OKLAHOMA CITY (January 25, 2024)— Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs President Jonathan Small today urged lawmakers to cut Oklahoma’s personal income tax to help struggling families and encourage job growth.
"Dear Leader David, Speaker McCall, Leader Echols, and other Republican Members of the Oklahoma Legislature,Now, I urge all Oklahomans to heed Rep. Miller's advice—reject Medicaid so that Oklahoma can avoid the woes that our neighbor has endured.
In light of Oklahoma's consideration of Medicaid expansion, I write to briefly share Arkansas' experience. I will be candid—and hope to convey my sense of urgency. I cannot stress enough my primary takeaway from Arkansas' Medicaid program in recent years: expanding Medicaid to able-bodied adults is a raw deal. Let me explain.
Those who supported Medicaid expansion made lots of promises: increased federal funding to support our state budget, greater access to care for the needy, and relief for rural hospitals. But Arkansas is in a worse position today than before because these grand promises were built on the broken foundation of ObamaCare.
Instead, enrollment and costs shattered projections. Waste and fraud is more difficult to detect. Some of our rural hospitals are still struggling and a few have even closed. Greater costs are being shifted to the remaining Arkansans who pay higher private insurance premiums. More Arkansans are trapped in welfare dependency. And the truly needy—like those with physical and developmental disabilities who require home-based care—face long waiting lists and reduced services while able-bodied, working-age adults move to the front of the line.
In short, expansion was a big mistake for Arkansas.
In times of uncertainty like the COVID-19 pandemic, knowledge is power. And I know the experiences of neighbors, who have had to learn from their mistakes, can provide the most useful knowledge. Arkansas and Oklahoma share more than a border. Our cultures, economies, and enduring public policy challenges have much in common. If you want to avoid the mistakes of our state, I urge you to reject Medicaid expansion.
Sincerely,
Josh Miller
AR State Representative Dist. 66"
Arkansas family welcomes 18th child, a girlI've had the privilege to meet the Duggar family, although they only had about 13 children at the time. Wonderful family.ROGERS, Ark. (AP) — An Arkansas woman has given birth to her 18th child. Michelle Duggar delivered the baby girl by Caesarean section Thursday at Mercy Medical Center in Rogers. The baby, named Jordyn-Grace Makiya Duggar, weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and was 20 inches long.
"The ultimate Christmas gift from God," said Jim Bob Duggar, the father of the 18 children. "She's just absolutely beautiful, like her mom and her sisters."
The Duggars now have 10 sons and eight daughters.
[...]
Jim Bob Duggar is 43, a year older than his wife. Their oldest child, Joshua, is 20.
The other Duggar children, in between Joshua and Jordyn-Grace, are Jana, 18; John-David, 18; Jill, 17; Jessa, 16; Jinger, 14; Joseph, 13; Josiah, 12; Joy-Anna, 11; Jeremiah, 9; Jedidiah, 9; Jason, 8; James, 7; Justin, 6; Jackson, 4; Johannah, 3; and Jennifer, 1.
"Our whole family is excited about Jordyn's addition to our family," Jim Bob Duggar said. "She's just perfect in every way."
