Education Department Release: Oklahoma ranks second nationally in elementary reading expectations
Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Education Department Release: Oklahoma ranks second nationally in elementary reading expectations6/18/2021
Staff Report
A new report shows Oklahoma is making significant strides in setting high expectations for student academic proficiency, rising to second in the nation in expectations for elementary-level reading, according to a press release from state government officials.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results were revealed just as the state Education Department plans to train more teachers who work with young readers.
In a state-by-state comparison, NAEP, also known as the Nation’s Report Card, ranked Oklahoma second in the country in expectations for fourth-grade reading and seventh for eighth-grade reading for 2019. Oklahoma ranked 15th and 14th respectively in the study from 2017. Meanwhile, Oklahoma’s rankings remained consistent for math. The last two studies ranked Oklahoma in the top third of states for fourth-grade math and ranked fifth in the nation for eighth-grade math.
In the view of state Department officials, the 2019 results (https://ift.tt/3iSlI9q) released this month, “build upon gains made in the study after the implementation of the Oklahoma Academic Standards in 2016. Oklahoma ranked 41st out of 47 states for fourth-grade reading under the old standards in 2015.”
In a press release from the agency, sent to CapitolBeatOK.com and other news organizations, state Schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister said, “We are narrowing the gap for national comparability in expectations for student performance. We have made extraordinary progress in the last four years, rising from 41st to second in the country,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister. “Now that we have set our expectations high, we are pleased that a new initiative will ensure teachers have advanced training and strategies based on the science of reading to achieve those goals.”
As part of Ready Together Oklahoma: An Action Plan for Supporting Students Through the Pandemic and Beyond (https://ift.tt/2UhgUA5), the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) in July will begin offering no-cost professional development in early childhood literacy for 10,000 teachers over the next three years. All teachers who work with K-3 students on reading, spelling and related language skills are eligible for the program.
The Education Department press release said the Oklahoma Science of Reading professional development is funded by the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund and will contain:
• In-depth knowledge based on the most current research regarding what, when and how language skills need to be taught
• Ways to assess student language development for prevention and intervention
• Guidance on how to plan and balance word recognition and compression instruction
• Information on how to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students
The “science of reading” is a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically based research about issues related to reading and writing derived from experts from multiple fields including education, cognitive psychology, communication sciences, linguistics and neuroscience.
The OSDE program is a two-year commitment with both self-paced learning and learning sessions with a facilitator. Teachers will need to plan for about an hour a week during the school year in order to complete the program.
For more information about the Oklahoma Science of Reading professional development program teachers are encouraged to fill out an interest survey (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf4o73xQoFX9-SqArvEOewkUHtBUoEw8VvkJ5Fi0-gXZTiqaQ/viewform).
Education Department Release: Oklahoma ranks second nationally in elementary reading expectations Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
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Mike Mazzei
The Biden Administration’s spending binge has officially begun.
Late last month, most states, counties, and major cities across the country received 50 percent of their allotment from the bloated $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP). (https://ift.tt/35HeQDH )
Although the plan is completely partisan and failed to receive a single Republican vote in Congress, the Biden Administration has moved forward with allocating an unnecessary $2.1 billion for the State of Oklahoma.
In addition, Oklahoma County is slated for $154 million and Tulsa County is set to receive $126 million. The City of Oklahoma City is slated to get $125 million and the City of Tulsa $88 million.
This new cash for massive government spending comes as the American economy is roaring back to life, corporate profits are crushing expectations, and state and local governments have budget surpluses. Thanks to the bipartisan COVID-19 packages passed in 2020, the state received $1.2 billion.
In addition, Oklahoma County was allocated $47 million and Tulsa County received $113 million. Moreover, the City of Oklahoma City received $114 million and the City of Tulsa received $30 million.
This was more than enough money to help Oklahoma effectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and keep our economy afloat.
Yet, already one can hear politicians saying, “We have to maximize this new round of funding.” If I gave my college kids each $25,000 this summer, could they spend it? Sure, but they don’t need it. Similarly, Oklahoma can spend these funds, but we need judicious oversight to minimize the risk of getting addicted to the flow of one-time cash coming in the door.
The newly released guidelines for ARP funds also make spending very easy and create extremely wide latitude for outlandish investments, such as building a “more equitable economy,” addressing “disparities and public health,” and funding “projects that address the impacts of climate change.”
With these broad guidelines, it is likely that the ARP will spawn a gargantuan amount of government boondoggles across the country that will waste billions of dollars on unnecessary projects and fail to advance prosperity for the American people. Fortunately, the Oklahoma Legislature has already put into law a requirement that federal dollars sent to the State cannot be spent on recurring expenses. Unfortunately, $1.3 billion will bypass the State and will go directly to all 77 counties and to nine cities in Oklahoma with very few guardrails or methods for monitoring spending.
This massive amount of money comes on the heels of last year's $5.6 trillion of relief and will very likely overheat the American economy.
Already the year-over-year cost of consumer goods has gone up by 7 percent. The Producer Price Index has gone up 4.2 percent. The prices of commodities, housing, and energy are surging. With inflation running hot and interest rates on the rise, what will the state of the economy be when the federal money runs out?
The Oklahoma economy and government revenues have surged in the wake of the $28 billion stimulus that poured into the state in 2020. Now another $8 billion is coming.
Oklahoma leaders should intentionally focus on one-time investments that will be transformative in nature and help us increase our average household income, which is still 20 percent below the national average.
We need investments that will result in high-paying jobs. We need investments that will better educate and prepare our students for the 21st century workforce.
We must avoid investments that create gaping budget holes. We must avoid investments that do not have true measurable returns for success.
If we “maximize funding,” we become complicit with the Biden spending binge. We become complicit in borrowing far too much money from our children’s future. We become complicit in sowing the seeds of financial destruction for our economy. Oklahoma leaders need to find the courage and fortitude to take only what we need and send a large portion of ARP funds back to Mr. Biden.
A note from Pat McGuigan: Mike Mazzei served in the Oklahoma Senate from 2004 to 2016 and was chairman of the Senate Finance Committee for 10 years. During that time, he worked with Randy McDaniel (a former state representative and presently state treasurer) in achieving pension reforms that CapitolBeatOK.com rated as among the most important fiscal reforms in modern Oklahoma history. Mazzei also served as the Oklahoma Secretary of Budget from 2018 to 2020. A certified financial planner, Mazzei is the president of Tulsa Wealth Advisors.
Oklahoma Policy Makers should beware the Biden spending binge: Analysis Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK Juneteenth Historical sketch development of observances and designation as a national holiday6/18/2021
Patrick B. McGuigan
“Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.”
That’s according to a website, simply named “Juneteeth,” that’s been around some years.
(https://juneteenth.com/?fbclid=IwAR1FA8PBabz9JNJb3YkudtdGRuLu_Pzei26Kt0R4sfcFvpgazNpC_rFEPnU).
The “Texas origin” origins refers to the day that Major General Gordon Granger of the U.S. Army landed at Galveston on the Gulf of Mexico coast. It was two-and-a-half years after Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation declaring enslaved persons in the Confederate States (then warring against the United States) were free.
Only a handful of people in Texas had ever heard about the proclamation. Gordon issued an order (which through the work of Major F.W. Avery, his adjutant) was printed in regional newspapers).
It declared:
"The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer."
What I believe is the original Juneteenth website reports, “Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society.”
The narrative continues, concerning the days just after Granger’s Galveston landing, “While many lingered to learn of this new employer to employee relationship, many left before these offers were completely off the lips of their former ‘masters’ – attesting to the varying conditions on the plantations and the realization of freedom. Even with nowhere to go, many felt that leaving the plantation would be their first grasp of freedom. North was a logical destination and for many it represented true freedom, while the desire to reach family members in neighboring states drove some into Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Settling into these new areas as free men and women brought on new realities and the challenges of establishing a heretofore non-existent status for black people in America.
“Recounting the memories of that great day in June of 1865 and its festivities would serve as motivation as well as a release from the growing pressures encountered in their new territories. The celebration of June 19th was coined ‘Juneteenth’ and grew with more participation from descendants. The Juneteenth celebration was a time for reassuring each other, for praying and for gathering remaining family members. Juneteenth continued to be highly revered in Texas decades later, with many former slaves and descendants making an annual pilgrimage back to Galveston on this date.”
Elsewhere the story continued, “In the early years, little interest existed outside the African American community in participation in the celebrations. In some cases, there was outwardly exhibited resistance by barring the use of public property for the festivities. Most of the festivities found themselves out in rural areas around rivers and creeks that could provide for additional activities such as fishing, horseback riding and barbecues.
“Often church grounds were the site for such activities. Eventually, as African Americans became land owners, land was donated and dedicated for these festivities. One of the earliest documented land purchases in the name of Juneteenth was organized by Rev. Jack Yates. This fund-raising effort yielded $1000 and made possible the purchase of Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas. In Mexia, the local Juneteenth organization purchased Booker T. Washington Park, which had become the Juneteenth celebration site in 1898. There are accounts of Juneteenth activities being interrupted and halted by white landowners demanding that their laborers return to work. However, it seems most allowed their workers the day off and some even made donations of food and money. For decades these annual celebrations flourished, growing continuously with each passing year. In Booker T. Washington Park, as many as 20,000 African Americans once attended during the course of a week, making the celebration one of the state’s largest.”
Observance of the day faded for several decades, including during the decades of the “Black Migration” from the south into border and northern states.
During the Civil Rights movment’s heyday of the 1950s and 1960s, resurging interest in the relevance of June 19 featured “student demonstrators involved in the Atlanta civil rights campaign in the early 1960’s, who wore Juneteenth freedom buttons. Again in 1968, Juneteenth received another strong resurgence through the Poor Peoples March to Washington D.C. Rev. Ralph Abernathy’s call for people of all races, creeds, economic levels and professions to come to Washington to show support for the poor. Many of these attendees returned home and initiated Juneteenth celebrations in areas previously absent of such activities.”
Back in Texas, where Juneteenth originated, state Rep. Allbert Ely “Al” Edwards, who lived from 1937-2020, pressed to make it a state holiday. He succeeded early in his legislative tenure, and the Lone Star State’s observances began in 1980.
Edwards (based in Houston) became a major advocate for broader observance of the event and before long was known as “Mr. Juneteenth.”
Edwards served in the Texas Legislature for a total of three decades, from 1978-2007; then 2009-2011. Winning most of his elections easily, he got him in trouble with some for working on issues other than the priorities of activist groups.
His one defeat came to another black leader, Borris Miles, who had assailed Edwards for being a “Craddick D.” (That was a reference to Edwards' frequent work with Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick.)
When Edwards died last year in a time of social and cultural tumult, Juneteenth was on its way to national holiday designation. Now-Senator Miles remembered his former rival:
“I thank Al for all that he did for our community. For without the drive of leaders in the face of evil, we would be nowhere. We must continue the fight of our forefathers and mothers to rise and lift each other up.”
(https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/texas/2020/04/30/368361/former-state-rep-al-edwards-who-helped-make-juneteenth-a-state-holiday-dies-at-83/)
In 1999, the posthumously published novel “Juneteenth” by Oklahoma native Ralph Ellison (1914-1994) played a part in renewing interest in the significance of the June 19 date in American history.
Black writer Willie Richardson lamented (in a column for The Patriot Post) that the weekend of June 19-21, 2020, had turned violent in major cities across the country.
In Oklahoma, several gatherings for Juneteenth were peaceful.
In the U.S. Senate, Kamala Harris of California, a Democrat and allies spoke of pushing to make it a national holiday. Meanwhile, Republican John Cornyn of Texas encouraged his own version of a holiday designation.
In Washington this week, overwhelming majorities in both the House and Senate passed legislation to designate June 19 a new federal holiday.
President Joe Biden has given most federal employees the day (Friday) off, in anticipation of his signature on the new law (https://ift.tt/35xaWNW via @FederalNewsNet Alazar Moges). Biden signed legislation created the observance on Thursday (June 17).
Happy Juneteenth!
Juneteenth – Historical sketch, development of observances and designation as a national holiday Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Darla Shelden, The City Sentinel
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on The City Sentinel website, with more complete links and references, here: (https://ift.tt/3gAwAan )
OKLAHOMA CITY – Don Knight, attorney for Oklahoma death row prisoner Richard Glossip, spoke for more than half an hour Wednesday (June 16) during a press conference at the State Capitol. He asserted that there is evidence that proves his client is innocent.
Glossip, 58, has no prior criminal history, and has been on Oklahoma’s death row since 1998.
The event was hosted by State Rep. Kevin McDugle, R-Broken Arrow, who also spoke on behalf of Glossip’s innocence.
McDugle sent a letter to Gov. Kevin Stitt and the Pardon and Parole Board asking for a review of Glossip’s case. The bipartisan letter was signed by 34 Oklahoma legislators, 28 Republicans and 6 Democrats.
“New evidence from 29 witnesses and experts casts serious doubt on the integrity of Glossip’s conviction, the press release states. “The case has taken on a new urgency as executions in Oklahoma could resume within the next few months.”
Knight and McDugle have requested a third-party investigation into the case.
Glossip was convicted of what prosecutors called a “murder for hire” 1997 beating death of motel owner Barry Van Treese in Oklahoma City.
The admitted killer, Justin Sneed, a co-worker of Glossip, avoided the death penalty and received a sentence of life without parole by confessing to the murder of Van Treese, in exchange for testifying against Glossip.
Knight is a well-known Colorado attorney who specializes in capital punishment cases. He presented a document he and two other Glossip advocates, Kathleen Lord and Mark Olive, call the “Eight is Enough” (https://ift.tt/3gARdD7) reasons to doubt Glossip’s guilt. The document contends there were at least eight very different stories told by Sneed.
“I can tell you from a political standpoint there is nothing to gain when you get involved in something like this, and the only reason I’m here is because I do believe, personally, that we have an innocent man on death row,” said McDugle.
“We did a thorough investigation on this case,” Knight stated. “We interviewed more than 190 people in this case. We consulted more than 15 expert witnesses, forensic pathologists, serologists, forensic accountants, polygraph experts, FBI and crime scene experts.”
McDugle is a supporter of Oklahoma’s death penalty, but after reviewing new evidence he now believes Glossip’s case needs a closer review.
In an Op-Ed to the Tulsa World, Rep. McDugle stated, “Either we get the death penalty right, or we don’t do it."
An article by Maurice Chammah and Keri Blakinger for The Marshall Project
(https://ift.tt/3wUQ4fT) states: “A few years ago, conservative business owner Justin Jackson watched ‘Killing Richard Glossip,’ a four-part series on Investigation Discovery ... … and couldn’t stop thinking about it. Jackson is friends with Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, and while the two were hunting deer, he voiced his concerns. Eventually, Jackson cold-called Glossip’s lawyer and offered his help, and he started talking about the case to friends in the legislature, including McDugle.”
Last week, a group of 16 Oklahoma legislators, largely Republican, traveled to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester to learn more about the case. While there, some of the representatives met with Glossip on Oklahoma’s underground death row.
Rep. Justin Humphrey (R-Lane) Chair of the House Public Safety Commission, one of the lawmakers who met with Glossip and who has signed the letter calling for an investigation into his case, has 30 years of law enforcement experience.
Humphrey said: “I support the death penalty but only if we know for certain that the person is guilty of the crime. Before we stick a poison needle in Rich Glossip’s arm, I believe qualified people need to take a look at the new evidence and his whole case. Rich’s lawyers showed us everything they have and let us ask any questions we wanted. If the prosecutors are confident in their case, then they need to lay their cards on the table and let us take a look. That’s all we’re asking.”
McDugle, lead author of the letter, stated, “Twenty-nine new witnesses and experts have signed sworn affidavits and are ready to testify that there are serious problems with various aspects of the prosecution’s case.
“Some of these witnesses tell us Sneed framed Rich Glossip in order to avoid the death penalty himself. It looks very possible that an innocent man has been on death row for more than two decades. We urge the Governor and Pardon and Parole Board to allow for a thorough investigation into this entire case. Oklahoma cannot be in the business of killing innocent people.”
The press release states: Glossip’s conviction was based primarily on statements made by Sneed that he was hired by Glossip to kill Van Treese. There was no DNA, no fingerprints, and no eyewitnesses implicating Glossip. It was just the admitted killer’s story against Glossip’s. Sneed’s story changed on key points at least eight times.
Knight has repeatedly requested files from Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater that he believes could hold important evidence to proving Glossip’s innocence. In January of this year, Knight wrote a 41-page letter to Prater detailing his request.
(https://dknightlaw.app.box.com/s/av9wv18618fr3ejgl7xlffo92v2gzkpq?fbclid=IwAR1mC0uqjWL9HWYj71-NaRYWB_G9MOnra90YTJoZpU7EmgLGR1BAK5l_LJo)
There has been no response to date.
New evidence uncovered by Glossip’s legal team establishes that the killing was a botched robbery carried out by Sneed and a female accomplice and that Glossip was never involved.
Glossip has exhausted his appeals and was denied clemency in 2014 (https://www.oklahoman.com/article/5360056/clemency-denied-for-oklahoma-man-sentenced-to-death-for-role-in-murder). However, Knight said “because of the delays in the case, the pardon and parole board will hear Glossip’s clemency petition once an execution date is set,” reported Perris Jones of KOCO News.
If a new investigation proves Glossip is innocent, the Pardon and Parole board would then have to recommend clemency for Glossip. The final decision would be made by Gov. Stitt.
A statement from the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office stated in part, “Glossip had his day in court. Two juries of his peers have spoken.”
Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater responded in a statement saying, “I rely on the legal process to sanitize the venomous accusations made against me. I am confident that the rule of law will again rule the day and none of the falsehoods and lies will survive.”
Last fall a legislative Interim Study (https://ift.tt/3q54NBW) led by McDugle underscored multiple concerns about the death penalty in Oklahoma.
However, supporters of the death penalty stressed an intention to, sooner or later, resume state-managed executions.
During that event, McDugle declared that Richard Glossip (https://ift.tt/3wCxrwM), one of the state’s most prominent death row inmates, is actually innocent. Knight testified at that hearing on some of the new information his team has uncovered.
Knight told the Interim Study panel, “We found people who had extensive knowledge of Sneed’s intravenous methamphetamine use.”
Knight, who has worked on the case pro bono, indicated that many witnesses are willing to testify that Sneed was a desperate intravenous methamphetamine user willing to trade anything he had for access to drugs and women.
During the course of Glossip’s case, Knight says prosecutors have destroyed evidence, intimidated and even arrested witnesses.
Knight was first introduced to the Glossip case by his longtime friend Sister Helen Prejean, author of “Dead Man Walking,” a noted anti-death penalty advocate, and Glossip’s spiritual advisor.
“What is beautiful about today is that it is Republicans and pro death penalty people who now have so many doubts and questions about Richard’s case,” Prejean said.
“We currently have 185 wrongfully convicted people in the US that have been lucky enough to get off of death row. We almost killed them. For every 9 people we execute in this country we had to let 1 go because we made another mistake because the truth didn’t come out in the courts. The jury didn’t hear all the facts. And the jury didn’t hear all the eight versions that Justin Sneed gave.
“The fact is there are so many questions about Richard’s case and whether Justin Sneed told the truth. I want to praise the politicians for speaking out,” Prejean added.
“You can be for the death penalty, in theory, but it shows how strong and principled politicians can be. They raise questions, come out publicly, and write letters to the Governor. We need more politicians like that.”
Glossip has endured three scheduled executions, the last of which, on Sept. 30, 2015, was not postponed until 45 minutes after he was scheduled to die. The mistakes made by the state in that botched execution led to a moratorium that has continued into this year.
Knight stated in his January correspondence to Prater, “If you are confident in your evidence and it is unassailable, as it should be to support the execution of a citizen of Oklahoma, there is nothing to be gained from refusing to reveal it now. I’m interested in getting this stuff and if they haven’t got it, then it’s time to start talking about letting Rich go.
“I’m thankful to Representatives McDugle and Humphrey for giving us the opportunity to use Rich’s case to highlight the serious problems that grow from defense attorneys who fail to do even the most basic work on behalf of their clients, and how the appeals are not designed to remedy these problems,” Knight said.
“I’m thankful to Representative McDugle for giving us the opportunity to use Rich’s case to highlight the serious problems that grow from defense attorneys who fail to do even the most basic work on behalf of their clients, and how the appeals are not designed to remedy these problems,” Knight said.
“This letter (https://ift.tt/3zCiHje), signed by almost a quarter of all legislators in Oklahoma, speaks to the high value all Oklahomans place on justice and morality,” Knight told The City Sentinel.
“It is clear that Oklahomans have no desire to kill an innocent man. We are hopeful that an independent law firm will be appointed to look at our evidence, and we invite Mr. Prater’s office to join in this request and give that firm access to all they have. If Mr. Prater is certain of his evidence, he should have no trouble doing so. We are convinced that all the evidence in the case, when looked at independently, will confirm what we already know. That Mr. Glossip is innocent of any involvement in this murder. We will continue to prepare for Mr. Glossip’s clemency hearing and explore other avenues that might open up to spare Mr. Glossip, the Van Treese family, and the citizens of Oklahoma the deep pain and justifiable outcry of setting another execution date for this innocent man.”
For more information, visit SaveRichardGlossip.com
Signing McDugle’s letter to Gov. Stitt were:
Oklahoma State Representatives:
Garry Mize (R-Guthrie), Mickey Dollens (D-Oklahoma City), Denise Brewer (D-Tulsa), Collin Walke (D-Oklahoma City), Preston Stinson, (R-Edmond), John Waldron (D-Tulsa), Jeff Boatman (R-Tulsa), Emily Virgin (D-Norman), John Talley (R-Stillwater), Tammy Townley (R-Ardmore), Brian Hill (R-Mustang), Gerrid Kendrix (R-Altus), Rusty Cornwell (R-Vinita), Jay Steagall (R-Yukon), Dick Lowe (R-Amber), JJ Humphrey (R-Lane), Kenton Pakowsky (R-Balko), Wendi Stearman (R-Collinsville), Stan May (R-Broken Arrow), Eddie Dempsey (R-Valliant), Ken Lurell (R-Ponca City), Marilyn Stark (R-Bethany), Max Wolfley (R-Oklahoma City), Kevin McDugle (R-Broken Arrow), Ty Burns (R-Perry), Monroe Nichols (D-Tulsa), Randy Randleman (R-Eufaula), and Dell Kerbs (R-Shawnee).
Oklahoma State Senators:
Shane Jett (R-Shawnee), Nathan Dahm (R-Broken Arrow), Blake “Cowboy” Stephens (R-Tahlequah), David Bullard (R-Durant), Rob Standridge (R-Norman), and Warren Hamilton (R-McCurtain).
28 Republicans led by Rep. Kevin McDugle want third party investigation into death row prisoner Richard Glossip’s case Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Patrick B. McGuigan, special to The Southwest Ledger
https://ift.tt/2U8FF17
State Rep. Garry Mize, R-Guthrie, chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Utilities, knew from the start of his legislative career the panel “traditionally is not the source of a lot of legislation. But in the aftermath of the winter storms, we handled the most expensive policy piece perhaps in state history with the securitization issue.”
As Mike Ray reported for Southwest Ledger (April 29, 2021), Mize was a key player in shepherding Senate Bill 1050 (Regulated Utility Consumer Protection Act) and Senate Bill 1049 (Unregulated Utility Consumer Protection Act) through this year’s legislative process.
The measures “securitized” the massive energy costs incurred by utilities during the shocking subfreezing February winter weather.
In an interview with The Southwest Ledger, Mize said, “I believe what we accomplished was good. The question is whether that is the best we could do or … if we need to add to it, catch anything we didn’t catch in session.”
Among the Mize musings of our early June exchange, he wondered, “Did we do all we could? We need to make sure, but can never do everything for everybody. We had meetings last week and this and I know we will be having more in the time ahead.”
In the process of “securitization,” Mize, members of the House and Senate studied what other states had done in recent decades to recover from extreme weather.
As he said in February, “At least 20 other states have used this concept to recover from extreme weather events.” The goal was to avoid the impact of “surprising consumers with crippling utility bills.”
The new laws, as Ray reported then, create “a property right based on the customer charges for the securitization, which guarantees the holders of the bonds will be repaid. The Oklahoma Development Finance Authority (ODFA) is authorized to issue ratepayer-backed bonds. The maturity period of those bonds is limited to no more than 30 years.”
Medical Marijuana Musings
The work of a dutiful legislator is never done, of course. In our June interview, Mize said oversight of developments in the medical marijuana industry (the right word, it seems) “has emerged as an important issue. What’s most needed? It’s easy to say legislators, that is, the Legislature at the time did not get ahead of that issue when it emerged. Now, we have momentum building to grapple with issues that arise from medical marijuana question.”
He continued, “After the state question passed ... some legislators must have thought they did not want to set [bad] precedents. Now it’s clear some better policy is need. What needs to happen next – as with any issue – is to get everybody on board to the extent possible. That means the state Senate, the governor and the private sector.”
A continuing issue “is wording of the state question, which has recreational orientation. We’ve heard that from advocates in other states. For now, we need to adequately fund the agency the people created by passing the measure.”
Hinting at tough choices ahead: “There are international folks coming into Oklahoma, trying to make money and some don’t care too much what the law actually says. Generally speaking, what we hear from rural folks is that ‘international folks’ with resources are pushing the edges of the law in terms of what is actually permitted. As policymakers, we have to figure that out.”
He admitted, “It is a difficult political issue. Certainly, development of policy in this area is not a traditional Republican issue or way to go about handling an issue of policy. That may seem a fine nuance, trying to address concerns about medical marijuana practices but not to undo the will of the people.”
Just days ago, “I spoke with a group of Logan County Republican women, and they recognized that [ballot] measure passed overwhelmingly in the first place, including in Logan County. Out in the country is where a lot of the edge nonsense is taking place.
“The situation shows the power of money, in that nobody has been seriously policing it. I don’t care who you are, at a certain point it’s tempting to people to accept an offer of resources for access to their land. Finding a balance that structures this for good health and not for recreational abuses.”
Something we share: Health Struggles and elements of 'B.S.'
Reflecting broadly on his experience at the state Capitol, Mize said, “I have been surprised at the dissension between the agencies and the Legislature. I would love to see more collaboration and more bipartisanship on all kinds of issues – to lay out at the front end what is and is not on the table. Lay out the issues. Make a reasonable deal. Work it out.”
Rep. Mize has carved out a niche for his work on Mental Health and Substance Abuse issues. He told this reporter, “I believe we are further down the road than two years ago. We spent some money on those issues this year, and we spent some time on it. We now have a bipartisan, bicameral caucus. We’re never going to change or advance any issue until we’re talking about it.
“Now, we have people of good faith working on mental health and substance abuse issues. So, we can talk about changes. Statistics shows that these issues touch all of us.
“A lot of people – probably most people – struggled during the pandemic. Regardless of anyone’s views on masks and such issues, the pandemic was a time of struggle for a lot of people. Now there is help in more and different ways.
“The rhetoric needs to continue to stress that mental health struggles don’t make you ‘abnormal’.”
An uplifting theme in the recent work on mental health/substance abuse issues is: “There is life on the other side. I expect we’ll continue to see progress working together, including spending for the programs.
“There has been a change from some of the age-old rhetoric: ‘Everybody’s got some element of B.S. in their lives, whatever it is.’ Recognizing that, people are looking at how to help each other.”
This reporter told Mize he was surprised the solon raised the utility issue before the question could even be posed. He mused, again: “My experience in the Legislature is similar to that in the private sector: Get in, get dirty, figure it out. The old saying is you can’t be a jack of all trades. And if you try to be, you’ll be a master of none.
“Well, I think you can have an impact on a lot of issues in public life – but I just need to know who the master is.”
Looking Back, Looking Ahead
Mize was among the cluster of Republican legislators who attracted no Democratic opposition in the 2020 general election. His comfortable win in the GOP primary (where he garnered almost 67 percent support) re-elected him. He said, “I actually wasn’t surprised because of the 2018 win. My predecessor did draw opponents – but I didn’t – at least, in that race.
After three legislative sessions, with his fourth set for next February, Mize already seems to be a strong candidate for a third term. And the legislative reapportionment process (surprisingly noncontentious) made him look even better.
He commented that his House District 31 had to shrink in area due to population growth and change.
“I was really fortunate, because the nature of the district is ‘it didn’t matter what I gave up’,” he said.
“I have to say it was a fair trade for me. I’m happy because I got a piece of Guthrie on the west side, where my sister lives. That might be a little better for the people. So, we all win.”
Asked to touch on any significant matter where your humble servant had not questioned him, Mize offered perhaps his wisest words yet: “Well, I have a view of politics and of things in general. There is too much emphasis on what we do, not enough on the home and the family. Let’s all make that a priority.”
Mize Musings: Utility Consumer Protections, Rx marijuana, etc. Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK From the Floor Leaders Desk: One of the most productive legislative sessions weve ever had6/16/2021
Senator Kim David
I’m proud to say that this was one of the most productive legislative sessions we’ve ever had. We made tremendous strides in strengthening Oklahoma’s economy and helping improve the lives of our citizens.
Altogether, the governor signed close to 600 bills, which included nearly 15 of mine. One of those will help our dedicated 33,000 state employees by modernizing the annual state employee flexible benefit allowance to better address ever-increasing healthcare costs.
Senate Bill 650 increases the statutory minimum benefit allowance amount for Plan Year 2022 by 2 percent and provides for an additional 2 percent increase for Plan Year 2023. It then establishes the allowance amount in Plan 2023 as the statutory minimum benefit allowance amount. This was an important step for these dedicated public servants who work year-round, and essentially get a pay cut each year as the current benefit allowance calculation isn’t keeping pace with the ever-growing costs of their state health insurance. This modest change will help adjust for inflation and bring the benefit allowance more in line with current health insurance costs. State employee compensation is also approximately 12 percent below the market value, so this is an important step in helping properly compensate these workers that provide critical services from health and human services to transportation and public safety.
As for the budget, it was one of the most comprehensive I’ve seen during my time thanks to Oklahomans’ resilience, the legislature’s fiscal conservatism last year in not spending all available revenue and our economy fully reopening so quickly. Together, this helped infuse our state general fund with record revenue that we were able to put into the historic $8.8 billion FY’22 budget. It’s hard to believe we’ve come so far from the $1.3 billion revenue shortfall we were facing last year from low energy prices and the pandemic.
This will protect our core state services like education, public safety, and health and human services, among the many others. It restores last session’s cuts and increases most of the nearly 70 state agency budgets.
Our public schools are always a priority and received a revenue boost of nearly $172 million, resulting in a historic $3.2 billion budget, which accounts for over one-third of the total state budget. Overall, including higher education and other education-related agencies, Oklahoma education will receive nearly $4.17 billion, which is nearly half of the total state budget. This funding level will trigger lower class sizes for kindergarten and first grade and provide much-needed new funding for textbooks along with other critical classroom expenses.
A $42 million investment will also be made to expand broadband services statewide, especially in rural areas. Oklahoma ranks 47th nationally in broadband connectivity, hurting not only those trying to work and learn, but deterring businesses from locating here. This provider tax rebate will help more communities get the high-speed internet service they need to function in our digital age.
We’re also putting money back into the pockets of hardworking Oklahomans and the companies who support our economy. All Oklahomans will receive tax relief through the reduction of the personal income tax to 4.75 percent, and low-income families will also receive additional relief through the restoration of the state earned income tax credit refundability. Our business community will see relief through the corporate income tax being reduced to 4 percent. These changes will leave Oklahoma with the third lowest corporate income tax of those that have one and one of the 10 lowest personal income taxes nationwide.
Healthcare is another area where critical investments will be made. The budget includes $164 million to fund the voter-approved Medicaid expansion. OU Health’s historic sales tax credit was also restored to allow significantly more nurses and doctors to be trained, addressing our state’s dangerous shortage of medical professionals, especially in rural areas like ours.
Further helping rural Oklahoma, an additional $15 million will be provided for Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) grants for critical infrastructure projects in communities of 7,000 or less. These grants cover transportation, water and other major infrastructure needs.
You can learn more about the FY’22 budget on the Senate website at www.oksenate.gov.
NOTE: This report is adapted from one that previously appeared here:
(https://ift.tt/2Ubp2SG)
www.CapitolBeatOK.com
From the Floor Leader’s Desk: “One of the most productive legislative sessions we’ve ever had” Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
CapitolBeatOK Staff Report
Lake Charles, Louisiana – A federal judge in Louisiana has sided with a group of states, including Oklahoma, who have challenged President Joe Biden’s attempt to disrupt America’s energy industry through an executive order.
Judge Terry Doughty has issued a preliminary injunction, blocking the Biden administration’s effort to halt the sale of new oil and gas leases on federal land and offshore wells.
In his ruling, Judge Doughty said the states challenging the moratorium demonstrated that it is likely unlawful and poses a substantial threat of irreparable injury by jeopardizing millions, possibly billions, of dollars of economic activity.
Oklahoma Solicitor General Mithun Mansinghani, who represents Oklahoma in the litigation, applauded the judge’s action.
“This ruling is a victory for the rule of law, for Oklahoma, and for the energy industry,” Mansinghani said.
“This year, the Oklahoma Legislature directed our office to monitor and challenge unlawful federal actions, including executive orders like this one. Oklahoma can ill afford to have a president attack its main industry by executive fiat. Oklahoma energy companies operate on federal lands throughout the country. This executive order is not only unlawful, but also threatens state revenue, may further raise energy and gas prices, and harms the hard-working men and women whose livelihoods depend on these quality jobs.”
The judge also agreed with Oklahoma and 12 other states’ position that the president’s executive action on this matter needs congressional approval.
“The agencies could cancel or suspend a lease sale due to problems with that specific lease,” the judge wrote, “but not as to eligible lands for no reason other than to do a comprehensive review pursuant to Executive Order 14008. Although there is certainly nothing wrong with performing a comprehensive review, there is a problem in ignoring acts of Congress while the review is being completed.”
The group of 13 states filed the lawsuit in March.
According to the lawsuit, the current rules and regulations surrounding leasing activities on public lands and offshore waters that President Biden’s administration unlawfully halted were approved in 2016 by the then-President Obama’s and then-Vice President Biden’s administration. To read the ruling, go here (https://bit.ly/3gBD0Vv.).
www.CapitolBeatOK.com
Federal Court sides with states (including Oklahoma) challenging President Biden’s attempt to disrupt energy industry Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
https://ift.tt/3vtmf47
Multiple media outlets are reporting North Korean Defector Yeonmi Park’s shock that, “she viewed the US as country of free thought and free speech – until she went to college here.”
Yeonmi Park attended Columbia University and was immediately struck by what she viewed anti-Western sentiment in the classroom and a focus on political correctness that had her thinking “even North Korea isn’t this nuts.”
The 27-year-old told The New York Post (https://ift.tt/2Tz8nIw) that she couldn’t believe she would be asked to do “this much censoring of myself” at a university in the United States. “I literally crossed the Gobi Desert to be free and I realized I’m not free, America’s not free,” she said.
“I expected that I was paying this fortune, all this time and energy, to learn how to think. But they are forcing you to think the way they want you to think,” Park told Fox News (https://www.foxnews.com/us/north-korean-defector-ivy-league-nuts).
“I realized, wow, this is insane. I thought America was different but I saw so many similarities to what I saw in North Korea that I started worrying.”
The Post writes, “Park fled North Korea at age 13 in 2007, a voyage that took her and her family to China and South Korea before she went to school in New York in 2016.
“Her professors gave students 'trigger warnings,' sharing the wording from readings in advance so people could opt out of reading or even sitting in class during discussions, Park told The Post.
“Going to Columbia, the first thing I learned was ‘safe space,’” she said.
“Every problem, they explained us, is because of white men.” Some of the discussions of white privilege reminded her of the caste system in her native country, where people were categorized based on their ancestors, she said.
Park said North Korea students were constantly informed about the “American Bastard.”
“I thought North Koreans were the only people who hated Americans, but turns out there are a lot of people hating this country in this country,” she told The Post.
Note: This story is adapted from: Tulsa Today Staff Report, “Even North Korea isn’t this nuts,” June 15, 2021
(https://ift.tt/3vtmf47)
Tulsa Today was the nation’s first online newspaper. David Arnett is founder and publisher. Pat McGuigan of The City Sentinel is former Capital Editor for Arnett’s news organization.
Defector: “Even North Korea isn’t this nuts” Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK State Rep. Mickey Dollens of Oklahoma City requests Interim Study on public benefit jobs initiative6/16/2021
CapitolBeatOK Staff Report
OKLAHOMA CITY -- An Oklahoma City state representative requested approval Monday for an interim study focused on providing avenues of assistance to income-insecure Oklahomans.
Rep. Mickey Dollens, D-Oklahoma City, submitted a request for a study to examine different ways the state could facilitate and promote public benefit work opportunities to assist income insecure individuals with instant financial stability and flexible work scheduling to help them maintain housing and transition back into permanent employment.
“If approved, we will attempt to tackle some of the biggest problems Oklahomans face,” Dollens said.
“Low wages, predatory lending, recidivism, unpredictable and inconsistent work schedules; By connecting Oklahomans who are homeless or facing income insecurity with immediate public job opportunities, we can make a significant positive impact on our most vulnerable citizens while improving the community and putting tax dollars directly back into the local economy.”
Dollens sees these issues as the root cause of a lot of the subsequent issues lawmakers face each session.
“By providing flexible public benefit work opportunities through partnerships with local nonprofits, our state can cut down on evictions, predatory lending and reliance on social safety nets," Dollens said.
"We can transfer funds instantly to workers who are short on cash at the end of the month and help those who are facing eviction so that families aren’t forced into the street. We can ensure that there is dignity in work for those who lose jobs to automation and job displacement or are just a couple hundred dollars short at the end of the month."
Interim studies are ultimately approved by the Speaker of the House.
“There is bipartisan support for Public-Private-Partnerships that can put Oklahomans back on their feet by providing an outlet for meaningful work that benefits the public good,” Dollens said.
“I encourage the Speaker to approve this study, and I look forward to working with both Democrats and Republicans on finding solutions for Oklahoma’s workforce.”
Interim studies take place throughout the year between legislative sessions. Once the deadline has passed and studies have been announced, a complete list of interim studies can be found at www.okhouse.gov .
www.CapitolBeatOK.com
State Rep. Mickey Dollens of Oklahoma City requests Interim Study on public benefit jobs initiative Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK In law and in life forming a team sometimes requires tolerating differences and knowing essentials6/15/2021
The City Sentinel Editorial
According to a story by two seasoned reporters for The Oklahoman newspaper (‘Gov. Stitt considering his attorney general pick’) in the June 15 print edition, five names are reportedly on a “short list” for Governor Kevin’ Stitt’s interim appointment to the Attorney General’s job. Stitt’s appointment will fill out the remaining 18 months of the position held until June 1 by Mike Hunter, and probably seek the post in her or his own right next year.
Ryan Leonard and Timothy Downing seem strongest of the five listed names, but not the best possible choice, in part because of statewide electoral politics. (Please see below.)
Tricia Everest, a member of Stitt’s cabinet, has earned respect for willingness to serve, but would carry the “baggage” – fair or not -- of continued turmoil at the Oklahoma City jail.
Greg Mashburn, a district attorney, has opposed criminal justice reform, which disqualifies him absolutely in The City Sentinel’s view.
A.J. Ferate is a conservative who, however, has alienated some important conservatives during his years in Republican politics.
Which leads to the reflections below.
In her deft (and lengthy) study of Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln,” American historian Doris Kearns Goodwin aptly summarized the ways in which the Great Emancipator, for all his faults, governed a fractious and divided (literally) nation with a stunning combination of tolerance and firmness.
That’s sort of where Oklahoma is right now. Divisions that count the most in terms of policy development are within the Republican Party, so Gov. Stitt probably needs to worry about those more than the aspirations of the Democrats.
Over time, the comparative partisan strength in Oklahoma might change. Nothing is inevitable in this world, and only a few things (natural laws) are carved in stone.
Bottom line: Healthy degrees of tension within a governing institution can be positive.
In tensions over the development of policy between the governor and the Legislature – most often manifested in his vetoes, but also in the Managed Care debate -- the governor has been more often right, and the Legislature more often wrong.
Now, as Oklahoma remains in an existential battle over its very existence as a state, it is important to understand what is involved – including what is essential, and what is not.
In the attorney general’s office, actual court room experience as a litigator seems as important as managerial style.
Former Attorney General Hunter so comprehensively mishandled his litigation duties touching Indian Country (in the case, the state’s Big Tribes) that a solid second argument (conducted over the Internet at the height of the Pandemic) in one essential case could not overcome the disastrously weak first argument.
The rest is, unfortunately, Oklahoma’s recent history.
Both men who tried to keep Mike Hunter from continuing his appointed tenure as Attorney General in 2018 – Republican Gentner Drummond in the runoff and Democratic nominee Mark Myles in the general election – were more experienced in courtrooms, and in the real-world challenge of working with others of divergent views, than was Mike Hunter.
The City Sentinel endorsed Drummond in the 2018 GOP primary and in the subsequent runoff, when he almost won. Then, this newspaper backed Myles in the general election. Both decisions were deeply informed about matters of public policy, legal experience and understanding the legal dynamic.
Endorsing Drummond in the 2022 election for attorney general last month, The City Sentinel newspaper reflected: “A patriot, Drummond is proud of the state he calls home, but he wants to make it better. The governor will soon name an interim to the post, as is his prerogative.”
With sincere respect, The City Sentinel exercises still-operative rights protected in this nation’s fundamental law.
Not ‘woke,’ we remain in awe as we cherish the constitutional design (as amended over time) that allows people of good will advocating sound and good public policy to contend with the opposition.
We encourage and petition the state’s chief executive to make his decision about an Attorney General appointment with every word of the foregoing narrative in mind.
www.City-Sentinel.com
In law and in life, forming a team sometimes requires tolerating differences and knowing essentials Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK |
Pat McGuiganThe dean of all Oklahoma Journalism, Mr Patrick McGuigan; has a rich history of service in many aspects of both covering the news and producing the information that the public needs to know. Archives
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