Senator Paul Rosino says Adria Berry ‘perfect choice’ at OMMA
Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
CapitolBeatOK Staff Report
Senator Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, has called Adria Berry ‘the perfect choice’ to lead the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA).
News of Berry’s selection came this week.
In a statement sent to CapitolBeatOK.com and other news organizations, Sen. Rosino said:
"Adria is the perfect choice to lead the OMMA. We've worked together since I was elected to the Senate, and she has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the state's medical marijuana policies. I know her bold leadership will ensure the success of our medical marijuana program for years to come.
“There's no doubt challenges lay ahead of us as we work to weed out illegal grows, but I know we are in good hands with Adria in charge."
Senator Paul Rosino says Adria Berry ‘perfect choice’ at OMMA Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
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CapitolBeatOK Staff Report
Starting with the 2021-2022 school year, Oklahoma’s high school students will join thousands of other students around the country in taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test. Officially signed into law during the legislative session, a ceremonial signing was held last week at the Capitol for Senate Bill 642.
Senator Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, was author of the measure in the Legislature’s upper chamber, and said it will provide another free tool for students as they begin examining possible careers.
“Deciding what career to pursue can be overwhelming for high school students. Having access to the ASVAB test will help provide career guidance for those interested in the military or to expose them to hundreds of other career opportunities,” Pugh said.
“This test brings to light their unique strengths and skills that can be used in fields such as engineering, physics, mechanics and many others, including those that don’t require a postsecondary education. We need to provide Oklahoma’s students and their families all the guidance possible while they’re making these important life decisions.”
Pugh, an Air Force veteran, noted that Oklahoma has one of the lowest ASVAB administration rates in the nation even though the state has one of the highest military populations and one of the highest rates of high school students entering the military.
Under S.B. 642, which became law on July 1, Oklahoma public schools and public charter schools must offer students, beginning in their sophomore year, the opportunity to take the free U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) administered ASVAB test and consult with a military recruiter.
Tests will be administered during normal school day hours and cannot conflict with extracurricular activities. Notice of the date, time, and location of the test will be provided to eligible students and their parents or legal guardians.
Navy veteran Rep. Dustin Roberts, R-Durant, was the principal House author of the measure.
“Many high school graduates choose the military as their next step in life, some even deciding to make this their career,” Roberts said. “Giving students the opportunity to take the ASVAB in high school puts them one step closer to their goals and to future success. Even if they choose a different path, they will benefit from this comprehensive exam.”
The ASVAB is a heavily researched and well-respected aptitude test developed by the DOD that is used for career exploration and measures a young adult’s strengths and potential for success in military training or other fields.
Free career guidance test now available for high school students Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
CapitolBeatOK Staff Report
State Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, last week filed a measure modifying the No Patient Left Alone Act, which was approved by the Legislature during the 2021 session and will go into effect on Nov. 1.
Senate Bill 1096 would ensure patients hospitalized during a declared health emergency could be visited by a pastor, minister, spiritual advisor or other religious leader.
This measure would modify House Bill 2687, the No Patient Left Alone Act, which allows patients to designate a visitor to have unrestricted visitation regardless of emergency declarations by the governor or Legislature.
“During the height of the pandemic, we saw patients in hospitals unable to have loved ones by their side during their darkest moments,” Bergstrom said.
“That’s why we passed the No Patient Left Alone Act – to ensure no one has to suffer in the hospital alone. However, we neglected to address the patient’s spiritual welfare, which often means having a pastor or religious leader being able to visit. We know how important faith is to a vast majority of Oklahomans – which is why I filed S.B. 1096 – to ensure pastors, ministers or other faith leaders can provide comfort to those hospitalized during a declared health emergency.”
The measure doesn’t modify stipulations included in the No Patient Left Alone Act.
Hospitals would still be able to implement policies to restrict visitation rights under certain circumstances, such as if a visitor interferes with the care or rights of a patient or is engaged in disruptive, threatening or violent behavior towards a staff member, patient or other visitor. Visitors would not be allowed in restricted areas of the hospital like operating rooms, isolation units or behavioral health settings; they may also be required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) or comply with reasonable safety protocols.
S.B. 1096 can be considered during the 2022 legislative session, which will begin Monday, February 7.
If approved by both chambers and signed by the governor, it would go into effect immediately.
Oklahoma state Senator Micheal Bergstrom proposes changes to ‘No Patient Left Alone Act’ Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
CapitolBeatOK Staff Report
OKLAHOMA CITY– Oklahoma Gross Receipts to the Treasury in July were impacted by last year’s delayed income tax filings but show solid economic growth once the extension is taken into account, State Treasurer Randy McDaniel announced last week.
McDaniel said the monthly report appears negative at first glance due to a reduced bottom line of 15 percent compared to the same month of last year. However, he pointed out the comparison is distorted because income taxes were paid in July instead of April in 2020. He also noted every revenue stream except income taxes have substantial gains.
“Gross receipts demonstrate a resilient and expanding state economy,” McDaniel said. “Last July’s large income tax collections are an outlier caused by a timing issue.”
July collections total $1.22 billion with growth reported in sales and use, motor vehicle, and gross production taxes. Even so, individual and corporate income tax receipts are almost 50 percent less this month.
Consumer confidence is strong as sales and use tax receipts are 12 percent higher than a year ago. The gross production tax on oil and natural gas is 260 percent more than last July. Every major revenue stream, including income taxes, exceed collections from 2019.
Twelve-month total collections of $14.1 billion reflect a year of economic expansion with every revenue source higher than during the previous 12-month period. This 12-month report is the first in 19 months showing positive growth in oil and gas production tax collections.
Other indicators
The Oklahoma Business Conditions Index for July anticipates continued economic growth. The monthly index was set at 72.7, down slightly from 73.6 in June. Numbers above 50 indicate expansion is expected during the next three to six months.
The June unemployment rate in Oklahoma was reported as 3.7 percent by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state’s jobless rate was down from 4.0 percent in May and from 8.2 percent in June 2020. The U.S. unemployment rate was set at 5.9 percent in June.
July collections
Compared to gross receipts from July 2020, collections in July 2021 show:
• Total monthly gross collections are $1.22 billion, down $214.3 million, or 15 percent.
• Gross income tax collections, a combination of individual and corporate income taxes, generated $352.8 million, down by $346.7 million, or 49.6 percent.
• Individual income tax collections are $324.2 million, a decrease of $226.9 million, or 41.2 percent.
• Corporate collections are $28.7 million, down by $119.8 million, or 80.7 percent.
• Combined sales and use tax collections, including remittances on behalf of cities and counties, total $545.8 million – up by $58.3 million, or 12 percent.
• Sales tax collections total $464.9 million, an increase of $43.3 million, or 10.3 percent.
• Use tax receipts, collected on out-of-state purchases including internet sales, generated $81 million, an increase of $15 million, or 22.8 percent.
• Gross production taxes on oil and natural gas total $82.6 million, an increase of $59.7 million, or 260.1 percent.
• Motor vehicle taxes produced $81.3 million, up by $6 million, or 7.9 percent.
• Other collections composed of some 60 different sources including taxes on fuel, tobacco, medical marijuana, and alcoholic beverages, produced $154.2 million – up by $8.4 million, or 5.8 percent.
• The medical marijuana tax produced $5.6 million, up by $372,354, or 6.7 percent from July 2020.
Twelve-month collections
Combined gross receipts for past 12 months compared to the trailing 12 months show:
• Gross revenue totals $14.1 billion. That is $784.3 million, or 5.9 percent, above collections from the previous period.
• Gross income taxes generated $4.97 billion, an increase of $237.9 million, or 5 percent.
• Individual income tax collections total $4.21 billion, up by $119.5 million, or 2.9 percent.
• Corporate collections are $759.4 million, an increase of $118.3 million, or 18.5 percent.
• Combined sales and use taxes generated $5.88 billion, an increase of $393.6 million, or 7.2 percent.
• Gross sales tax receipts total $5 billion, up by $270.5 million, or 5.7 percent.
• Use tax collections generated $873.7 million, an increase of $123.1 million, or 16.4 percent.
• Oil and gas gross production tax collections generated $814 million, up by $42.6 million, or 5.5 percent.
• Motor vehicle collections total $828.3 million, an increase of $44.7 million, or 5.7 percent.
• Other sources generated $1.61 billion, up by $65.6 million, or 4.2 percent.
• Medical marijuana taxes generated $66.5 million, up by $21.3 million, or 47.2 percent.
About Gross Receipts to the Treasury: The monthly Gross Receipts to the Treasury report, developed by the state treasurer’s office, provides a timely and broad view of the state’s economy. It is released in conjunction with the General Revenue Fund report from the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, which provides information to state agencies for budgetary planning purposes. The General Revenue Fund, the state’s main operating account, receives less than half of the state’s gross receipts with the remainder paid in rebates and refunds, remitted to cities and counties, and apportioned to other state funds.
July Gross Receipts affected by tax filing deadline, Treasurer McDaniel reports Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
CapitolBeatOK Staff Report
Washington, D.C. -- Senator James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, on Wednesday (August 11) introduced an amendment on the Senator floor which aims “to prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars for funding of abortions and abortion-related discrimination.”
A press release from his office characterized the budget resolution he pressed to amend as “the Democrats’ partisan budget resolution”.
Lankford’s proposal would prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars for funding of abortions and abortion-related discrimination. Late Wednesday night, the amendment passed the upper chamber on a 50-49 vote.
Lankford’s amendment, if preserved in subsequent debate and votes in Congress and then signed into law, would ensure that the budget will comply with the long-standing Hyde Amendment, which bars the use of federal dollars to pay for abortion, and the Weldon amendment, which protects health care providers who refuse to participate in abortion from discrimination.
“We should all be able to agree – no American should be forced to pay for an abortion through taxpayer dollars. Just because a child is inside the womb does not mean they should be treated any differently by law. My amendment restates the long-term agreement that no taxpayer dollars fund an abortion, and no American should be punished for refusing to participate in an abortion. That should not be controversial,” Lankford said.
A 2020 Marist poll found that 60 percent of Americans, including 37 percent of people who identify as pro-choice, oppose the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for abortion.
Earlier this year, Lankford introduced a similar amendment (https://ift.tt/37CJL5q) to the Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Reconciliation bill to ensure health-related funding was compliant with the Hyde amendment.
The amendment failed and Lankford voted against the reconciliation bill (https://ift.tt/3sjaTzS) in part because it would fund abortion, using taxpayer dollars, for the first time since 1976.
Lankford introduced the Conscience Protection Act of 2021 (https://ift.tt/3sfqIr5) to protect health care providers, including health insurance plans from government discrimination if they decline to participate in abortions. Lankford introduced the bill ahead of a hearing to consider President Joe Biden’s nominee to serve as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Senator Lankford pressed Xavier Becerra on how he plans to protect the conscience rights of Americans and ensure faith-based entities receive fair treatment.
Lankford introduced the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act (https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-wicker-lead-45-pro-life-legislators-in-effort-to-end-taxpayer-funded-abortions), which would make the Hyde amendment permanent.
Earlier this year, Lankford reintroduced the bicameral Women’s Public Health and Safety Act (https://ift.tt/3CRCRYr), which gives states the authority to exclude abortion providers, like Planned Parenthood, from receiving Medicaid funds.
According to a summary provided in his press release, Lankford’s amendment is supported by March for Life Action, National Right to Life, Family Research Council, US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Susan B. Anthony List, Heritage Action, Concerned Women for America LAC, Family Policy Alliance and Students for Life Action.
U.S. Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma Prioritizes Protection of the Unborn During Budget Debate, Hyde Amendment preserved on 50-49 vote Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Ray Carter, Center for Independent Journalism
Gov. Kevin Stitt on July 23 appointed a former Trump judicial nominee, longtime Tulsa attorney John O’Connor, to serve as the attorney general of Oklahoma.
O’Connor said he would work “with our governor and Legislature to bring honest, outstanding governance to Oklahomans” and expressed a willingness to fight in court to reverse some high-profile U.S. Supreme Court rulings in cases ranging from Oklahoma tribal reservations to abortion.
In particular, O’Connor said he will seek to have the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in ‘McGirt v. Oklahoma’ overturned or limited.
“This is a very important case where the U.S. Supreme Court, in my opinion, has either made a very serious error or at least has written an opinion in a way that can be construed -- I think unintentionally — in a very broad way,” O’Connor said.
“The case was supposed to be limited to major federal crimes and criminal prosecution. It’s being used by various groups to expand that into civil actions, such as whether the state has the authority to levy taxes.”
In ‘McGirt v. Oklahoma’, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Muscogee Nation’s reservation was never disestablished. While the ruling applied only to Muscogee land and questions of criminal prosecution under the federal Major Crimes Act, its precedent and basis could result in application to numerous other issues, such as taxation and regulation, and other courts have since applied it to the reservations of the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, and Seminole nations. The impacted areas include most of eastern Oklahoma and are home to 1.8 million people.
“If the question is will we oppose ‘McGirt’, the answer is yes,” O’Connor said. “If the question is will we seek the overturning by the Supreme Court of ‘McGirt’, the answer is yes. Will we try to work with the tribes? Absolutely. I have high regard for the tribes.”
When asked if he would support a challenge to ‘Roe v. Wade’, the 1973 ruling that made abortion a constitutional right, O’Connor answered in the affirmative.
“If a ‘Roe v. Wade’ case makes its way to the United States Supreme Court, then absolutely, I will want to file an amicus brief in that matter,” O’Connor said.
“I think that we’ll pay the price for abortion as a nation. Sometimes the Supreme Court gets it wrong. We all know that. There are cases where they’ve held that people were less than human, or that their votes were less than a full vote. The Supreme Court is usually right, but sometimes even they make a mistake.”
O’Connor replaces Mike Hunter, who resigned mid-term. O’Connor said he will seek election to the position when it goes before voters next year.
In appointing O’Connor as state attorney general, Stitt said he found someone with both extensive legal expertise and a reputation for integrity.
“To become a top 10 state, we have to have all forms of government clicking on all cylinders,” Stitt said.
“That’s why it was so important to me to find someone who was highly competent in the law, but more importantly I was looking for someone with high moral character who will do the right things for the right reasons and never for personal gain. As the state’s top law enforcer, we needed someone willing to fight and defend what’s best for all 4 million Oklahomans.”
O’Connor is an attorney at Hall Estill, a Tulsa-based regional full-service law firm. He has 40 years of experience in the field of law, focusing on civil litigation including complex commercial and general civil litigation.
O’Connor has an AV peer review rating through Martindale-Hubbell and has been recognized as an Oklahoma Super Lawyer, one of Oklahoma’s Top Rated Lawyers, and a Best Lawyer in America.
In 2018, President Donald Trump nominated O’Connor to serve as a United States District Judge for the Northern and Eastern Districts of Oklahoma. That nomination was derailed after the American Bar Association (ABA) declared O’Connor “not qualified.”
Some officials seized on O’Connor’s ABA rating to criticize Stitt’s choice. Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Oklahoma City, tweeted (https://twitter.com/afugate/status/1418619536778092544), “The American Bar Association said this person was unqualified to serve as a judge.”
However, the ABA attack on O’Connor and other Republican judicial nominees was widely seen as grounded in political partisanship, not professional ethics.
U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, and James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, both backed O’Connor’s nomination and criticized (https://ift.tt/2UchnDT) criticized the ABA.
In particular, both men noted O’Connor had been consistently given the highest ethical and legal ability rating possible in peer ratings.
“It’s not only disappointing that the ABA has given John O’Connor a poor review, but it is unfair that John was not allowed to respond to their criticism,” Lankford said at the time. “For a legal institution like the ABA to deny due process is hypocritical. In more than 35 years of legal practice, John has significant diversification of solid legal experience in Oklahoma. He is a highly qualified candidate for this judicial nomination and should be given a fair evaluation by the Judiciary Committee based on the merits of his work.”
The ABA’s attacks on conservative judicial nominees like O’Connor have drawn strong rebukes from conservatives.
In a 2017 speech (https://fedsoc.org/conferences/2017-national-lawyers-convention#agenda-item-opening-remarks-by-senator-tom-cotton), U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican and attorney, said the ABA had become a partisan organization that works to block Republican judicial nominees and rubber-stamp Democratic nominees, noting the stark contrast between the ABA’s actions during the Obama administration and the Trump administration.
“Just stop pretending that the ABA is a professional organization in this context,” Cotton said. “Whatever else the ABA may do in other contexts, in this context they are a left-wing, ideological enforcer. They’ve already deemed four of the president’s nominees unqualified after eight years of never calling a single Obama nominee unqualified. But then again, why should that surprise us? They were all Democrats and these are Republicans. The ABA is a democratically unaccountable special-interest organization.”
When the ABA declared Leonard Steven Grasz of Omaha was not qualified to serve as a federal judge, U.S. Sen. Deb Fisher, R-Neb., lambasted the organization during Grasz’ 2017 nomination hearing (https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/11/01/2017/nominations).
“After thoroughly examining the substance of the ABA’s report, it is evident to me that the ABA evaluation of Mister Grasz was a baseless political character assassination,” Fisher said.
Like O’Connor, Grasz had received the highest ratings in peer reviews before the ABA declared him unqualified. Fisher noted the two primary ABA evaluators who reviewed Grasz’s nomination had received numerous awards from Democratic Party affiliates or donated thousands of dollars to Democratic political campaigns, and said the criticisms they raised against Grasz were substantially based on anonymous sources.
“In their analysis, the evaluators did not cite a single concrete example in their purported clear, consistent pattern of criticism levied against Mister Grasz, and needless to say there was no corroboration from other sources,” Fisher said. “In fact, they failed to identify exactly what compromised this pattern or insinuation of bias.”
Fisher declared the ABA’s evaluation to be nothing more than a “biased, baseless” attack “filled with innuendo.”
It appears local officials similarly dismiss the ABA’s attacks on O’Connor. A range of officials issued public endorsements declaring their support for O’Connor’s appointment as Oklahoma’s attorney general.
“I have been very fortunate to know John for a number of years, and to be law partners with him for the last three years,” said James Milton, immediate past president of Tulsa County Bar. “He is a good person, a man of faith, and a tremendous lawyer. Our state will be well served with John’s appointment as attorney general.”
“For me it is important to have a person in that position who has high moral values and integrity. Mr. O’Connor, as Oklahoma’s chief prosecutor, has those qualities in spades,” said Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler. “I know him to be fair-minded, hardworking, and exceptionally competent as an attorney. For this next chapter in his life he will lead an excellent and hardworking staff with a skillset well suited for the protection of the citizens of the State of Oklahoma.”
“Good government requires good leadership, and the quality of the laws that we live under are greatly determined by the men and women that are leaders–and John O’Connor is the right leader and the most qualified to lead in such a critical role for Oklahoma,” said Barry Goldwater, Jr., a former member of Congress whose namesake father was the 1964 Republican presidential nominee and conservative icon.
O’Connor took the oath of office in a brief afternoon ceremony at the Oklahoma Capitol on July 23.
NOTE: This news article first appeared here: https://ift.tt/2UchoaV . It is reposted here with permission. The City Sentinel newspaper (https://ift.tt/2UhsETC ) also posted Ray Carter’s news story on its website.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt appoints new Attorney General Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Patrick B. McGuigan, CapitolBeatOK.com
News from the Oklahoma State Capitol news “beat” I have covered since 2009: Some legislative ladies are in the news, … Republican legislators don’t like Joe Biden, … and legislators on both sides of the aisle are awaiting the schedule for opening Interim Studies (approved in record numbers by leaders of both House and Senate) …
As had been widely speculated, state Senator Kim David, R-Porter, became the first candidate to announce for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission job that incumbent Dana Murphy will vacate next year.
In the wake of broad achievement of conservative policy objectives at the 2021 regular session, David – the Senate Majority Leader – seems fit for the challenge.
In her online announcement last month, she said, “For the past decade, I’ve fought to ensure Oklahomans have reliable, affordable energy and strong infrastructure. Serving on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission is the next step in continuing this important work while growing jobs and opportunities in our state.”
David shares the nearly-universal Republican disdain for the policy objectives and early performance of President Joe Biden:
“As the Biden administration continues to put the squeeze on energy and utilities, the role of commissioner will take on even greater import. I think I have the right experience, knowledge and temperament to fight and win on behalf of all Oklahomans.”
Having worked in several aspects of business, including energy, Senator David might seem a natural to become Commissioner David.
In that July 15 announcement release, she said, “I know how important low energy costs are to businesses and Oklahoma families alike. These are pocketbook issues that require strong, consistent, conservative leadership.”
*
Although she does not normally sport feminine head-gear, state Representative Rhonda Baker, a Yukon Republican, has a new feather in her cap.
She was recently elected vice chair of the Education Committee for the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC).
Baker said, in a statement, “What an honor to be elected by my national peers to be vice chair of this important committee. Oklahoma has made enormous strides in recent years in funding education and crafting reforms to help improve student outcomes. I look forward to sharing our work with other legislators and learning from their experience as well.”
*
Melissa Provenzano, a Democratic state representative from Tulsa, was chosen an Oklahoma State Director for Women in Government (WIG). The group, based in the nation’s capital city, is a non-partisan non-profit for women in state legislatures.
Rep. Provenzano reflected, “For most of our country’s history, the government has been a male-dominated arena. That is changing. We are beginning to see more parity.”
*
Donald Trump left office in January as perhaps the most controversial president in modern American history.
As his successor, Joe Biden, reached the six-month mark in tenure, he’s got his own set of problems and controversies. Republicans seem as unhappy with Biden as Democrats were with Trump.
At the state Capitol, Representative Jay Steagall of Yukon is among Biden’s most prolific Oklahoma critics, and no wonder – he runs the recently-created State’s Rights Committee for the State House.
Steagall didn’t like it one bit when White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, outlining steps her boss was taking to combat the COVID variant surge, said early this month the administration would, among other things, pursue “targeted, community-by-community, door-to-door outreach to get remaining Americans vaccinated by ensuring they have the information they need on how both safe and accessible the vaccine is.”
Rep. Steagall and other Republicans also blasted Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra when he said, early last month, that it is “absolutely the government’s business” to know which Americans have not taken the coronavirus vaccine.
Steagall said: “[T]hese types of actions and assertions from the federal government are not just overreaching, but violate multiple provisions of the U.S. Constitution. First, the enumerated powers delegated in Article I, Section 8; the right of the People to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects as found in the Fourth Amendment; as well as the vertical separation of powers prescribed in the Tenth Amendment.”
*
Another Republican solon, Kevin West of Moore, took note when the powerful National Education Association said it would make “Critical Race Theory” tenets part of its nationwide agenda.
West said, “When we ran legislation to prohibit the teaching of Critical Race Theory in Oklahoma public schools, we heard multiple allegations that this wasn’t a problem and this wasn’t being taught in our schools.
“Now we see that the largest teachers’ union in the nation, and the parent organization of the largest teachers’ union in the state, is pushing this harmful curriculum. This proves that Oklahoma Republican legislators were prudent to get in front of this issue and stop this increasing push to indoctrinate our children.”
Not long after Rep. West’s statement, the Oklahoma Board of Education decided (with only one dissenting vote) to develop rules to forbid the use of many of the CRT tenets in Oklahoma classrooms. In doing so, the Board emphasized that teachers would not get in trouble if they stick with the Oklahoma Academic Standards to fashion their curriculum.
The Oklahoma Education Association issued a somewhat conciliatory statement after the Board’s vote, with President Katherine Bishop saying:
“We believe this should clear up some confusion and gives Oklahoma’s educators the confidence to continue teaching as they have been since the standards were adopted.”
*
Every year, during the time between the close of one regular session and the early fall, legislators conduct “interim studies” on matters they deem unresolved of insufficiently considered in earlier deliberations. Under both Democrats (who used to run everything) and Republicans, who rule the roost these days, the Interim Studies generally follow the policy preferences of the majority party.
This year, to the surprise of long-time observers of state policy-making (i.e. old guys like me), Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, approved all 71 request for Interim Studies this summer and fall.
As a result, Democrats like Senators Kay Floyd and George Young of Oklahoma City will guide – working with Republican committee chairs, to be sure -- studies on youth suicide and racial equity.
For the lower chamber, Speaker McCall on Friday, July 23, decided to allow the vast majority of the Interim Study requests he received.
The majority of ideas submitted to him cleave to expected conservative goals, but several House Democrats, including state Representatives Ajay Pittman and Forrest Bennett of Oklahoma City, got approval for a study focused on high-speed police pursuits and other issues.
Further, state Rep. Mickey Dollens, D-Oklahoma City, got the green light for a couple of study ideas. One is a look at creating a pilot program for a “barrier free, community-driven public jobs initiative.”
Another Dollens idea is for creation of a special disability fund (https://ift.tt/3fRTHwd ).
Approval of the studies is one thing, conducting them might be another thing this year, as the worldwide Pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 (the virulent virus renamed last year as COVID-19) re-accelerates in new forms. A check of the interim study early this week found no meetings had been scheduled in either the House or Senate.
Note: This analysis is updated from a column first printed in the July 29 edition of Southwest Ledger, 7602 US Highway 277, Elgin, OK 73538, (580) 350-1111, and posted in an earlier version online at city-sentinel.com.
Update from the Capitol Beat: Ladies lead, Republican legislators don’t like Biden, and a flurry of Interim Studies Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
CapitolBeatOK Staff Report
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, was chosen this summer to be an Oklahoma State Director for Women in Government.
Women In Government (WIG), headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a national non-profit, non-partisan organization of women state legislators. According to a legislative press release, “For more than 30 years, WIG has provided leadership opportunities, expert forums, and educational resources to address and resolve complex public policy issues to all women state legislators across the country.”
In her statement, Rep. Provenzano said, “The mission of this organization can’t be understated. For most of our country’s history, the government has been a male-dominated arena. That is changing. We are beginning to see more parity. There is a lot of work left to do, but with organizations like Women in Government, I know we can get there.”
As a non-partisan organization, WIG aims to have party parity in all leadership positions, with up to four State Directors in each state from both houses with all parties represented.
“State Directors are WIG’s go-to ambassadors in the states,” said Lindsey Eggsware, communications coordinator for WIG. “Appointed by a national Board of Directors comprised entirely of elected state legislators, State Directors are legislative leaders who keep WIG informed about pressing policy issues in their states.”
Provenzano hopes to use her position to connect with more state lawmakers both in Oklahoma and across the country.
“One of the beauties of having fifty states is that we can learn from each other,” Provenzano said.
“I hope that involvement in this organization will lead to better policy for Oklahomans. I am appreciative of this opportunity and look to make the most of it.”
State Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, named state director for Women in Government Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Patrick B. McGuigan
Oklahoma City, August 7, 2021 – Releasing its list of women leaders in Oklahoma – “50 Making a Difference” – due honors this fall, The Journal Record newspaper described the group as “a litany of extraordinary women whose accomplishments are a credit to the Sooner State.”
Each will receive plaudits and detailed biographical notations from the business newspaper, and several of these great ladies have a special place in the esteem of this writer.
For the third year in a row, Nyla Ali Khan (Oklahoma City Community College/Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women) is among the honorees. Her trifecta (three straight years) of recognition garners the distinction of induction into the “Circle of Excellence.”
Dr. Nyla -- as she is known to family, friends and of course her students -- will share this special moment in October with Cindy Friedemann, Cynda C. Ottoway, Judy Richey, Julie Knutson, and Leah T. Rudnick.
From the depth of our exchanges and similar (but not identical) reflections about the course of human events, it might seem as if I have known Nyla all my life. In truth, it was only in June 2019 that we met, when she delivered a memorable speech before a gathering hosted by the Dialogue Institute at its Oklahoma City offices on North Classen Boulevard (https://ift.tt/2GvnitP ).
Her topic was "Building Community and Engaging Young People in the Process of Democracy.”
As a man whose Reagan-esque conservative philosophy does not fit comfortably into the present framework of partisan hyper-division, I am drawn – then and now – to her press against the academic/research trend that belittles community and institution building, making a central value of invidious dismissal of those who have gone before us in America.
She said that day, “Our young people need to remember that despite the several letdowns, the process of democratization is an evolutionary one and does not provide instant solutions.
“As I’ve said at other forums, the non-legislative reforms that we require are new efforts and new forums not just in this country but in other parts of the world as well for the birth of new ideas and broad-based grassroots politics that transcend organizational divides. And it makes me happy to see such seeds being sown on our college campuses, particularly in rural areas.”
What gives authenticity and depth to her comments is a deep-seated love of both her native land (Kashmir, in the western Indian sub-continent) and her adopted land (the United States, and Oklahoma), where she now cherishes the rights of citizenship.
With some disruption of pattern due to the Pandemic, she visits Kashmir every other year, to lecture to students, meet with other scholars and with elements of diverse ethnic and political groups.
Her experiences on those trips inform her reflections on contemporary life and accelerating turmoil here in America.
At the core of her identify is a dear mother, still living and vibrant, and her departed father.
Hearing or reading her stories of them and of their nurturing yet demanding formation of her her character leads me to remember my parents and grandparents – and my favorite writer.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote in the novel ‘Cancer Ward’: “The meaning of existence [is] to preserve untarnished, undisturbed and undistorted the image of eternity which each person is born with. … Like a silver moon in a calm, still pond.”
(https://capitolbeatok.worldsecuresystems.com/reports/remembering-the-father-of-a-friend-honoring-the-one-who-will-wipe-away-our-tears )
Concerning her father, Dr. Nyla shares tenderly: “He often told me that people should feel free to delight in life until the last breath. He taught me how to live, and the flame of my father’s love will never be extinguished. Every calamity and every conflict reminds us of the fragility of life.” Such comments were among the most endearing at a book release party in north Oklahoma City a few weeks back, where she challenged, inspired and comforted attendees.
(https://ift.tt/3AiwMC0 )
In a world of woe in need of motherly affection and scholarly rigor, her recent work has the perfect focus.
Her newest academic book is “Educational Strategies for Youth Empowerment in Conflict Zones: Transforming, not Transmitting, Trauma” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021). It is available both in print and digital versions.
I do not know what the future holds for Dr. Nyla.
I am joyful that her recent past has included exchanges over the phone and the Internet, and infrequent in-person visits.
I affirm her dignity, and honor her integrity as a South Asian Muslim woman at home in the Bible Belt of the south central United States.
For more information about The Journal Record’s October 14 event, visit here:
https://ift.tt/3CjYwrI
I happily anticipate Nyla’s recognition this fall, and hope to share more years of reading drafts, exchanging idea, remembering forebears, celebrating students and family and contributing to the healing of our land.
And, I pray God’s blessings on all those with whom she will share a designation as “making a difference.”
A special place in highest esteem: Nyla Khan of Oklahoma, Kashmir, and the world Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
CapitolBeatOK Staff Report
With students returning to the classroom soon, Sen. Carri Hicks wants to make sure new mothers in Oklahoma schools are aware of a recent state law protecting their rights. This session, the Oklahoma City Democrat authored Senate Bill 121, which became law on July 1, requiring school districts to allow their employees time during the workday to express milk or nurse.
On Tuesday, Hicks was joined by members of the Coalition of Oklahoma Breastfeeding Advocates (COBA), who requested the measure, at the state Capitol for the ceremonial signing of the bill by Gov. Kevin Stitt.
"Our public school teachers care for our kids all day, and I'm so happy that we’re now supporting them to care for their own babies by giving them pumping breaks during the school day,” said Becky Mannel, Board of Directors Chair, COBA.
“We commend Senator Hicks, Representative [Toni] Hasenbeck and the other legislative authors of Senate Bill 121 for recognizing that workplaces play a crucial role in providing supportive and relevant policies for breastfeeding mothers, who are the fastest growing segment of our nation’s labor force.”
Hicks had her three children while teaching, and said she is relieved no other mothers will have to resort to bathroom stalls, closets, cars, and other uncomfortable places to pump or nurse like she and so many others have had to do in the past.
“Being a new mother is stressful enough, and constantly worrying about maintaining one’s milk supply makes it even worse. This new law ensures that, starting this school year, our teachers and school employees now have the same rights as government and public employees and can nurse and pump while at work,” said Hicks.
“I’m extremely grateful for the bipartisan support this bill received and to COBA and all the mothers and families who advocated for this critical change and helped get this new law on the books."
Under the new policy, school districts must also make a reasonable effort to provide lactating mothers with a private, secure, and sanitary room for pumping or nursing.
“As COBA celebrates National Breastfeeding Month, there is no better way to acknowledge the undeniable health benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby than to work collaboratively with school districts across Oklahoma to welcome lactating teachers and employees back to the classroom with supportive and relevant breastfeeding-friendly policies,” said Mannel.
Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, a former teacher, served as the principal House author of the bill.
State Senator Carri Hicks of Oklahoman City reminds nursing mothers of new law protecting rights for school employees 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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