Articles

A review of Oklahoma news databases in the last century helps put all the recent “teacher shortage” headlines in perspective. Decade after decade, the great teacher shortage that will destroy our schools is always predicted, threatening, looming, descending, about to strike.

Some Oklahoma lawmakers have proposed a plan to expand Medicaid eligibility through the Insure Oklahoma program. But Oklahoma Senate Bill 605 and similar iterations, known as the “Oklahoma Plan,” are just a ploy to implement Obamacare Medicaid expansion in the Sooner State and shift hundreds of thousands of able-bodied, working age adults onto Oklahoma’s Medicaid rolls. The plan has three major components: (1) massively increase spending to implement Obamacare Medicaid expansion by way of premium assistance; (2) create a brand new welfare program for 628,000 able-bodied adults; and (3) propose a program that other states have found to be twice as expensive as predicted and with no measurable performance goals or changes in health outcomes. Oklahoma policymakers should reject Obamacare Medicaid expansion, SB 605, or any other plan to “access federal dollars” that expands welfare, and instead refocus their efforts on improving the Medicaid program for the most vulnerable and promoting meaningful health care reforms.

In 2016, Oklahoma voters approved State Question 780, which raised the felony threshold for property crime to $1,000 per occurrence. Retailers, law enforcement officials, and private citizens recently told members of a Senate committee that the result of the state question has been an increase in crime.

The State Board of Education has approved a budget for K-12 public schools that requests an additional $219 million, but board members expressed concern the proposal misleads by omission and fails to provide a carefully considered long-range plan for Oklahoma schools.

State government’s reputation for oversight of finances took a hit at a recent Senate study when officials discussed longstanding confusion over how much money has been placed in a fund in existence for more than six decades, and conceded they are not certain how that money has been spent.

Oklahoma’s use of court fines and fees may be excessive and potentially unconstitutional, according to experts who spoke at a recent Senate meeting. But law enforcement officials stressed that repeal of those fees will require an offsetting increase in state appropriations.

Oklahoma’s gaming activity has grown at one of the fastest paces in the country since voters first approved the State-Tribal Compacts in 2004. Since then Oklahoma’s gaming revenue has grown by nearly 200 percent and has doubled its share of Oklahoma’s economy.

Tennessee announced it is seeking to cap total Medicaid spending by utilizing block grants. If the state’s proposal is approved by the Trump administration, other states would likely follow suit.

Under existing Oklahoma law, people arrested for crimes can post bail and be released even if they pose a threat to others, while other individuals posing no threat remain behind bars awaiting a hearing because of poverty, officials told lawmakers at a legislative study.

There is no real need to regulate private schools, in choice programs or otherwise, for anything other than health and safety. Parents are the real accountability system.