OCU Law to host Second Annual Criminal Justice Reform Conference
Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Defendants in Oklahoma pay many fines, costs and fees to state, county and city courts, regardless of whether or not they can afford them, according to a press release from the Oklahoma City University School of Law.
“Why does the legal system continue to trap poor people in the court system with no way out, and why are defendants asked to finance state agencies and programs that are not part of the crime they committed,” the release asks.
These questions will be examined at "Oklahoma Forward: The Price of Punishment," the second seminar sponsored by the Oklahoma City University Law School Center for Criminal Justice. The event will be held in a virtual webinar on Friday, January 22, 2021. The conference is open to the public.
The release stated that generally, a misdemeanor conviction is punishable by less than one year in a county jail. In Oklahoma, a misdemeanor conviction is subject to a year in the county jail and a maximum fine of $500.
However, OCU Law School reports that the cost of being convicted of a misdemeanor in Oklahoma increases drastically when the costs and fees charged to a defendant are considered.
The average cost to a misdemeanor drug defendant in Oklahoma is $850, in addition to any fine assessed, bringing the cost to at least $1,350, the press release states.
OCU Law states that it is estimated that 70 percent of this criminal debt goes unpaid each year because poor people simply do not have the money, leaving them caught up in a web of debt for years to come and potential warrant arrests for failure to pay fines and costs.
The release adds that “historically, as budget gaps or added unfunded agency programs burdened the state, it shifted more court costs and fees to defendants to avoid appropriating tax dollars.”
These fees cover almost every part of the criminal justice process and include anything from court-appointed attorney fees, court clerk fees, late fees, installment fees, and supervision fees to jury fees and various other kinds of administration fees, OCU Law says.
The conference, Oklahoma Forward: The Price of Punishment, will focus on how excessive fines and costs assessments keep poor people trapped in the criminal justice system and cause a lifetime of problems when they are unable to pay the fines and costs assessed against them.
This year’s seminar also will focus on the reform needed to change the impact of assessing fines and costs in sentencing, particularly in misdemeanor crimes.
During the event, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Troy Messenger (https://twitter.com/tonymess?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor), a columnist with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, will deliver the keynote address.
His most recent book “Profit and Punishment: How America Criminalizes the Poor in the Name of Poverty,” is scheduled to be released sometime in late 2021.
The first 50 attendees to register will receive a free copy of "Punishment Without Crime: How our Massive Misdemeanor System Traps the Innocent and Makes America More Unequal," by Harvard Professor Alexandra Natapoff.
The seminar is sponsored by the Oklahoma City University School of Law Center for Criminal Justice. For more information, click here (https://trueblue.okcu.edu/e/oklahoma-forward-the-price-of-punishment).
Oklahoma City University School of Law is fully approved by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. It serves a diverse student body of approximately 400.
Oklahoma City University School of Law’s nearly 7,000 alumni practice in every state and several foreign countries.
The Criminal Justice conference is free for OCU students, OCU employees, and OCU Law Alumni Association members. The cost is $15 for other alumni and the general public.
Registration for the online seminar is limited and closes Jan. 21, 2021. To register, click here (https://trueblue.okcu.edu/e/oklahoma-forward-the-price-of-punishment).
For questions, email [email protected]. To learn more, visit law.okcu.edu .
OCU Law to host Second Annual Criminal Justice Reform Conference Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
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OKLAHOMA CITY - Bring adventure and fun to everyone on your holiday list with “gifts gone wild” from the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden. Zoo gift ideas include stocking stuffers, one-of-a-kind items and memorable holiday experiences.
Shop budget-friendly finds for the entire family at both the OKC Zoo and its new holiday Pop-Up Shop located in the Penn Square Mall’s Santa’s center court.
Open now through Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, the Zoo’s Pop-Up Shop is the perfect spot to purchase exclusive gift gone wild items. For hours and a complete list of gift selections, click here: (https://www.okczoo.org/our-events%22%20%5Cl%20%22collection=1525).
Give your family and friends hours of wildlife connections with ZOOfriends memberships. Members enjoy free admission to the OKC Zoo for a year, plus additional benefits and discounts. All membership levels will be available for purchase.
Adventure Packs offer limited gift options, which include general Zoo admission for two or four people, OKC Zoo Keys and more.
Family Membership Packs include a ZOOfriends family membership plus, an animal plush and OKC Zoo Key.
Must Have Stocking Stuffers include OKC ZOO POO, Zoo Keys, custom Zoo ornaments, plush toys and more.
ZOOfriends memberships and Adventure Packs will also be available at the Zoo in the Guest Services office, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Masks are required for all guests 11 and older upon entry into Guest Services.
OKC Zoo’s Safari Gift Shop features original Zoo apparel, eco-friendly and sustainable items, enriching toys and books for kids, home décor and more. Make it a hippo-happy holiday and shop the Zoo’s collection of popular hippo gifts including ornaments, plush toys and this year’s hippo shirt. These popular items are back with a festive new design.
Celebrate the Zoo’s connection to the iconic holiday song “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” with new limited-edition shirts, available in adult and youth sizes.
During December, ZOOfriends members will enjoy 20 percent off everything, including clearance items. The Safari Gift Shop is open daily during regular Zoo hours. Zoo Admission is not required to shop.
Art Gone Wild, the Zoo’s collection of original animal paintings, are available for purchase this holiday season. As part of the Zoo’s enrichment program, many animals including elephants, sea lions, tigers and more paint during enrichment sessions with assistance from their caregivers. Painting prices range from $35 to $300, depending on size. All net proceeds benefit one of the Zoo’s local conservation initiatives.
Art Gone Wild is on display in the Zoo’s Guest Services office located in the entry plaza. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Masks are required for all guests 11 and older upon entry into Guest Services.
This holiday season, double your impact by giving a ZOOfriends Membership, a gift friends will enjoy while helping to conserve wildlife and wild places. Every dollar spent with the Oklahoma Zoological Society aids animal conservation, education and care.
Guests can make a holiday donation in someone’s name, which is a great way to honor an animal-loving family member or friend by supporting animal conservation. A gift to the Oklahoma Zoological Society provides operational dollars that the OKC Zoo can put to work immediately. Text “ZOOFRIENDS” to 44-321 .
Donations can also be made to celebrate the arrival of Yabi, the sixth Indian rhino (https://ift.tt/3gS0uW6) born at the Oklahoma City Zoo in November. Symbolically adopt Yabi, and receive a rhino plush toy, adoption certificate, ZOOfriends tote bag and an Indian rhino fact sheet.
Animal Adoptions (https://ift.tt/37p9kY8) another holiday gift idea ranging from $40 to $100, are a great way to support the health, enrichment and the nutritional needs for the Zoo’s animal family. Learn more at zoofriends.org/animal-adoptions .
Located in the Zoo’s Entry Plaza, a Personalized Brick Paver, can be purchased to ensure any recipient has a permanent place at the Oklahoma City Zoo. Bricks start at $100 and support the ZOOfund for Kids scholarship program.
Bricks are limited – only 40 remained when this story was prepared. For more information, visit zoofriends.org/brick-pavers .
Gift purchases and membership bundles can be made in person at the ZOOfriends membership office located in the Zoo’s Entry Plaza, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily or online at zoofriends.org/give .
All contributions to the Oklahoma Zoological Society, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, are tax-deductible.
Zoo winter hours are Thursdays through Mondays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with no public access on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Advance tickets are required for all guests and ZOOfriends members and can be purchased at okczoo.org/tickets .
Zoo tickets are limited each day to ensure safe social distancing among guests. Regular admission is $12 for adults and $9 for children ages 3-11 and seniors ages 65 and over. Children two and under are admitted free.
Memberships can be purchased at ZOOfriends.org .To learn more about these events and other happenings, call 405-424-3344 or visit okczoo.org .
Gifts Gone Wild: OKC Zoo offers holiday Pop-Up Shop, gifts and deals Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Last Friday (December 11), the United States Supreme Court voted unanimously to not hear the Texas vs. Georgia/Pennsylvania/Michigan/Wisconsin lawsuit.
Seventeen states, including Oklahoma, joined Texas in the lawsuit. All nine justices voted to not hear the suit, which aimed to prevent the Electors in those four states from casting their vote on December 14.
If the suit would have been successful, it would have dropped Joe Biden’s Electoral count to 244, below the 270 needed for election. The race would then have been thrown into the U.S. House of Representatives where each state’s delegation would vote en bloc, with each state having a single vote. The District of Columbia would not have a vote.
Republicans are the majority in 30 of the 50 House delegates, so it would be very likely President Donald Trump would be re-elected.
Two observations:
First, the counting of the Electoral vote is set for Wednesday January 6 at 1 p.m. before a joint session of Congress. Vice President Mike Pence will preside over the proceedings. Normally, the process is a formality, but not in 2021. With so much controversy over claims of cheating, the opening of the Electoral voters will be a lesson in government to which every American should pay attention.
Expect C-Span to set a record for viewership.
Here is how it will work:
The President of the Senate (the Vice President) will open and present the certificates of the electoral votes of the states and the District of Columbia in alphabetical order. Four Members of Congress (two from each chamber) called tellers, will read the Electoral votes from each state and report them.
At that point, Vice President Pence will call for objections, if any. An objection must be presented in writing and signed by at least one Senator and one Representative. If there is an objection, the joint session would adjourn and each chamber would then meet and after debate (no more than two hours) vote on whether to allow the challenged state’s Electoral votes to be counted or not.
The two chambers then reconvene and report their vote to the President of the Senate. It is certain the Electoral votes from the four states sued by Texas will be challenged. This normally routine proceeding will be far from routine.
Second, how each state and DC conduct their election of Electors does impact other states. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) said the Texas lawsuit did not show Texas citizens had suffered harm by how the four states handled their election, but that is not true.
When one state cheats in the presidential race, it impacts every state. Texas was impacted. Every state was impacted. Clearly the U.S. Constitution grants authority to each individual state on how Electors are elected, but when some states are still counting ballots two weeks after the election, it is past time to standardize the process for electing the president and vice president.
Recent polls show 75 percent of Republicans believe cheating occurred in the 2020 election. The same poll found that 20 percent of Democrats believe there was defrauding. That is a significant number of Americans who have lost confidence in the integrity of the ballot box, and there is reason to be concerned.
When you consider twenty-one states have same day registration, and five states will automatically send you a ballot in the mail each election, is there no wonder there is cheating? Some states have election day registration. Some have extended early voting- others have no early voting. Some require identification to get a ballot, others do not. The variance in how elections are held across the United States is like a fruit medley. That needs to change.
Contact your Congressman and U.S. Senators and ask them to support election reform that includes standardization of election procedures and timelines for the presidential election.
Note: Steve Fair, a columnist whose essays appear frequently on CapitolBeatOK.com, an independent news organization based in Oklahoma City, is Chairman of the Republican Party in the Fourtth Congressional District of Oklahoma. He can be reached by email at [email protected]. His blog is stevefair.blogspot.com.
He cast one of Oklahoma’s seven Electoral votes at the State Capitol on December 14.
Commentary: A Fruit Medley Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK CareSource Oklahoma announces CEO Veteran Managed Care Operator To Lead Efforts In Oklahoma Market12/16/2020
OKLAHOMA CITY – Long-time managed health care operator William (Bill) Baker, Jr. has agreed to join CareSource Oklahoma Health Plan Co. as CEO and Oklahoma Market President. The company, a joint venture between CareSource and Healthcare Highways, is bidding on Oklahoma’s SoonerSelect Medicaid program.
“CareSource is fully committed to Oklahoma and it is important to us to identify a Medicaid managed care expert to lead CareSource Oklahoma, in the event that we are fortunate enough to be awarded a contract,” CareSource President and CEO Erhardt Preitauer said in press release sent to The City Sentinel, CapitolBeatOK and other news organizations. “Bill brings unmatched knowledge and expertise in the managed care industry. He is an accomplished leader with superior management and operations skills, which will be important for the successful implementation of the SoonerSelect program.”
According to CareSource, "Baker has dedicated his professional career to designing, building, implementing and managing Medicaid managed healthcare operations in order to successfully meet the needs of the stakeholders. As a long-time leader in the managed Medicaid industry, he has implemented and led several new managed Medicaid markets. Baker has a history of developing innovative partnerships with both providers and hospitals and successfully negotiating contracts that create a strong provider network to drive member access to care and quality outcomes. One of his key accomplishments was spearheading a public-private partnership with a large social service agency that combined education and outreach with traditional case management and preventive medicine for high-risk, inner-city families."
“My initial goal is to make a positive difference every day for all Oklahomans that we have an opportunity to serve,” Baker said. “I am excited to bring CareSource’s holistic approach to Oklahoma and implement creative solutions that will benefit health partners, members and community-based organizations, as well as the state.”
CareSource Oklahoma’s parent company is the largest multi-state, nonprofit Medicaid managed care company in the country. The organization is known as an innovator in the healthcare industry and has been a leader in tackling key issues surrounding the social determinants of health.
“If selected and awarded a contract, CareSource is slated to hire 279 new employees in Oklahoma with a potential $60 million economic impact to the state,” Baker continued. “This is the perfect opportunity to lead the expansion of managed care in the state with an organization that has developed game-changing programs around the Medicaid members that are market tested.”
About CareSource Oklahoma: CareSource Oklahoma is a joint venture between
Care Source (https://ift.tt/1kF73Kt) and Healthcare Highways (https://www.healthcarehighways.com/).
The partners came together to leverage their combined strengths, providing a powerful combination of both a leading managed care organization with 30 years of experience and a strong local partner who knows healthcare in Oklahoma. CareSource is the largest multi-state, nonprofit Medicaid managed care company in the country. Healthcare Highways has been in Oklahoma since 2010 and has built a reputation on having a robust provider network. CareSource Oklahoma is bidding on the Oklahoma Medicaid business that was formally announced by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority on October 15.
CareSource Oklahoma announces CEO– Veteran Managed Care Operator To Lead Efforts In Oklahoma Market Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
This is adapted and updated from a November 2020 Facebook post.
Oklahoma City – Robert Bork was the greatest man I've ever known.
Not the sweetest or the most gentle in demeanor, but the greatest.
His was the nearest modern American mind to the brilliance of James Madison, key architect of the United States Constitution. Some believe that America’s long-beleaguered recipe for limited government, economic liberty and a democratic Republic may see its final days in the four to eight years ahead.
After President Ronald Reagan nominated Judge Bork to the nation’s highest court in 1987, U.S. Senators Joe Biden of Delaware and Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts presided over a parody of the traditional Senate confirmation process for Supreme Court nominees.
Their efforts had the effects of both defeating Bork's confirmation and unjustly sullying his reputation in the eyes of many Americans who knew and still know little or nothing about the human being and the constitutional servant: Robert Heron Bork.
Later, in 1991, Joe Biden was complicit in the attempt to destroy both the confirmation prospects and the reputation of then-Judge Clarence Thomas, who had become my friend after we first met in 1980.
Thomas is currently the senior member of the U.S. Supreme Court. It is a source of comfort that Biden and his allies failed to defeat President George Herbert Walker Bush’s nomination of Thomas to the High Court.
In November, Oklahoma City arts leader Don Jordan, founding artistic director for the Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre, shared on my Facebook scroll a glowing tribute to Biden from Jon Meacham, a historian of some note.
Soon after the recent presidential election, Meacham said:
“Joe Biden is among the most empathetic men I’ve ever met, much less public figures. In that, he's in the tradition of George Herbert Walker Bush. They both have a personal capacity to put themselves in the other person’s shoes. That is a personal virtue; it is also going to be a political virtue that will benefit this country for at least four years to come – and possibly far beyond.
“Because the deficit of decency, the deficit of hope, the ascendence of fear, the ascendence of selfishness that we have seen in this country will not totally end with any single election, but a single election can surely help, and what was on the ballot here was decency and democracy and empathy, and Joe Biden is particularly well equipped for this moment.
“He is not perfect. He’d be the last person on the planet to tell you he was perfect. There are vices, but there are virtues here. They are deeply human virtues, they are deeply American virtues, and I think it’s wonderfully poetic that it was Pennsylvania that has ended what President [Gerald] Ford, in another context, called ‘our long national nightmare.’
“Because it was in Philadelphia that, as Benjamin Franklin left the Constitutional Convention in that fabled story, an important woman in Philadelphia said, ‘What will it be, Mr. Franklin? Have you given us a republic or a monarchy?’ And he said, ‘A republic, madam, if you can keep it.’ The republic is being kept today.”
My personal assessment of Joe Biden -- who I watched closely during my decade working in the nation's capital -- does not match the fondness that historian Meacham, Oklahoma arts leader Jordan and others have for the former senator and former vice president.
First, I see Biden and his brand of politics magnified as a strain of the vices that many in power acquire over time. From frequent use, without attribution, of words crafted by others, to the Janus-like patterns of his long career, I of course affirm there is merit to my low opinion of Joe Biden, the man.
Second, as a man accustomed to the vagaries of people and policies, I sketch here the things I can say positively concerning shreds of consistency in the politician known as former Vice President Joe Biden.
This focus is on his views of certain issues:
Biden has remained a defender of the Republic of China (on Taiwan) and a supporter of Israel during years when many in the Democratic party have come to despise the nation of Israel and to treat Taiwan (the nation that is successor to the Chinese Revolution of 1912) as an afterthought, at best, or a nuisance, at worse.
At the moment, the above is almost all I can say positively about one of the longest-serving elected officials in American history.
Joe Biden first won elections as a pro-life moderate Democrat with culturally conservative views, and as a defender of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Biden is none of that now, having long since abandoned his once-upon-a-time professed empathy for unborn human life – in earlier years leading him to craft something known as the “Biden Amendment”. Last year Biden jettisoned any lingering semblance of his earlier views. His intentions on the right to keep and bear arms have been widely reported, and are likely to become clearer in his first wave of executive orders.
Third, I submit one more hopeful observation, concerning that decade where I closelly watched Biden’s personnel policies. During my years in the nation’s capital, I clashed vigorously with members of Biden's staff on a range of issues. However, I found them, by and large and on the whole, to be persons with whom I could have rational conversations and even engage in some deliberative processes.
One such fellow, Mark Gittenstein, even became a friend – some might say a ‘frenemy’ – in the years after that dreadful fight over Bork's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.
When writing his own memoir/history of the Bork fight, Gittenstein called and asked to come visit for a conversation about his recounting of the most consequential domestic policy confrontation of the Reagan presidency.
It turned into a rather lengthy exchange. After that mutually productive conversation. I made a decision that, in current contexts, would seem absurd: I asked Mark if he would like to have a copy of my own manuscript for “Ninth Justice: The Fight for Bork.”
From the recesses of my ever-hopeful heart, a whisper suggested that was my best (and efficient) way to advance some degree of fairness … to share in detail my side of the story.
He accepted the offer.
Gittenstein employed my material in his book “Matters of Principle.” In his own way, Gittenstein’s book was what I hoped for, so I reviewed it favorably, at a time his work had a number of negative reviews from elements of the American Left.
It has been long years since last we spoke, but that’s the way it was, only three decades ago. In those days, relations between Americans of differing views were – or at least could be – different than today. It was a time when two senators could clash profoundly but still share a hand-shake, a hug, a pat on the back, a cordial smile or the equivalent of a ‘fist-bump’ without setting many tongues a-wagging.
Jane Alexander could forge a friendship with Jesse Helms, Ronald Reagan could regularly raise money for the JFK library, and have a drink with Tip O'Neill.
Speaker O'Neill could pray with all his heart for President Reagan to survive in the hours after the 1981 assassination attempt.
My friend and employer Paul Weyrich could have decades-long relationships of mutual respect with Senators Paul Simon of Illinois and Paul Tsongas of Massachusetts, and bequeath those cordial links to me.
Another time, I know it will be right – perhaps even tomorrow? – to continue critical analyses of Joe Biden the man, and the politician.
But last night, I prayed for Biden, for Donald Trump, and for those who work for each.
America needs healing. It has needed healing since long before the Bork fight, and before 2020. I do not expect it or predict it, but I hope and pray for it.
In the still of a cold Oklahoma night, I disciplined my unbelief, that instinctive snort that popped out when, some days ago, Biden spoke of “unity” and I heard “surrender.”
I choose to remember and affirm words rooted in history. They were a promise to Solomon the wise – a verse that has always raised my hopes, in even the darkest times.
For myself, my family, my friends, my foes, the current president and the next president, I petitioned the Maker of all things. Today, I implore this great land and its many peoples to heed anew His wisdom, His compassion, His forbearance.
From God’s word, Second Chronicles, chapter 7, verse 14:
“[I]f then my people, upon whom my name has been pronounced, humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven and pardon their sins and heal their land.” (New American Bible)
NOTE: Pat McGuigan is author (with Dawn M. Weyrich) of ‘Ninth Justice: The Fight for Bork.’ He is the founder of CapitolBeatOK.com, an online news service based in Oklahoma City, and publisher of The City Sentinel newspaper.
Biden, Bork, a Benevolent God – and the promise to Solomon Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK Jack L. Werner, for The City Sentinel I have had a personal interest in what is termed “The Aging in Place” lifestyle for many years. I also teach Certified Aging in Place Specialist Certification courses (CAPS) for the National Association of Home Builders. The goal of this training is to educate builders, occupational therapists, and other professionals on how to configure/modify/design a home to better accommodate people wanting to stay in their homes longer. One of my past students, Bob Chamberlain, and his friend/partner Marlin Wilton have created something unique. Full Circle Home Technologies is the name of the company and their passion is improving the quality of life of individuals with physical challenges caused by aging, medical conditions, or traumatic injuries. I am unaware of anyone or any organization that does what these guys do. They could be described as inventors, mad scientists, or maybe a couple of technology cowboys! They pinpoint the life challenge the customer has and architect the right solution. They are not bound by any one product or solution; this creates the freedom to integrate the appropriate technology to address the problem. Additionally, according to Bob “just about every day there’s a new/innovative technology that ‘pops up’ that addresses a requirement we’ve experienced.” Examples of their solutions could be simply implementing smart technology (a fancy term for automating home functions in numerous ways), making architectural modifications to an existing home, or designing and building a new home that addresses livability and extends independence. System solutions may include features that monitor personal health and safety, control in-home systems by voice command or customized programmed automations, home layout designs or modifications that improve home mobility and reduce ongoing maintenance expenses. There is no “one size fits all” with their customers. Their latest innovation is a virtual “monitoring system.” It is different from most health monitoring systems that require you to push a button for action, requiring you to reach out. But what if you cannot? The FCHT system “reaches out” to you with a “check-in” phone notification at predetermined times during the day. It’s proactive! If you do not respond, a caregiver is notified via phone call and text. It works inside/outside the home or even if you are on vacation. The system also is integrated with home systems, so turning on a light (close to a check-in time) notifies the system you are okay and eliminates the need for the phone check-in. One underlying reality is clear, technology through numerous disciplines is creating the means to improve our home quality of life and extend our independence as we age. Bob and Marlin agree that “most of our customers don’t want to know how it works. They just want the improved quality of life it brings them!” You may contact Bob or Marlin at Full Circle Home Technologies LLC, (405) 486-9310, [email protected]. NOTE: Jack L. Werner owns A to Z Inspections, a commercial and residential inspection company serving the southwest. His commentaries appear regularly in The City Sentinel print edition, and from time to time at our news partner’s website, CapitolBeatOK.com. He holds a degree in construction from OSU and numerous certifications including ICC (International Code Council)-certified Accessibility/Plans Examiner, FORTIFIED™ evaluator, and Property Condition Assessment certification. Jack Werner teaches home inspections for Francis Tuttle Career Tech. Designated an NAHB Master Instructor, he teaches Certified Aging in Place (CAPS) and Universal Design courses for the Oklahoma State Home Builders Association and was named the 2019 national CAPS educator of the year by the NAHB. He serves on the board of the Daily Living Centers and is a 40-year member of Rotary. Jack can be reached at 405/412-7861 ext 2 or https://ift.tt/2VDPhQ4. Learn more at https://ift.tt/2MgMRQs Architects of a better life…for others Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Ellyn Hefner, The City Sentinel series on the OK STABLE program
It does not take a marketing or business degree to understand that there is both cost and value in getting a message to a market. In this article, I want to examine why people with disabilities are at a disadvantage when it comes to knowing about necessary programs and supports. Arguably, our society often fails people with disabilities, beginning with the failure to make this “market” intentionally informed.
For profit companies spend large marketing budgets to ensure the market knows their product exists and how their product will improve the consumer’s life. It is simple, without being informed, people do not know of the choice they have to take advantage of an opportunity.
For people with disabilities, knowing what programs exist and may offer value to them is a challenging task, especially when you consider the often-complex rules that govern necessary benefits and supports. Therefore, it is all the more important to consider how people with disabilities and their families receive information.
Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts have existed since the first beneficiary created an account on June 1, 2016 with the first ABLE program in America, STABLE Account. ABLE is federal legislation that allows eligible individuals with disabilities the opportunity to save money without impacting public benefits like SSI and Medicaid. For these eligible individuals, ABLE created -- for the first time -- the opportunity to save money and keep necessary supports such as direct support staff, medical coverage, transportation, and much more.
An estimated 8 million Americans qualify for an ABLE account. Nonetheless, after more than 4 years of being available, only approximately 75,000 people have enrolled. “Our first barrier to enrollment is getting people the information they need.”, said Doug Jackson, Deputy Director of STABLE Account.
Jackson continued, “Once we can get to the people, then we must provide education on, new rules [ABLE regulations], gain trust (that we are sharing accurate information) so that we may be able to encourage people to move forward to open an ABLE account and use it to its full advantage in their life.”
Providing all of what Jackson describes takes an intentional effort. The best ABLE program ‘setting on a shelf’, cannot help the person that doesn’t know it exists. Jackson tells us that in just over four years, the STABLE Account outreach team has provided over 1,200 outreach events, including in-person and virtual events. In addition, hardcopy information has been distributed and advertising has been shared. “This is all part of an ‘intentional effort’” Jackson claims.
The results of outreach are very conclusive. For example, Oklahoma is one of the twelve states participating in the STABLE Account coalition. Oklahoma’s ABLE program is called OK STABLE. One year ago, in December 2019, OK STABLE “ambassadors” (parents of individuals with disabilities that saw the need for OK STABLE to be shared in this market and have voluntarily helped in doing so) contacted STABLE Account’s Deputy Director and, together, laid out a plan to increase public awareness.
The Oklahoma state Treasurer’s office, which oversees the in-state OK STABLE program, was supportive of these volunteer efforts. These “volunteers” have full-time jobs and care for their child who has a disability while providing outreach as a volunteer to provide education about OKSTABLE.
The OKSTABLE Ambassadors began intentional outreach and informing families and providers starting in December of 2019. Immediately, enrollment increased. In the 8 months that followed, the number of people enrolled in OK STABLE climbed from 259 to 574, a 121.6 percent increase.
This is not an uncommon phenomenon. It is a basic principle understood by for-profit and social service industries alike. If you want people to know about programs that can help them, you have to put the effort into telling them. ABLE accounts (529A accounts) are regulated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in very similar ways to 529 College Savings Accounts.
According to Paul Curley at ISS Market Intelligence 11.9 percent as of 2Q 2020 (June 2020), of people that could be saving for college are doing so. Compare this to the 0.89 percent as 0f 2Q 2020 (June 2020), of people that could be saving money in an ABLE account out of the 8 million that qualify. What is the differentiator between effective usage of these two similar programs… the resources used to ensure the “market” is INTENTIONALLY INFORMED.
So, if you have never heard about ABLE accounts, it may be time for you to advocate for administrators of these programs to invest in resources, including staff and marketing, to help people with disabilities gain the information they need.
Thanks to the volunteer OKSTABLE Ambassadors, Oklahomans with disabilities are being intentionally informed. The Ambassadors’ each have a full time job in addition to volunteering their time to provide outreach to help inform others about the benefits of ABLE accounts.
Also, each ambassador has a parent-perspective gained from having a child with a disability that they support. The group’s ongoing work, coupled with the strong support of STABLE program staff and State Treasurer Randy McDaniel, is helping tremendously, but much more needs to be done. To provide even more help, Treasurer McDaniel is planning to assign a full-time staff member early next year to conduct direct outreach to help spread the word about OKSTABLE.
Only by continuing to spread the word and adding more voices can we succeed in making all of those qualified know about the tremendous advantages offered by OKSTABLE.
Find out, if there is a dedicated staff in your state that can educate and answer questions regarding your state’s ABLE program. If the answer is “no”, then it may be time to request a change. People with disabilities deserve to be intentionally informed about ABLE accounts.
Intentionally Informed/ABLE Accounts Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK Former UCO Professor Hall Duncan leaves a legacy of teaching writing illustrating and kindness12/12/2020
OKLAHOMA CITY – The late Dr. Hall F. Duncan (January 27, 1924 – November 30, 2020), also known as “Dr. D,” was an educator, children’s author and illustrator, as well as a friend and mentor to many. His long life of 96 years was filled with kindness and decades of knowledge in travel, education, humor, and art.
A resident of Edmond, Duncan taught advertising, design and cartooning for seventeen years at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO). One of his many students gave him his pen name, “Dr. D.”.
In 1950, Duncan married Margaret Louise Sherk. They had four sons: Daniel, Franklin, Bruce and Douglas. Active in the Methodist Church his entire life, he respected all religious faiths.
Hall illustrated many Christian publications in Southern Africa and traveled to eleven countries to train artists for literacy and illustration work. His research on the pictorial perception habits of children in Africa has been published in South Africa, England, Papua New Guinea, and the United States.
His publications in the U.S. include fourteen illustrated books for children and retirees, many which are available on Amazon.com .
Educated in China, Europe, South Africa and the United States after fighting in WWII, he directed training programs in cities such as Kiev, London, Santiago, Seoul.
Hall received a Purple Heart (https://ift.tt/348AmRv) for being wounded while rescuing a fellow soldier under enemy sniper fire. He was also awarded the Bronze Star and the Combat Infantryman's Badge.
Hall was only 20 years old during the battle, and 80 percent of his company was killed liberating the towns of Bourgaltroff and Guebling in northeast France on the eve of the Battle of the Bulge in November 1944.
Duncan served in 1 Company, 3rd Battalion, 101st Infantry Regiment, 26th Infantry Division. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army as a Private First Class.
Dr. Duncan received the Governor of Oklahoma’s Arts Award for his life time dedication to educating and entertaining children through his art. The National Education Association and Writer’s Digest have honored his published work and he was awarded a PhD by the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
In 2013, France bestowed Hall with their Legion of Honor medal, their highest decoration, for embodying liberty, equality, and fraternity. In 2018, a town square in France was named after him, designated “Hall Duncan Place” (https://ift.tt/3a2wdm0) for his contribution working with the mayors and townspeople to bring to light first-hand details of the liberation of their villages.
Hall carried the UCO mace (https://ift.tt/3a6sofq), an ornamented staff of metal and wood which he designed, as he led the inauguration procession of University of Central Oklahoma President Don Betz in 2012.
Former student and artist Trey Aven wrote on Facebook, “I am saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Hall Duncan who was my mentor and former professor of advertising in the seventies. I had served as his graduate assistant in London and we
conducted seminars together in Eastern Europe. Hall came to New England to attend the grand opening of my design school and flew to China to assist me in the establishment of an exchange program between the University of Central Oklahoma and the Chinese university where I was teaching. He was instrumental in me being awarded the honor of Distinguished Alumni (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ4DAmAKnJs) of my former university. He always believed in me when others didn't. God speed Hall and thank you for all you did for me.”
Bruce Duncan, Hall’s son said, “Gentle man of strong conviction, ready to travel, to illustrate, share funny stories, lend a hand with a smile and let you know how much he loved you.”
Addressing Hall’s sons on Duncan’s Legacy (https://ift.tt/2K1Vl1s) page, Frank Hoke wrote: “I am sorry to hear of your father's passing, but we can also be glad that he had a long rich life. I have fond memories of the time we spent together in scouting and his stories of international travel were something that had a profound impact on me as an adolescent and subsequent adulthood. Your father’s life is an inspiration on how to spend one's retirement in an active and productive way.”
Candace Low said of Duncan, “I was a student of this incredible man. I was blessed to know him and he still inspires me. He always made me believe that I could do anything and the things I learned have carried me through some very hard times. I loved this beautiful man who gave so much to lift us all up.”
Pat McGuigan, publisher of The City Sentinel, wrote, “A memorable man. I covered his remarkable story only a couple of times, but never forgot him. I was sorry to hear of his passing.”
Thomas Stotts stated, “Hall was my commercial art teacher at Central State University in the 70's. My dad new him from army days in the Korean War. He was a wonderful man. My life would be less rich had I not known him.”
Hall’s obituary stated, “Hall loved to travel and described himself as a ‘citizen of the world.’ It has been said that if you mentioned a place in the world, Hall would tell you when he was there, who he was with, and what they were doing. He remembered everyone he ever met. He would keep in touch with you if you ever met him.”
Former student Diane Kalousdian said, “I remember Hall from my Advertising Design classes at UCO back in the late 80's when it was called Central State University. I remember that we bonded over our mutual love of traveling and different cultures. What a great man.”
Hall was a member of The Oklahoma City Kid Writers, The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, The UCO Emeritus Faculty Association and the UCO Luminary Society.
Hall was well cared for at the Lawton VA center in Oklahoma during the last year and a half of his life.
There will be a virtual memorial on either December 12 or 19. For updates and to see some of his friends comments, see Hall Duncan's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/hall.duncan.9).
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Oklahoma Historical Society, Hope for Haiti's Children, Nepal Youth Foundation, Global Ministries (Dominican Republic Children's Ministry), St. Joseph's Indian School, Salvation Army, Methodist Men of United Methodist Church, Edmond Historical Museum, Schools in Bourgaltroff and Guebling France, 101st Infantry, Yankee Division Club of Boston, or the Lawton Veterans Administration.
To learn more about Hall, visit hallduncan.com .
Former UCO Professor Hall Duncan leaves a legacy of teaching, writing, illustrating and kindness Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
OKLAHOMA CITY – Diminished oil field activity is having a significant impact on the Oklahoma economy, State Treasurer Randy McDaniel announced as he released the Gross Receipts to the Treasury report for November.
Collections from all sources in November total $970.5 million, below receipts from a year ago by more than $19 million, or almost two percent. Combined receipts from the past 12 months of $13.2 billion are down from collections from the trailing 12 months by almost $500 million, or 3.6 percent.
Meanwhile, November gross production tax collections on oil and natural gas are off by more than 50 percent from the prior year. Gross production receipts have been lower than those of the same month of the prior year for 15 consecutive months, but have trended lower since late 2018.
Underlying the shrinking energy tax collections are decreased commodity prices, production and energy sector employment. Since November 2018, oil prices are down 30 percent and natural gas prices are off more than 35 percent. During the same time, the number of active rigs has plunged by more than 90 percent, from 148 to only 13.
Oklahoma oil fields have shed more than 20,000 jobs and employment levels are down by almost 40 percent in the past two years. Current employment levels in the sector are lower than those reached in the trough that followed the Great Recession in late 2009.
“Oklahoma’s economic slowdown started with reduced oil field activity several months prior to the virus outbreak,” Treasurer McDaniel said in his monthly release, send to CapitolBeatOK, The City Sentinel and other news organizations. “The pandemic continues to be a major challenge for both the health and financial wellbeing of Oklahomans. However, we remain encouraged by the overall strength of the state’s economy during these difficult times.”
Other economic indicators
The unemployment rate in Oklahoma rose to 6.1 percent in September, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state’s jobless rate is up from 5.4 percent in September. The seasonally adjusted number of Oklahomans listed as jobless was reported as 114,400. The U.S. unemployment rate was listed at 6.9 percent in October.
The Oklahoma Business Conditions Index in November feel below growth neutral after indicating growth for five consecutive months. The November index was set at 49.4, down from 61.1 in October. Numbers below 50 suggest economic contraction is expected during the next three to six months.
November collections
Compared to gross receipts from November 2019, collections in November 2020 showed:
• Total November 2020 gross collections are $970.5 million, down $19.1 million, or 1.9 percent.
• Gross income tax collections, a combination of individual and corporate income taxes, generated $287.3 million, up by $21.8 million, or 8.2 percent.
* Individual income tax collections are $270.7 million, an increase of $12.6 million, or 4.9 percent.
* Corporate collections are $16.6 million, up by $9.2 million, or 124.5 percent. Wide monthly variances are not uncommon.
• Combined sales and use tax collections, including remittances on behalf of cities and counties, total $457.4 million – down by $6.5, or 1.4 percent.
* Sales tax collections total $385.8 million, a decrease of $16.7 million, or 4.1 percent.
* Use tax receipts, collected on out-of-state purchases including internet sales, generated $71.6 million, an increase of $10.2 million, or 16.6 percent.
• Gross production taxes on oil and natural gas total $41 million, a decrease of $41.3 million, or 50.2 percent.
• Motor vehicle taxes produced $57 million, up by $2.9 million, or 5.3 percent.
• Other collections composed of some 60 different sources including taxes on fuel, tobacco, medical marijuana, and alcoholic beverages, produced $127.8 million – up by $3.9 million, or 3.1 percent.
* The medical marijuana tax produced $4.8 million, up by $2 million, or 73.6 percent from the prior November.
Twelve-month collections
Combined gross receipts for the past 12 months (December 2019 through November 2020) compared to the prior 12 months showed:
• Gross revenue totals $13.2 billion. That is $496.3 million, or 3.6 percent, below collections from the previous 12-month period.
• Gross income taxes generated $4.77 billion, reflecting an increase of $95.4 million, or 2 percent.
* Individual income tax collections total $4.09 billion, down by $66.6 million, or 1.6 percent.
* Corporate collections are $683.1 million, an increase of $162.1 million, or 31.1 percent.
• Combined sales and use taxes generated $5.45 billion, a drop of $155.6 million, or 2.8 percent.
* Gross sales tax receipts total $4.68 billion, down by $207.3 million, or 4.2 percent.
* Use tax collections generated $772.5 million, an increase of $51.7 million, or 7.2 percent.
• Oil and gas gross production tax collections generated $643.9 million, down by $426.6 million, or 39.8 percent.
• Motor vehicle collections total $778.9 million. This is a decrease of $7 million, or 0.9 percent.
• Other sources generated $1.55 billion, down by $2.6 million, or 0.2 percent.
* Medical marijuana taxes generated $54.5 million, up by $33.2 million, or 156.7 percent, from prior period collections of $21.2 million.
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.
Energy Sector hit hard in November, Oklahoma Treasurer Randy McDaniel reports Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) Board of Directors has voted to change the names of two historic homes in order to recognize the contributions of women to the history and culture of Oklahoma’s communities.
The Fred Drummond Home in Hominy will now be known as the Fred and Addie Drummond Home, and the Henry Overholser Mansion in Oklahoma City will now be known as the Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion.
The names now represent the couples who, together, helped the Hominy and Oklahoma City communities flourish in their early days.
The Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion (https://ift.tt/3gAnUiz) is located at 405 NW 15th St. in Oklahoma City. The Fred and Addie Drummond Home (https://ift.tt/3qFEK4l) is located at 305 N. Price Ave. in Hominy.
“The OHS is proud to celebrate the centennial year of women’s suffrage by taking these women out of the shadows of history,” said Kathy Dickson, director of Museums and Historic Sites for the Oklahoma Historical Society.
“Although the changes are long overdue, adding Addie and Anna’s names to the official name of these sites reminds visitors that both women and men built communities and were central figures in the creating what we now know as Oklahoma,” Dickson added.
Henry Overholser (https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=OV003&l=O)
moved in Oklahoma City shortly after the Land Run of 1889, where he soon built six business buildings and was elected president of the board of trade. By 1894 he was elected to the Oklahoma County Commission, and he continued to boost civic causes and the expansion of the city.
Within six months of his arrival in Oklahoma City Henry married Anna Ione Murphy and the two were active in Oklahoma City social circles. The couple built a 20-room Victorian mansion in Anton Classen’s Highland Park Addition, the area now known as Heritage Hills, completing it in 1904.
Anna made their home a center of society in early Oklahoma City.
The Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and was acquired by the OHS in 1972. It is operated by Preservation Oklahoma, a private non-profit dedicated to preserving Oklahoma’s historic places.
In 1886, Fred Drummond (https://ift.tt/2Ll2FWl) moved to Pawhuska and worked as a licensed government trader. He married Addie Gentner in 1890, and by 1895 the couple had saved enough money to buy a partnership in the trading company for which he worked.
In 1904, the Drummonds formed the Hominy Trading Company, and soon expanded into ranching, banking and real estate.
The three-story, Victorian-style Fred and Addie Drummond Home in Hominy was completed in 1905.
The home was deeded to the OHS in 1980, and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people.
Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma.
For more information about the OHS, visit okhistory.org.
Overholser Mansion and Fred Drummond Home renamed to honor women Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK |
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