Corey DeAngelis to receive OCPA’s Citizen of the Year Award
OKLAHOMA CITY (February 25, 2022)—Corey DeAngelis, national director of research at the American Federation for Children, will be the recipient of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affair’s 2022 Citizenship Award.
“Corey DeAngelis is a leading national voice for school choice and an unflinching warrior for the cause of children who deserve greater opportunity,” said Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. “His knowledge of facts and data on school choice is unsurpassed, as is his willingness to debate anyone, anywhere—and win.”
“Corey DeAngelis is well known in the world of free-market policy because he does not allow any falsehood to go unchallenged in school-choice debates,” said OCPA Board Chairman Larry Parman. “Time and again, he has shown that facts matter more than volume, even in online debates, and he is a true champion for the right of children to access the best education possible by funding students, not systems.”
Following Governor Kevin Stitt's State of the State address yesterday, school choice advocates issued statements praising the Governor's position on education reform. Read them below:
State Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat has filed a major education reform measure, Senate Bill 1647 (the Oklahoma Empowerment Act). Below his press release I'm including comments from supporting groups and organizations.
As a homeschool graduate and homeschool parent, I am quite hesitant when it comes to even "friendly" efforts to provide some sort of funds for homeschool students. Oklahoma is the most free state in the union when it comes to home education freedoms, and as such those of us in the homeschool community have jealously guarded against the government nose coming under the tent.
I'll be curious to see just how this measure would apply to homeschoolers. From first appearances, I would be greatly concerned about government education regulators finally getting their grubby paws on the liberties that home education has enjoyed here in Oklahoma.
Pro Tem Treat bill empowers all parents to pursue best educational opportunity for their student
OKLAHOMA CITY – All parents of Oklahoma students would be empowered to pursue the best educational setting that fits the individual needs of their child under legislation filed by Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat.
“Every child deserves the chance for a quality education that fits their unique needs, regardless of their zip code. We’ve already empowered the parents of children with disabilities with this opportunity through the very successful Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship program. It’s time we give all parents and all student in Oklahoma that same opportunity for success,” said Treat, R-Oklahoma City.
Treat said Senate Bill 1647, also known as the Oklahoma Empowerment Act, creates Oklahoma Empowerment Accounts which allow parents to use their child’s state education dollars to pursue a variety of educational opportunities, all to secure the best education possible for their children.
“A quality education is essential to each child’s success, and the overall success and growth of our state. No child should be trapped in a failing school or a school that cannot meet their unique educational needs simply because of where his or her home is located. Oklahoma Empowerment Accounts will bring generational change to families across Oklahoma by giving all parents the freedom to do what’s best for their child,” Treat said.
OKLAHOMA CITY (January 21, 2022)— Larry Parman, chairman of the board of trustees for the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, issued the following statement today in response to Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat filing Senate Bill 1647, which creates Oklahoma Empowerment Accounts (OEAs). Under Treat’s OEA bill, parents can use taxpayer funds to choose any education option, including private schools, that best serve their child’s needs.
“For Oklahoma to become a state of true opportunity for all, we must provide a quality education to every child. But that can only happen when parents are able to choose from a range of options based on their child’s unique needs. In contrast, the one-size-fits-all approach of the current education system in Oklahoma leaves too many children behind. Those of us on the OCPA board are civic leaders, business owners, and most of all parents and grandparents. We know there is no issue more important to families and Oklahoma’s future progress than improving our state’s education outcomes. By fighting to maximize educational opportunity for all Oklahoma families, Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat has taken a bold stand for families that deserves applause from all Oklahomans.”
The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs is a free-market think tank that works to advance principles and policies that support free enterprise, limited government, individual initiative and personal responsibility.
Proposal Gives Parents Control Over Their Education Tax Dollars
OKLAHOMA CITY – ChoiceMatters, an Oklahoma non-profit dedicated to increasing education options for parents, today praised Oklahoma State Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat for filing SB 1647, the Oklahoma Empowerment Act. The bill proposes giving parents control over a portion of their children’s education tax dollars, in the form of Oklahoma Empowerment Accounts. The accounts would be eligible to fund private school tuition or to supplement home schooling with approved technology expenses, enrichment materials or other educational services.
“The biggest barrier to education freedom is income,” said ChoiceMatters Executive Director Robert Ruiz. “High income parents can choose the school that is right for their children, either by moving to the zip codes with the best public schools, by sending their children to private school, or by supplementing their children’s education with tutoring and other resources. We believe that parents of every income level in every zip code should be able to make these same choices and offer their children these same opportunities.
“Pro Tem Treat has put forward a bold vision to give every Oklahoma parent the freedom and the ability to find the best education possible for their children,” continued Ruiz. “We encourage his colleagues in both the Senate and the House to stand with parents and support this proposal.”
Jennifer Johnson, a Skiatook mother who helped start Parent Voice Oklahoma, an advocacy organization supporting efforts that include parent empowerment, school choice and educational freedom, also praised the proposed legislation.
“Parents have realized that the balance of power in public education has tilted towards unelected bureaucrats and top-down control,” said Johnson. “Putting parents in charge of their own education tax dollars puts them back in the driver’s seat where they belong. This is the ultimate form of local control and parent empowerment. Thank you, Senator Treat, for giving parents a voice in our kids' education.
AFC-Oklahoma Issues Statement in Support of Oklahoma Empowerment Accounts
OKLAHOMA CITY – American Federation for Children-Oklahoma Senior Advisor Jennifer Carter today released the following statement in support of the Oklahoma Empowerment Act (SB 1647), filed today by Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat. The bill gives every parent a portion of their education tax dollars, in the form of “Empowerment Accounts,” to support K-12 education needs.
“The COVID-era has made it obvious that our system of public education is not responsive to parental needs or input, even on matters as important as school closures, virtual learning, and curricula. All across the country, parents are fighting back and demanding more control over how their kids are being taught, who is teaching them, and what they are learning.
“The creation of Oklahoma Empowerment Accounts will ensure that all parents have real options for their children when it comes to education. That, in turn, will force schools to listen to parents and to ensure they are meeting the needs of the families they are supposed to serve, rather than simply ignoring them at the behest of unions and special interests. Our thanks go out to Pro Tem Treat for his support of parental rights and education freedom. We are excited to help make his bold vision a new reality for Oklahoma parents and families.” – Jennifer Carter, senior advisor, AFC-Oklahoma
Former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating and OCPA react to false statements by OSSBA, CCOSA, and others
After the Oklahoma State School Boards Association (OSSBA), the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration (CCOSA), and others falsely claimed that the Equal Opportunity Scholarship program is a voucher, former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating, Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) Chairman Larry Parman, and OCPA President Jonathan Small released the following statements:
Former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating:
“I was shocked and saddened to read the false statements by OSSBA, CCOSA, and others claiming the Equal Opportunity Scholarship program is a voucher. A voucher provides government funding for a student to go to a school of their choice. The scholarships provided through the Equal Opportunity Scholarship program are privately funded. These groups have a right to oppose the scholarship program—which actually helps Oklahoma’s rural public schools and most vulnerable students—but their statements and lobbying in opposition should steer clear of an impossibility of truth.”
OCPA Chairman Larry Parman:
“OSSBA, CCOSA, and others seek to deny families the opportunity for a better education for their children by claiming—without evidence—that the Equal Opportunity Scholarship program is a voucher program that robs public schools of state funding. That is no surprise considering both serve as lobbyists for public school boards and public-school administrators. In fact, the scholarship does not use any state funds. Instead, it encourages private citizens to provide a scholarship that helps families trapped in a poorly performing or unsuitable school. In the face of low test scores and no evidence of ability to remedy the situation, we should unlock educational options by expanding the Equal Opportunity Scholarship program and let parents decide what is best for their children.”
OCPA President Jonathan Small:
“The false statements regarding the Equal Opportunity Scholarship program by OSSBA, CCOSA, and others are stunning. If these groups want to criticize voucher programs—Medicaid, child care assistance through the Department of Human Services, the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship program, or Oklahoma’s Promise, for example—they are well within their rights to do so. But they ought not falsely claim that something is a voucher when it is not.
“The Equal Opportunity Scholarship program, according to statutorily imposed limitations, provides a non-refundable credit against state taxes owed by individuals or corporations who make donations to scholarship or granting organizations. These organizations provide scholarships from private funds to assist students in obtaining an alternative education that better meets their needs or to cover innovative programs in public schools.
“It’s sad that these groups and others desperately resort to fabrications in order to try to block raising the cap on this program. Oklahoma’s Equal Opportunity Scholarship program is similar to programs in 17 other states, its structure has been found constitutional, and it has been found by an independent study to generate $2.91 in government savings for every $1 in tax-credit value.”
OCPA Chairman Larry Parman and OCPA President Jonathan Small Statements on Proposed Damaging Income Tax Hikes
In response to proposed damaging income tax increases (capping itemized deductions and raising capital gains taxes), OCPA Chairman Larry Parman and OCPA President Jonathan Small made the following statements:
“We appreciate the efforts of various groups and dedicated Oklahomans to work for the improvement of our state. But, increasing penalties on work and investment in Oklahoma is not the way to build a state,” said Larry Parman, a former Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce who has extensive experience in business recruitment. “These proposed damaging tax increases would make our state less competitive with Texas, which has no capital gains tax because it has no income tax at all. The last thing Oklahoma needs is policies that make it even more difficult to diversify our economy coming out of a severe recession as a result of the downturn in energy prices. The best way for legislators to give teachers a raise is to get serious about cutting spending on the bureaucracies that feed off education dollars but do little for teachers or kids. But if legislators insist on raising taxes, at least they should focus on taxes that do the least damage to our state’s economic future.”
“Not all taxes are created equal,” Jonathan Small said. “Damaging income tax increases like these reduce the incentives to work and invest in Oklahoma. It is shortsighted to get money for education today by deterring investment, capital creation, and diversification while compromising students’ and families’ futures. Increasing the initial gross production tax rate from 2 percent to 5 percent on current and all future wells is a far less damaging tax increase proposal. OCPA earlier this year pointed the Legislature to other less damaging taxes in our ‘Plan That Can Pass.’ Implementing OCPA’s ‘Plan That Can Pass’ yields enough revenue ($505.4 million) to give every single classroom teacher in Oklahoma a $10,000 raise without increasing their and working Oklahoma families’ income taxes to pay for it. It’s time for the political and special interest posturing and subversions to end. It’s time to act on a plan for teacher pay raises that can pass and then turn to transformational reforms and robust oversight and accountability of state government.”
OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 12, 2018) — On Monday, the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) offered a revenue plan in hopes of breaking the tax-and-budget impasse at the state Capitol.
“Oklahomans want to see teachers receive a $5,000 pay raise, but they know this can be done without unnecessarily heavy tax increases on working families and small businesses,” OCPA chairman Larry Parman said.
“Many people have asked OCPA for, in their words, ‘a plan that can pass,’ something that doesn’t raise taxes on working families, something simple that doesn’t require lawmakers to go through much gnashing of teeth from state government bureaucrats and tax consumers, but that still funds a $5,000 teacher pay raise and prevents nursing homes and other critical services from going under.”
OCPA’s “plan that can pass” includes:
A gross production tax increase to 5 percent for existing wells taxed at 2 percent and for all future wells for 36 months, and 7 percent thereafter—$199.5 million in new annual revenue
A $0.75 per pack cigarette tax increase—$121.9 million in new annual revenue
A cap of $10 million on the zero-emission tax credit for wind—$60 million in new annual available revenue
Send to Oklahoma voters a ballot measure dedicating all new tobacco settlement payments that currently go to the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) to the state’s Medicaid budget—$57 million in new annual revenue
Tribes in Oklahoma step up and decline to accept any future rebates from the state for the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products—at least $67 million in new annual revenue
The OCPA plan provides the revenue necessary—$505.4 million annually—to address a $5,000 pay raise for every classroom teacher in Oklahoma public schools statewide.
“It’s time to give teachers the pay raise they deserve and provide the funding for it and stop the rest of the bureaucracy from using teachers as pawns while state agencies refuse to reform,” OCPA president Jonathan Small said. “This plan, once passed, would make revenues available within 90 days. We believe this plan is the fastest way to get our teachers the raise they deserve.”
A close reading of Gov. Mary Fallin’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget, released last week, reveals that the gap between base agency appropriations and estimated certified revenue has been completely eliminated. Gov. Fallin’s budget also indicates that recurring certified revenue exceeds last year’s recurring appropriations by $59 million.
Small said that with the budget deficit now resolved for Oklahoma’s state government, it’s time to focus on a narrowly tailored package that solves the teacher pay raise challenge and doesn’t include cumbersome, damaging tax increases on working Oklahoma families.
“We acknowledge there is not currently the political will at the state Capitol to enact targeted reform of nonessential spending or to rein in the mismanagement that has taken place at state agencies like the Health Department, the Health Care Authority, and elsewhere,” Small said.
Small added that several proposals from state lawmakers this legislative session should also be approved to ensure that existing taxpayer resources are directed to areas of highest priority.
“Each legislative session should be devoted to reforming government and exploring the expenditure of every penny paid in by taxpayers,” Small said. “Unfortunately, this hasn’t happened.”
A few such proposals under consideration in the current session include:
A proposal to dedicate Commissioners of the Land Office funds for salary increases for teachers and other public-school personnel
A proposal to place on the 2018 ballot a measure allowing public schools to utilize a larger percentage of ad valorem funds for teacher and staff compensation and other classroom-related expenditures, as opposed to being restricted to facility and technology upgrades
A proposal to institute more thorough and frequent eligibility audits of the state’s Medicaid rolls, as has recently been done in Arkansas
A proposal to model successful reforms in other states by implementing work requirements for able-bodied adults to empower them and protect Oklahoma’s exploding Medicaid program for the most vulnerable
A proposal to end Oklahoma’s Hollywood film credit subsidy, which paid $4.6 million to Harvey Weinstein
Parman also called for a return to oversight and responsible governance.
“This plan solves the state government problem with which there is consensus and allows for a clean slate for the rest of special session and the regular session to focus on structurally reforming and transforming Oklahoma’s structurally flawed government,” Parman said. “It is a violation of the Oklahoma Standard for policymakers and government personnel to neglect their number one responsibility which is to responsibly govern and protect the most vulnerable and taxpayers.”
“Not another penny in tax increases after this package passes should be considered at least until all of Oklahoma’s top twenty appropriated agencies have thorough financial audits, thorough performance and process improvement audits, and government personnel employment structures are reformed.”
Statement from Dr. Tom Coburn:
“For nearly eight years now, the executive branch, the bureaucracy, special interests, and even some legislators have predominantly been obsessed with trying to figure out how to get more revenue out of Oklahomans or expand government’s spending role in Oklahomans’ lives. They have thwarted efforts to truly transform government so it works better with less—and now are insisting on either tax increases or even more dysfunctional government.
“Because of their false choices, and the accompanying deterioration, teachers, the most vulnerable, working Oklahomans, and small businesses are being held captive and will suffer damaging tax increases that will harm families and ruin future efforts for pro-growth tax reform.
“To prevent that damage from occurring, this proposal by OCPA provides the best way, given the unfortunate circumstances, to give hardworking teachers the pay raise they have earned, protect the most vulnerable, and protect working Oklahomans and small businesses from damaging tax increases.
“It’s time for the circus to end. This narrowly tailored package proposed by OCPA will prioritize what’s important. It’s time for politicians to do their number one job which is tough and accountable oversight. It’s a violation of the Oklahoma Standard to raise taxes on the most vulnerable, working Oklahomans and small businesses when fraud and mismanagement is occurring at the Oklahoma Health Department, the state Medicaid budget is out of control and scores of opportunities for efficiency and savings are avoided. It’s time for politicians to do the tough work of responsible fiscal governance, structural reform and transformational policy solutions that end income the failed status quo of government operation — as promised.”
MEDIA ADVISORY -- OCPA offers “a plan that can pass”
WHAT: The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) will hold a press conference to release “a plan that can pass.”
WHERE: Capitol Press Room, 4th Floor
WHEN: Monday, February 12, 2018 at 10:30 am
WHO: Larry Parman, OCPA Chairman and former Oklahoma Sec. of State and Sec. of Commerce, and Jonathan Small, OCPA President
Blogger's note: Whenever video from this press conference is available, I'll post it.
From OCPA: "Earlier today, former United States Senator Tom Coburn, former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, and former Oklahoma Secretary of State Larry Parman sent a letter to Oklahoma lawmakers. In it, the three conservative leaders urged lawmakers to finally right-size government, pointing out that Oklahoma is hurting because Oklahomans are hurting."
Here is the letter:
Dear Oklahoma Policymakers,
Ronald Reagan once wisely warned: “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem.” About taxes and spending, he said, “The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.” These words of wisdom apply directly to fiscal policies being debated in Oklahoma today.
Take, for example, the last several legislative sessions. Numerous lobbyists for special interests and numerous government executives have worked to focus the discussion on how to take more money from Oklahoma’s most vulnerable citizens, from working Oklahoma families, and from small businesses and job creators.
Each session, the discussion has focused on cries for more revenue, money to be taken from Oklahomans by their government.
The reality, though, is that Oklahomans are hurting—due in large part to the significant price declines in oil and to the failures of the Obama administration’s economic policies and regulations. The Oklahoma Tax Commission reports that from 2014 to 2015 Oklahomans lost more than $13 billion in taxable income. Further, from FY-2015 to FY-2016, Oklahomans cut their purchases subject to state sales and use tax by $4.1 billion just to survive. From September 2015 to September 2016, fully 21,800 oil and gas and manufacturing jobs were cut.
Given what Oklahomans are facing, now more than ever is the time for policymakers to steel themselves and get about the tough work of reforming Oklahoma’s government. This means focusing funding on critical core functions while working to implement efficiencies. It’s time to craft a state budget that respects Oklahoma families’ budgets.
Now more than ever, policymakers must deliver on their campaign promises to right-size government and adjust it to the current tax burden borne by Oklahomans.
During stern times like these, it is unwise to fall for the trap that is state-level “tax-reform”—when this really means raising taxes on Oklahomans and permanently cementing unreformed state spending so that government can avoid the hard choices Oklahomans have to make every day. Policymakers should especially resist increasing tax burdens on Oklahomans while a lack of transparency in agency spending still exists.
Policymakers should work tirelessly until all expenditures of every state agency are reviewed by our elected legislators. No state agency should hire lobbyists or staff with state funds in order to lobby for even more taxpayer money. Sound and fiscally conservative policy must always consider reforms and prioritizing spending. The people of Oklahoma have spoken clearly in favor of this approach. Most state office holders have earned their offices by voicing support of these principles.
Some claim that recent special-election results show that policymakers aren’t taxing their constituents enough. Nothing could be further from the truth. Voters will reward those who keep their promises, who work tirelessly to rein in the bureaucracy and special interests—and who carry out their duties and personal lives with moral integrity. When policymakers break promises, avoid reining in the bureaucracy, and have moral failings, none should be surprised when they themselves and those who claim to wear their political colors suffer electoral defeat.
During this special session, those who claim the principles and label of Ronald Reagan must act on their promises. Those principles reject all tax increases and efforts to generate more revenue during times like these. State reports and certified revenue documents show that lawmakers have already passed legislation which increased annual revenues available for appropriation by more than $500 million over the last three legislative sessions.
It is time to dig in to eradicate crony capitalism. It is time to rein in unreformed spending. It is time for real, market-driven Medicaid reforms and innovative health care spending. It is time to be honest about non-instructional growth in common and higher education. It is time to implement government-wide business process improvements and reform outdated government structures.
Policymakers must make the same difficult choices being made by the most vulnerable, by working Oklahoma families, and by small businesses and other job creators in Oklahoma.
Onward,
Tom Coburn
Former United States Senator
Frank Keating
Former Oklahoma Governor Larry Parman
Former Oklahoma Secretary of State and Secretary of Commerce
The Oklahoma Health Care Authority's Medicaid “rebalancing” plan is being considered by lawmakers. The plan is simply Obamacare Medicaid expansion rebranded. As conservatives concerned about fiscal responsibility, we urge lawmakers to reject it.
The rebalancing scheme is a policy that expands the scope and size of the federal government and increases dependency on government programs. It removes one more state barrier that separates us from a single-payer system in the United States. And of course it would further balloon state taxpayer spending by $1 billion (at a minimum) over the first 10 years and would increase the federal debt by $10 billion.
According to OHCA, the plan would add some 175,000 to the Medicaid rolls while promising to shift a similar number to the flawed Obamacare private market in the future (though it's quite unlikely that portion of the plan will ever happen). Yet one study suggests that half or more of those targeted for expansion are already covered by job-related health insurance.
As the Congressional Budget Office noted, this creates an incentive not to work. The 175,000 targeted by OHCA are able-bodied adults. The proposal would increase from 27 percent to 33 percent the number of Oklahomans dependent on health care entitlements in addition to Medicare.
A core element of the OHCA proposal is qualifying for Obamacare funds that would require gutting the Insure Oklahoma program by removing enrollment caps, work requirements and accountable cost sharing. This plan would simply force more Oklahomans onto the welfare rolls. Can anyone sensibly suggest that our strapped state or federal budget can afford another vast entitlement program?
Nor can OHCA provide reliable cost estimates. The numbers keep increasing, meaning our liability is open-ended and guaranteed. Not one state using a similar plan has seen a reduction in costs to the state. All have increased.
In fact the OHCA proposal is similar to an unfunded pension liability, except that the cost will have to be funded each year. Oklahoma has finally taken steps to address that pension budget hole; the state can't afford to open the spigot for yet another costly program.
Supporters argue this is not expanding Medicaid because participants would be insured by private carriers. That's somewhat disingenuous because the funding mechanism — and more important, the financial responsibility — will be that of state and federal taxpayers.
Oklahoma rejected the Obamacare exchange grant, saving the state hundreds of millions of dollars in state-based exchange cost overruns being experienced by other states. Now we're being urged to accept funds from the federal government along with their requirements to run a health care program, according to their rules.
Gov. Mary Fallin had it exactly right in her 2014 State of the State address: “We cannot plunge this nation further into debt, or place Oklahoma on a fiscally unsound path, by expanding Medicaid. Both the president's plan and alternative proposals that rely on federal dollars in the Affordable Care Act amount to the same thing: a dramatic growth in unsustainable government spending.”
Coburn, a former Republican U.S. senator from Muskogee, has served thousands of Medicaid patients as a medical doctor. Parman, an attorney, has served as secretary of state for Oklahoma and secretary of commerce.
