Articles
-
Good Government
Government transparency bill signed in ceremony
Senate Bill 271, by state Sen. Nathan Dahm and state Rep. Kyle Hilbert, requires state agencies to post annual reports online that list “all federal funds” under the agency’s control and identify, in descending order, the funding source the agency relies on “to the greatest extent.”Ray Carter | August 6, 2019
-
Health Care
Trump nixes Utah's partial Medicaid expansion plan
Last week the Trump administration blocked Utah’s efforts to partially expand Medicaid eligibility to able-bodied, working-age adults. Now Utah will likely move forward with a full Medicaid expansion plan despite budgetary concerns from lawmakers.Kaitlyn Finley | August 6, 2019
-
Budget & Tax
Tribal stances on gaming-fee increase contrast with past tax-increase position
In 2018, some tribal officials were among those urging Oklahomans to “step up” and pay higher taxes. Today, those same tribal entities are opposed to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s call to renegotiate tribal gaming compacts and possibly increase the “exclusivity fee” paid by tribes.Ray Carter | August 5, 2019
-
Education
School-voucher program is helping Oklahoma foster kids
Thanks to an expansion of the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship program, caregivers and adoptive parents of foster children can enroll students in a private school of their choosing that aligns more closely with their child’s specific needs.Staci Elder Hensley | August 3, 2019
-
Judicial Reform
Conflict-of-interest concerns arise in judicial nomination
A member of the Judicial Nominating Commission was a financial contributor to the political campaign of a judge who applied with the JNC to fill a vacant Oklahoma Supreme Court seat, records show.Ray Carter | August 2, 2019
-
Budget & Tax
Debate over state savings continues
Gov. Kevin Stitt's decision to prioritize savings for future downturns continues to draw objections.Ray Carter | August 2, 2019
-
Criminal Justice
By the numbers: Criminal justice in Oklahoma
Although Oklahoma’s crime rates have declined over the past twenty years, the state’s incarceration rate has continued to rise during the same time period.Kaitlyn Finley | August 1, 2019
-
Education, Higher Education
Forming teachers: The education school challenge
Colleges and graduate schools of education are of critical importance—they prepare the teachers who will in turn prepare the rising generation of Americans for adult life and citizenship. Unfortunately, it has been clear for some time that education schools are, on the whole, not delivering the level of formation and training for teachers that parents, schools, and society have a right to expect.Greg Forster, Ph.D. | August 1, 2019
-
Good Government
Review of state spending nearer with launch of LOFT
Members of the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) Oversight Committee held the group’s first meeting Tuesday, convening briefly to name two subcommittees that will develop proposals regarding the hiring of an executive director and administrative rules to guide the entity’s work.Ray Carter | July 31, 2019
-
Budget & Tax
Tribal casino and gaming compacts getting renewed attention
Whereas the majority of casinos in other states are commercially owned, Oklahoma’s casino and gaming compacts have effectively established a monopoly for tribal casinos and gaming. Gov. Kevin Stitt believes it’s time to renegotiate the compacts.Jonathan Small & Curtis Shelton | July 31, 2019