5 p.m. on May 31.

OCPA comments on 2019 legislative session