Sen. Wingard files bill to eliminate wind energy tax credit, save taxpayers money

As communities across the state fight massive new wind energy projects, including one near Lake Eufaula aiming to build up to 900 turbines, newly-elected State Sen. Jonathan Wingard (who stunned the political world by ousting would-be Senate Pro Tem Greg McCortney in the primary) is starting his political career - one might say - by tilting at windmills to save taxpayers money.

Wingard files bill to eliminate wind energy tax credit, save taxpayers money

OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 31, 2024) — Sen. Jonathan Wingard, R-Ada, filed legislation this week to end state tax subsidies for wind farms.

Senate Bill 239 would eliminate the zero-emission subsidy for wind production after tax year 2025. Eliminating this tax credit will save taxpayers up to $16 million annually.

Oklahoma turns a new page with new leaders

With the inauguration of Governor Kevin Stitt and a mostly-new slate of statewide elected officials, the state of Oklahoma is turning the page and closing a chapter.

Stitt looks to be a bold contrast to the [largely disappointing and frustrating] past eight years of Mary Fallin, but time will tell whether he will be able to get the Legislature to work with him in order to accomplish his goals. There are promising signs already.

New Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell was also sworn in on Monday, as well as Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony (his final term), State Auditor Cindy Byrd (her first term), Attorney General Mike Hunter (his first full term), State Treasurer Randy McDaniel (his first term), State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister (her final term), Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn (her first term), and Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready (his first term).

You can read Gov. Stitt's inauguration speech here, or watch the full ceremony below, courtesy of Tulsa's NBC affiliate, KJRH:

Fallin: Thankful for the Opportunity, Optimistic about Oklahoma's Future

As My Term Ends, Thankful for the Opportunity to Serve and Optimistic about Oklahoma's Future

By Governor Mary Fallin

In just a matter of days, Oklahoma will have a new governor and I will once again - after 28 years - be a private citizen.

I’ve enjoyed my decades of service as a public servant, as a state legislator, lieutenant governor and a member of Congress, especially the past eight years serving as your governor. The best part certainly is meeting the many wonderful Oklahomans across our state and listening to their concerns. The challenging and rewarding part comes with finding solutions to their concerns and issues.

Despite two economic downturns during my time as governor – one underway when I took office and the global energy downturn early in my second term – Oklahoma’s business climate is healthy. We’ve diversified our economy. We’re training and educating our citizens to learn skills sets necessary for jobs today and in the future.

Oklahoma’s unemployment rate is the lowest in 17 years and with the new jobs and people moving to Oklahoma, our state’s population has grown to just under 4 million people!

Oklahoma offers an incredibly low cost of doing business. For the second year in a row, the Anderson Economic Group’s 2018 State Business Tax Burden Rankings ranks Oklahoma with the lowest tax burden in the country.

Oklahoma has one of the lowest costs of living in the U.S., plus the state has the second-lowest electric power costs in the country, and at the same time offers a great quality of life.

During my administration, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce has secured 526 new and expanding business announcements representing more than $14.6 billion of investments. When you look at job numbers tallied by cities and other local entities, the estimate is close to 200,000 new jobs.

We’ve made great progress in diversifying our economy. Oil and gas will still be a dominant part of our economy. However, the aerospace and defense sector of our economy has seen a huge growth in jobs and investment. In fact, for the first time in decades Oklahoma will have two aerospace manufacturing facilities that will produce high-performance, jet-powered unmanned aerial tactical and target drone systems. Other expanding industries include paper goods as well as steel milling; digital information services like Google; and large fulfillment centers like Amazon.

Pro-business policies that I supported and signed into law helped spur our economy and lower the state’s unemployment rate. They include:

• Transitioning Oklahoma to an administrative workers’ compensation system committed to taking care of injured workers yet reducing the state’s average workers’ comp loss costs rates nearly 64 percent lower than they were in January 2011.
• Making Oklahoma more business friendly by enacting tort reform measures: Oklahoma has moved from 42nd to 31st in reducing frivolous lawsuits.
• Cutting Oklahoma’s unfunded pension liability of $16 billion nearly in half to about $8.4 billion.

In the area of education, we’re also making progress. New revenue sources approved in the 2017 and 2018 legislative sessions established a much more stable financial position for the state, and allowed Oklahoma last year to give a raise to public school teachers, which I had proposed and pushed for each of the last three years.

Teachers will see an average pay raise of $6,100, or a 16 percent pay increase - the highest pay increase in state history. Oklahoma’s teacher pay went from 49th to 29th in the nation, and to No. 12 when the cost of living is factored. In Oklahoma’s seven-state region, teacher pay went from last to No. 2.

We’re making progress with smart-on-crime policies and on how we deal with nonviolent offenders who need substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation, which will help ease prison overcrowding. I signed 17 criminal justice reforms during my time in office, including seven last year that will reduce the flow of nonviolent offenders into prison; establish a more efficient and streamlined parole process; and facilitate successful reentry that reduces recidivism.

I truly believe the future of our state is bright, with a low unemployment rate of 3.3 percent and $451 million in the Rainy Day Fund. Based on current trends and if our state does not experience an economic downturn, our state could see another significant Rainy Day Fund deposit later this year, which could bring our Rainy Day Fund close to $850 million.

The next administration and Legislature will have the resources to address many of the state’s priorities and to ensure core services are adequately funded. I’ll be watching from the sidelines cheering them on to take our state to the next level.

It’s been a great honor to service the people and our state in office, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity.

OCPA column: Who's like whom?

Who’s like whom?

by Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs

There’s been a lot of talk lately about which of the gubernatorial candidates is most like the current governor. Let’s look at it.

One of the biggest issues in Oklahoma the last four years has been tax increases. On this issue, Democrat candidate Drew Edmondson appears to be the most like the current administration.

In the current administration’s second term, we saw multiple pushes for tax increases totaling more than $2 billion annually. The current administration did succeed in their second term in increasing income taxes by more than $185 million on Oklahomans.

Edmondson has repeatedly called for more tax increases – including on income and capital gains, services, cigarettes, and oil and gas production.

The Republican candidate, Kevin Stitt, has said his outsider status and successful business experience are what is needed to make government more accountable and work more effectively. Noting economic growth and the corresponding revenue growth, he was opposed to enacted increases in annual taxes and revenues under the current administration – $1.1 billion since 2015.

The Libertarian candidate, Chris Powell, said that certain tax incentives should be eliminated and not more tax increases.

Consider also the Obamacare Medicaid expansion. The current administration on multiple occasions signaled public support for – and tried to push through – some form of Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion, whether it was the “Leavitt Plan” or the “Rebalance Plan” or some other iteration.

Edmondson has advocated repeatedly for Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion, saying it will save hospitals. Stitt maintains that significant cost overruns – and cutbacks in program services for the truly needy – in other states that have expanded this welfare program make it a government expansion that Oklahoma should avoid. Powell has voiced opposition to expansion.

Consider pensions. For Stitt or Powell, neither has had a state government career. If elected, state law now requires them to be in a defined contribution plan like most taxpayers. By contrast, Edmondson’s 29-year government career allows him to continue to draw his guaranteed annual state pension of $149,934 (he has drawn $1.2 million to date) alongside the governor’s salary of $147,000 (for a total of $296,934), while the current governor’s 24-year career will allow her to draw around $176,000 guaranteed annually.

For both Edmondson and the current governor, a special provision – for politicians only – allowed their annual pension to be higher than their annual salary ever was.

Jonathan Small serves as president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.

OCPA column: Oklahoma’s pension giveaway to career politicians

Paying career politicians

by Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA)

Representative government doesn’t work when we let politicians spend future generations’ money. It’s taxation without representation. It’s also something we do every day in the United States and in Oklahoma.

Politicians love taxation without representation. Maybe you’ve heard the old line: “Don’t tax you, don’t tax me, tax the man behind the tree.” It’s always easier to tax someone if you don’t also have to ask for their vote.

Government debt and pensions are the new forms of taxation without representation. Future generations will pay the bills, but politicians are spending the money, or making the commitments, today. If taxation without representation is akin to theft, then this is stealing. It also corrupts the recipients of this largess, including the American people at large. We are all stealing from future generations in order to finance growing entitlements and pension promises that make us feel good today.

Oklahoma’s pension giveaway to career politicians is perhaps the worst example. Until it was curtailed by reform legislation, state law allowed elected officials to “buy” a higher return on their pension. This gave career politicians a bigger paycheck in retirement than they earned while in office. For example, when Gov. Mary Fallin leaves office next year, her $176,000-per-year pension will be $29,000 more than her annual salary.

Drew Edmondson’s current state pension is $149,934. According to state records, Edmondson’s already received $1.2 million. If he becomes governor, he’ll get an annual salary of $147,000 while continuing to collect his state pension, for a combined income of nearly $300,000 a year. All this data is technically public, but much of it—including information about one local superintendent who retired at age 61 and is paid $174,325 annually—was not available online until the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs posted it on our transparency website.

While better than some states, Oklahoma still has unfunded pension liabilities around $8 billion. If responsibility isn’t embraced and maintained, this liability will increase. The same thing will happen if politicians decide to buy political power by making pensions more generous or by redirecting pension payments to more alluring projects.

The solution to the inherent risk of government pensions is to replace them with a retirement system controlled by qualifying non-hazard duty employees, not the politicians. This transformation has happened already in the private sector and some areas of Oklahoma state government, where workers own their own 401(k) or other retirement account.

All non-hazard duty government employees deserve that level of control over their own future, and taxpayers should never be on the hook for the promises of long-ago career politicians.

Jonathan Small serves as president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.

Oklahoma Receives REAL ID Extension through October 2019

Oklahoma Receives REAL ID Extension through October 2019

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin and the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety (DPS) [last week] announced they have been notified that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has granted the state’s REAL ID extension through Oct. 10, 2019.

This means the federal government will continue to recognize Oklahoma driver’s licenses and ID cards until that time.

“This is great news for Oklahomans, and means there will be no restrictions on individuals using Oklahoma licenses to fly or access federal buildings through October 10 of next year,” said Fallin. “Oklahoma is actively working towards full compliance.”

Public Safety Commissioner Rusty Rhoades said: “There have been many questions recently about Oklahoma’s status regarding REAL ID. DPS is actively working towards making Oklahoma REAL ID compliant and will use this time to gain compliance.”

Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 to make driver's licenses harder to forge. Oklahoma legislators in 2007 passed a bill forbidding the state from meeting provisions of the act.

Lawmakers in 2017 passed legislation that was signed by the governor, which allowed state officials to begin work on building a compliant system. That includes training tag agents and creating a centralized office to handle card manufacturing and storage.

There are 43 total requirements that must be met by states to be in full compliance. Oklahoma currently is in full compliance with 30 of those requirements, partial compliance with 12, and only one non-compliant.  The one non-compliant is the final certification letter that the state can’t complete until it has the system in place to issue the documents.

For more information and frequently asked questions, go to the USDHS website or the DPS website.

Fallin places 'Vision Fund' question on November ballot

Governor Mary Fallin Places Vision Fund Question on November Ballot

It joins four other measures that voters will be asked to consider

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today signed an executive proclamation placing on the Nov. 6 general election ballot a measure that would create the Oklahoma Vision Fund to support the operation of state government.

State Question (SQ) 800, if approved by a majority of voters, would consist of annual deposits of at least 5 percent of the total collections of the gross production tax.

No more than 5 percent of the Vision Fund could be used for service payments due on bonds or other financing instruments. Four percent of the average annual principal balance of the endowment fund could be transferred to the General Revenue Fund each year.

Lawmakers this year approved Senate Joint Resolution 35, which supporters said would better prepare for the cyclical nature of Oklahoma’s energy economy and would help keep core services funded in downturns.

The deadline for the governor to sign paperwork for state questions to be placed on the Nov. 6 general election ballot is Aug. 27.

Fallin earlier placed three other referendums approved by legislators on the ballot, and signed paperwork authorizing one initiative petition measure to be on the November ballot.

• SQ 793 (initiative petition) would amend the state constitution by allowing optometrists or opticians to practice in retail establishments, and would allow the Legislature to regulate them.
• SQ 794 (legislative referendum) would provide certain rights for crime victims, such as expanding the court proceedings at which victims have the right to be heard and being notified of the defendant’s release or escape from custody.
• SQ 798 (legislative referendum) would establish a joint ticket for the top two statewide offices, like candidates for U.S. president and vice-president. If voters approve the question on the Nov. 6 general election, it wouldn't take effect until 2026.
• SQ 801 (legislative referendum) would give local school boards the flexibility and options to use existing property tax funds for use in the classroom, such as teacher pay and textbooks, without raising taxes.

The deadline for the governor to sign paperwork for state questions to be placed on the Nov. 6 general election ballot is Aug. 27.

Gov. Fallin Places Education Property Tax Measure on November Ballot

Governor Mary Fallin Places Public School Funding Measure on November Ballot

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today issued an election proclamation that places on the November ballot a state question approved by legislators that would allow school districts to use property tax revenue, now used primarily for building funds, for operational costs such as teacher pay.

State Question 801 would give local school board the flexibility and options to use existing property tax funds for use in the classroom, such as teacher pay and textbooks, without raising taxes. Like all state questions, it requires a simple majority by voters to be approved.

Lawmakers this year approved Senate Joint Resolution 70, which sends to a vote of the people an amendment to the state constitution that would allow ad valorem taxes collected for a school building fund to be used for expenses associated with the general operations of a school district. Currently, a school district can levy up to five mills for a building fund.

The deadline for the governor to sign election proclamations for state questions to be placed on the Nov. 6 general election ballot is Aug. 27.

Fallin: No Special Legislative Session to Implement State Question 788

Governor Mary Fallin: No Special Legislative Session to Implement State Question 788

Governor, Legislative Leaders Confident in Emergency Rules Drafted by Oklahoma State Health Department

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today issued the following statement on how the state will proceed with developing rules and regulations to deal with implementing State Question 788, the medical marijuana ballot issue approved by Oklahoma voters earlier this week:

“After conferring with House and Senate leaders, we believe a special legislative session is not necessary to implement provisions of State Question 788. The Oklahoma State Department of Health has developed emergency rules that will ensure the health and safety of Oklahomans as well as being fair and balanced for the marijuana industry. The Health Department has been working with other agencies the past several months to develop a medical and proper regulatory framework to make sure marijuana use is truly for valid medical reasons. The voters have spoken, and it’s important that our state has a responsible system up and running to meet the deadlines outlined in State Question 788. If circumstances develop that adjustments to the Health Department rules are necessary, those can be addressed when lawmakers return in regular session early next year.”

The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) has worked for the past three months to develop a framework for implementing the requirements of SQ 788. Now that Oklahoma voters have approved the measure, OSDH is prepared to meet those requirements by the specified time, and that the process will be handled with integrity. The proposed emergency rules are available online for review and comment. Should individuals or entities wish to submit comments to these draft emergency rules, they must be submitted in writing via e-mail on or before July 3. Proposed emergency rules will be presented to the Oklahoma State Board of Health for its consideration on July 10. More information may be found here.

Fallin names former State Sen. James Williamson as Secretary of State

Governor Mary Fallin Names General Counsel and Former State Senator James Williamson as Secretary of State

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today announced that James Williamson, who has served as her general counsel, will serve as secretary of state. He will continue to provide legal and policy advice as he did in the role of the governor’s general counsel, a post he was appointed to in March 2017.

Williamson, of Tulsa, succeeds Dave Lopez, who resigned as secretary of state in March to pursue personal and business endeavors. Williamson begins his new duties Friday, June 1.

As secretary of state, Williamson will serve as a senior adviser to the governor on policy, economic and legal issues. From 2010 to 2012, Williamson, a former legislator, served as senior policy analyst and chief legal counsel to then-Senate President Pro Tempores Glenn Coffee and Brian Bingman.

“James, as my general counsel, is a trusted adviser to my administration,” said Fallin. “I appreciate his legal and legislative knowledge. As secretary of state, he will be in a better position to help in my efforts to implement fiscally conservative, pro-growth and conservative policies.”

Before his gubernatorial appointment, Williamson, of Tulsa, had been in private practice since 1975. He served 18 years in Oklahoma’s Legislature, representing Tulsa in both the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the state Senate.

From 1980 through 1986, he represented the southeast part of Tulsa and Broken Arrow in the state House. He was elected in 1996 to the Senate, where he represented the south central part of Tulsa and Jenks until 2008. He served as assistant floor leader from 1998 to 2002 and as floor leader from 2003 to 2004.

“I’ve enjoyed serving the governor, and am honored that she entrusted me with this added responsibility,” he said. “I look forward to having a more active role in helping her bring new jobs and additional opportunities to our state.”

Williamson earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Tulsa. He and his wife, Sandra, have four children and six grandchildren.

Gov. Fallin recaps successes of 2018 legislative session

Governor Mary Fallin Highlights Successes in 2018 Legislative Session

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today complimented lawmakers for passing criminal justice reform legislation, appropriating a record amount of funding for public schools, and approving a budget for the upcoming fiscal year without cuts to state agencies.

 The $7.6 billion budget puts significantly more money toward education, mental health services, and public safety.

 “The budget includes many of the priorities I have requested lawmakers to approve the past three years,” said Fallin. “It provides for a teacher pay raise and additional funding for public schools as well as increased funding for mental health and corrections to implement criminal justice reform measures.”

“For the first time in years, no agency is receiving a cut. This budget provides a long-term solution to multi-year budget deficits and helps reduce the reliance on one-time funds.”

In all, the governor received 342 measures for consideration during this year’s session. She signed 324 and vetoed 18.

2018 Policy Highlights

Education

“Common education receives a 19.8 percent increase in funding for the upcoming fiscal year, which is the largest appropriation for public schools in state history. The appropriation includes $353 million to fund teacher pay raises that average $6,100 per teacher, which move Oklahoma teacher from last in the seven-state region to second for average annual pay, and from 49th in the nation to 29th. When taking into account the cost of living, Oklahoma teachers will be the 12th-highest-paid in the country. It also has $52 million for support personnel pay raises, $24 million for flex health benefits; $33 million for textbooks, and $17 in new funding for the school funding formula.

“Improving the quality and outcomes in education is the single-most important thing we can do to attract and retain jobs, alleviate poverty, and help Oklahomans have fulfilling and productive lives.” – Governor Mary Fallin

• House Bill 1023XX – establishes a new teacher salary schedule, the largest teacher pay increase in state history. Teachers will receive a $6,100 pay raise on average in the upcoming school year.
• HB 1026XX – provides a $1,250 annual increase in pay for school support personnel.
• HB 3705 – appropriates $2.9 billion, a 19.7 percent increase over last year, for K-12 public education.  This is the largest appropriation to education in state history. Funding contained in HB 3705 includes $353.5 million for teacher pay; $52 million for support personnel pay: $33 million for textbooks: $17 million for the state aid formula; and $24.7 million for flex health care benefits.  The total increase in common education funding for the 2019 fiscal year is $480.2 million.
• Senate Bill 1171 – establishes work-based learning opportunities, such as apprenticeships and internships, as a duty of the Governor’s Council of Workforce and Economic Development (GCWED) in an effort to improve the state’s talent pipeline.
• SB 980 – creates a tiered certification program for teachers so that high-quality teachers have the ability to advance in their careers without having to leave the classroom to become administrators.
• SB 1196 – allows junior and senior high school students to participate in concurrent enrollment program, regardless of location in the state.
• SB 1370 – Allows high school students to replace one credit of math for a three-hour per school day CareerTech program that is endorsed or aligned to industries in Oklahoma.
• HB 2009 – requires schools to annually publish a report listing all increases in wages, salaries, rates of pay or fringe benefits and any changes to job class to increase transparency.
• HB 2860 – requires school districts to provide a link to the State Department of Education’s Oklahoma cost accounting system and school district financial information on their websites to increase transparency.
• HB 3311 – requires the inclusion of civics in the subject matter standards for history, social studies and U.S. government

Economic Development & Commerce

• SB 897 – codifies the Incentive Approval Committee for the Quality Jobs program to review all applications for approval and oversight.  This ensures taxpayer interests are represented when Quality Jobs applications are reviewed.
• SB 923 –implements changes recommended by the Incentive Evaluation Commission for Small Employer Quality Jobs by increasing the maximum number of full-time employees from 90 to 500.
• HB 3324 – provides for the transfer of 5 percent of the quarterly incentive payments made by the Oklahoma Tax Commission to qualifying establishments related to the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Incentive Act, the Small Employer Quality Jobs Incentive Act and the 21st Century Quality Jobs Incentive Act to the Quick Action Closing Fund.
• SB 1585 – establishes automotive engineer tax credits by creating several income tax credits designed to incentivize qualified employers and employees in the automotive manufacturing industry.
• SB 1388 – creates a statewide framework for wireless providers to work with municipalities and others to deploy small cell devices.
• SB 1475 – creates the Occupational Licensing Advisory Commission, which will review each occupational or professional licensing once every four years and make recommendations to the Legislature.
• HB 2933 – a product of the Governor’s Task Force on Occupational Licensing, directs licensing boards to grant a one-year waiver of fees associated with licensure or certification to a low-income applicant.

Health & Human Services

• HB 2932 – establishes Medicaid work requirement eligibility for able-bodied adults without dependents. Directs the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to apply to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for a waiver.
• HB 2825 – directs the Department of Human Services (DHS) to explore opportunities to enhance community partnerships for the purpose of linking Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients with career and technology education and training programs. This will expand opportunities for TANF recipients to participate in and complete employment and training activities.
• HB 3104 – clarifies that DHS must report any infant who is diagnosed with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
• SB 1367 – states that a law enforcement officer may not take a person into custody if the officer was contacted by the person in question for medical assistance (either for themselves or another person).

Public Safety

• HB 2798 creates the Opioid Overdose Fatality Review Board.
• HB 2635 – protects the motor vehicle report (driving record) from being expunged after one year and keeps it at the three-year window for insurance and business owners who hire people to drive for companies.
• HB 2651 – allows for a course of study for students who are training to acquire a commercial driver’s license.  This allows those training sites to include human trafficking material in their classes.
• SB 1203 – reduces the fine for speeding violations for 1-10 mph over the speed limit to $100.
• SB 1517 – creates the Task Force on Trauma-Informed Care to create a list of best practices for children and their families at risk of adverse childhood experiences.
• HB 3300 – the Breanna Bell Act, which protects people with disabilities from sexual assault.
• HB 1124 – the Justice for Danyelle Act, which prohibits sex offenders from loitering within 1,000 feet of their victims’ home.
• HB 3328 – Creates the Commission on the Prevention of Abuse of Elderly and Vulnerable Adults.
• HB 2630 – helps the Department of Corrections (DOC) expand the Global Positioning Satellite Program (GPS by loosening some of the rules that disqualify certain offenders from participating. These requirements apply to low-level non-violent offenders who are better managed in a public setting.
• SB 904 – allows DOC to fund community sentencing programs across the state.

Veterans & Military

• HB 3042 – directs Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs (ODVA) to develop a long-term care facility to replace the Talihina Veterans Center.
• SB 922 – establishes the Oklahoma Women Veterans Program to ensure that women veterans have equitable access to federal and states veterans’ benefits and services. The program will be overseen by a women veterans coordinator.
• SB 1053 – authorizes the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs to obtain certification to accept payments and reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Government Modernization & Budget

• HB 1010XX – provides the revenue to fund a historic teacher pay raise. This is accomplished by an increase of $1 per pack of cigarettes, taxing little cigars at the same rate as cigarettes; raising the fuel tax by 3 cents a gallon on gasoline and 6 cents a gallon on diesel; and raising the gross production tax from 2 percent to 5 percent on all wells.
• HB 1011XX – puts a $17,000 cap on deductions on adjusted gross income. Charitable contributions and medical expenses are not capped.
• HB 3603 – authorizes the governor to appoint the executive director of the Department of Tourism.
• HB 3036 – makes the commissioner of health a gubernatorial appointee, with the advice and consent of the Senate.
• HB 1024XX - provides a tiered pay raise for state employees, ranging from $750 to $2,000 depending on salary.

Criminal Justice Reform

“Our state prisons are filled to well over capacity so it is crucial that we make some changes to our criminal justice system. These bills will not jeopardize public safety while addressing Oklahoma’s prison population. Too few Oklahomans are getting the treatment they need for substance abuse and mental health issues, and are instead winding up in our criminal justice system.” – Governor Mary Fallin

• SB 650 – authorizes no more than one nonviolent felony to apply for expungement if they have no new convictions or pending charges within the last seven years.
• SB 786 – eliminates the mandatory minimum and allows a judge to sentence up to the current maximum sentence of seven years in prison for burglary in the second degree, and creates a new felony offense, burglary in the third degree (defined as breaking into a vehicle), punishable by up to five years in prison.
• SB 649 – reduces enhanced sentences for certain repeat nonviolent felonies.
• SB 689 – creates risk and needs assessment as a tool for sentencing.
• SB 793 – changes the penalties for commercial drug offenses, and distinguishes conduct by possession with intent to distribute, distribution, and manufacturing.
• HB 2281 – adjusts penalties for numerous low-level property offenses, including larceny, forgery and other “paper crimes.”
• HB 2286 – creates an administrative parole process for nonviolent offenders who comply with case plans in prison so that the Pardon and Parole Board can focus on more serious offenders, and establishes a geriatric parole release process for inmates who are 60 and older and who have been determined to not be a public safety risk.

Transportation

• HB 3576 – creates the Oklahoma State Safety Oversight Program to be overseen by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT). It directs ODOT to develop and enforce standards for all private and public rail-fixed guideway public transportation systems statewide that are not administered by the Federal Railroad Administration.
• HB 2650 – amends the specifications of merging traffic in and near construction work zones allowing for more flexibility within the confines of federal law.  It allows for more efficient methods of traffic control, increasing safety and decreasing congestion.
• HB 2578 – creates the Aerospace Commerce Economic Services (ACES) within the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. The purpose of ACES is to create a partnership of service providers (similar to CADSQ) to more effectively respond to the needs of the aviation, aerospace and defense industries in the areas of education and training, research, and economic development.
• HB 2253 – closes a tax loophole by requiring 50 percent of an aircraft’s operations be charter to qualify for the aircraft excise tax exemption.

Energy

• SB 1576 –   keeps wind farms from interfering with the flight paths of military installations, thereby protecting the work and mission of Oklahoma’s military bases.
• SB 893 - imposes a cap of $500,000 on the zero emission facilities electricity production tax credit. The cap is only applicable to credits that are earned from electricity produced by means of water, sun or geothermal energy.

Pensions

• HB 1340 – gives retirees in all of the state retirement systems a one-time payment in varying amounts.
• SB 527 – gives someone who is disabled in the line of duty with less than 20 years of service the half-pay cost-of-living adjustment.

Agriculture

• HB 2913 - creates the Oklahoma Industrial Hemp Agriculture Pilot Program to be administered by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry (ODAFF).
• SB 1600 – increases appropriations to ODAFF, allowing an additional $400,000 in funding to rural fire departments across Oklahoma.

2019 Fiscal Year Budget Highlights

Overview

• Funds core government services.
• Uses a low percentage of one-time funds, which will be used to fund one-time costs.
• Education will have the largest funding increase.

Health and Human Services

• $22.6 million: Fully funds the Pinnacle Plan and restores provider rate cuts for the Department of Human Services, and money to go to the Developmental Disabilities Services waiting list. This fully funds the Pinnacle Plan, and funds services for Oklahoma’s most vulnerable citizens.

Corrections

• $17.5 million: for the FY 18 supplemental annualized for the Department of Corrections (DOC).
• Payroll-even after the $1,500 raise signed into law in March 2018, Oklahoma is 18 percent below contiguous states in pay. The vacancy rate for correctional officers is currently 30 percent, agency-wide, it is 22 percent. These vacancies require employees to work overtime to staff critical correctional officer posts which put a strain on an already overburdened payroll. This supplemental will help DOC address the pay deficit for qualified applicants.
• Contract beds- Oklahoma currently has more inmates than beds, and many inmates that are sentenced to DOC custody will wait in county jails before being received by DOC. This supplemental will go towards making a timely payment to the counties where these inmates are housed.
• Health services- costs associated with the over-50-year-old population accounts for 43 percent of DOC’s cost for specialty care, pharmaceuticals, laboratory services etc. Travel to medical appointments with outside providers has increased with an aging population.
• Critical needs and necessary purchases- aging infrastructure has suffered from decades of neglect, and money is being redirected from planned projects to emergencies.  Repairs to critical infrastructure are a necessary and immediate need.

Criminal Justice Reform
$7.1 million:

• Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services will receive $4 million to fund risk/needs assessments, and $1 million will go to drug and mental health treatment courts.
• $2 million to restore provider rate cuts.
• $111,000 to the Pardon and Parole Board to hire two new field staff positions that were eliminated due to budget cuts. Funding will ensure that work activities, including the processing of pardons and paroles, will not be delayed.
• $4.8 million: The Department of Corrections Defender Management System-funding for an entirely new system will allow DOC to track and monitor offenders on probation in one system and will allow for shared data regarding offenders to be shared in one database statewide.
• $500,000: Pay for Success is a proven program to reduce the number of women sent to prison and the resulting impact incarceration has on their children. Oklahoma is using Pay for Success contracting to improve criminal justice outcomes for women, reduce incarceration, and, consequently, lower overall public sector costs. The Pay for Success contract between the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) and Family and Child Services is the 17th Pay for Success contract in the U.S. and the first-ever PFS contract focused on female incarceration.

General Government

• $53.695 million: State employee pay raise- it has been 11 years since state employees have had an across-the-board pay raise. The amount is staggered according to employee salary.
• $7.5 million: Higher Education Concurrent Enrollment- provides funding so high school seniors can take college classes for college credit while still in high school. This program saves families money on tuition costs and reduces student debt.
• $8.36 million: Provides raises to other educators outside of K-12, such as CareerTech, Oklahoma School for the Blind, Oklahoma School for the Deaf and Department of Corrections teachers.
• $4 million: State Emergency Fund- additional funding needed due to the wildfire outbreak in west and northwest Oklahoma.
• $500,000: ABLE Commission- will help fund data migration from archaic system to a new, more user-friendly web-based solution, and the number of locations where alcohol is sold is expected to double with new laws, and more agents are needed to monitor locations.
• $4 million: Closing Fund
• $2 million: Performance audits-funding will go toward independent auditing firm performing performance audits to ensure that tax dollars are maximized and are being spent on mission-critical needs. First agencies on the list for audits are the Oklahoma Tax Commission, the Office of Management and Enterprise Services,  the Department of Corrections, and the Department of Public Safety.
• Commerce- $445,000 to Aerospace Commerce Economic Services (ACES)-this initiative aims to grow the aerospace industry, and will help drive further job creation, economic growth and increased tax revenue for the state.
• Agriculture - $4,000 to rural fire and $1,000 to the Made in Oklahoma program.

Dahm launches move to call special session to override Fallin vetoes

Sen. Nathan Dahm calls on legislature to correct years of veto decisions

‘Over the last eight years we have seen decisions from the governor that are out of step with the will of the people, with the Republican party platform, and with the Constitution.’—Sen. Nathan Dahm

Broken Arrow, OK – Sen. Nathan Dahm has started the process for legislators to call themselves back into session to pass legislation vetoed by Gov. Mary Fallin.

“Over the last eight years we have seen decisions from the governor that are out of step with the will of the people, with the Republican Party platform, and with the Constitution,” said Dahm, R-Broken Arrow. “We have seen Governor Fallin use her veto pen to kill bills that would have brought transparency and accountability to government, reined in out of control agency rules, get parents more involved in education, restore our Second Amendment rights, return local control back to communities, secure parental rights in healthcare decisions, streamline and modernize state government, restore private property rights, change the budgeting system for long term planning, and more. This would afford us the opportunity to correct those mistakes without having to wait another year to do so.”

In order to enter a special session, two-thirds of both the House and the Senate must agree to return.

“The Oklahoma Constitution allows for the Legislature to call itself back into session with two-thirds of both the House and the Senate. It appears likely we will return back to the Capitol for at least one more special session this summer or fall. If we will be returning for another session, it would seem an opportune time to simultaneously deal with these measures the Governor has vetoed,” Dahm said.

So far, the following members have already signed on to the resolution: Reps. Sean Roberts; Greg Babinec; Bobby Cleveland; Jeff Coody; Jon Echols; George Faught; Tom Gann; Lewis Moore; Zack Taylor; Kevin West; Rick West; Mark Lawson; and Sens. Nathan Dahm; Josh Brecheen; James Leewright; and Anthony Sykes.

Dahm has the first ever veto override of a Republican governor by a Republican legislature in state history. In 2014 Fallin vetoed HB2461, a pro-Second Amendment bill supported by the NRA, OK2A, and other gun rights groups when she included the bill in a group of vetoes in an attempt to force the legislature to focus on her preferred agenda items. The Legislature overrode the veto in a historic move and by doing so furthered Second Amendment protections that would have otherwise been stalled by Fallin.

Dahm represents Oklahoma’s 33rd district. He was first elected in 2012.

Dahm's Special Session Petition can be viewed here (.doc file)

Dahm slams 'Liberal Governor' Fallin's veto of Constitutional Carry bill

Nathan Dahm Denounces Liberal Governor Mary Fallin's VETO of Constitutional Carry

"As a proven conservative, this veto will not deter me in my fight to defend the 2nd Amendment." 

Broken Arrow, OK -- Conservative Republican candidate for Congress Nathan Dahm today decried Governor Mary Fallin's veto of Senate Bill 1212, known as Constitutional Carry.

"It is disappointing but not surprising that Governor Fallin, like so many other RINO “campaign conservatives” would willingly violate her campaign promises and her oath to the Constitution when it furthers her liberal agenda," said Dahm, R - Broken Arrow. "The Constitution clearly reads that "the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

Nathan Dahm, a long time champion of 2nd Amendment rights, sponsored the measure which would have made Oklahoma the 14th Constitutional Carry state.

"Every law-abiding Oklahoman should be afforded the right to defend themselves without having to pay the government to do so. As a proven conservative, this veto will not deter me in my fight to defend the 2nd Amendment."

Nathan Dahm is a current Oklahoma State Senator and conservative Republican candidate for Congress in Oklahoma's 1st Congressional District. To learn more about Nathan, visit www.NathanDahm.com.

Blogger's note: yes, Mary Fallin can no longer lay claim to the 'conservative' title. Her record in the last few years has been one of vetoing major pro-life and pro-gun bills, vetoing government reform measures, and pushing for the most massive tax hikes ever proposed in Oklahoma history. She's no conservative, at least any more.

Fallin vetoes 'Constitutional Carry', signs adoption bill

Governor Fallin announced her action on two controversial measures passed in the final week of the legislative session. The first was SB 1212, the "Constitutional Carry" bill that would have removed the requirement to pay for a license and take a class in order to exercise your constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Fallin vetoed the measure. SB 1212 passed the House by a vote of 59 to 28, and the Senate by a vote of 33 to 9.

The second was SB 1140, a measure that would protect the religious freedom of non-profit groups to facilitate adoptions consistent with their faith. LGBT extremists had been pressuring the Governor to veto the bill, but she [surprisingly to me] actually came through and signed it. SB 1140 passed the House by a vote of 56 to 21, and the Senate by a vote of 33 to 7.

Here are her press releases announced the actions she took:

Governor May Fallin Vetoes Senate Bill 1212

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today vetoed Senate Bill 1212, which would have eliminated the requirement to complete a short firearms safety and training course from a certified instructor and demonstrate competency with a pistol before carrying a gun in public. The governor issued the following statement:

“Oklahoma is a state that respects the Second Amendment. As governor, I have signed both concealed-carry and open-carry legislation. I support the right to bear arms and own a pistol, a rifle, and a shotgun.

“Oklahomans believe that law-abiding individuals should be able to defend themselves. I believe the firearms requirement we current have in state law are few and reasonable. Senate Bill 1212 eliminates the training requirements for persons carrying a firearms in Oklahoma. It reduces the level of the background check necessary to carry a gun.

“SB 1212 eliminates the current ability of Oklahoma law enforcement to distinguish between those carrying guns who have been trained and vetted, and those who have not.

“Again, I believe the firearms laws we currently have in place are effective, appropriate and minimal, and serve to reassure our citizens that people who are carrying handguns in this state are qualified to do so.”

Governor Mary Fallin Signs Senate Bill 1140

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today signed Senate Bill 1140, which to the extent allowed by federal law, no private child-placing agency shall be required to perform, assist, counsel, recommend, consent to, refer, or participate in any placement of a child for foster care or adoption when the proposed placement would violate the agency’s written religious or moral convictions or policies. The governor issued the following statement:

“After many hours of consideration and investigation of Oklahoma’s current practice, I note the aggressive efforts that have been made since I have been governor and the substantial progress made in finding more temporary and permanent placements for deserving children, reducing by 21 percent the number of children in state custody. This improvement is due in large part to the successful public-private partnership of more than 50 agencies, some of which are faith-based.

“Under Senate Bill 1140, the state will not be in any way restricting current practice allowing LGBTQ individuals and couples fostering or adopting. It does not ban same-sex adoption or foster care in Oklahoma. Instead, the bill will help continue Oklahoma’s successful placement of children with a broad array of loving families and basically maintain the status quo by setting forth in statute practices which have successfully worked for the best interest of Oklahoma children. I also note that the bill mirrors very similar legislation in Virginia, which has been on the books since 2012 without any court challenges. Since then, five additional states have passed similar legislation. Kansas also has a similar bill before its governor.

“SB 1140 allows faith-based agencies that contract with Oklahoma to continue to operate in accordance with their beliefs. In a day and time when diversity is becoming a core value to society because it will lead to more options, we should recognize its value for serving Oklahoma also because it leads to more options for loving homes to serve Oklahoma children. Other states that have declined the protection to faith-based agencies have seen these agencies close their doors, leaving less options for successful placement of children who need loving parents.

“Finally, I remain committed to preserving the rights of all Oklahomans who are eligible and want to be considered for parenting. Therefore, I plan to direct the Department of Human Services, by executive order, to immediately publish a list of Oklahoma adoption and foster agencies on its website who are willing to serve everyone who meets the Department of Human Services criteria for being a foster or adoptive parent.”

Gov. Fallin vetoes bill that would block US 69 bypass of Muskogee

Governor Mary Fallin vetoed a measure today designed to block construction of the proposed U.S. 69 bypass of Muskogee and allow local municipalities to have input on construction of bypasses that would affect their cities. SB 86, authored by State Sen. Kim David (R-Porter) and State Rep. George Faught (R-Muskogee), and co-authored by Sen. Dewayne Pemberton (R-Muskogee), Rep. Avery Frix (R-Muskogee) and Rep. Kevin McDugle (R-Broken Arrow), was widely supported by communities up and down the U.S. 69 corridor, Muskogee and Wagoner in particular.

Fallin's veto message reads as follows:

This is to advise you that on this date, pursuant to the authority vested in me by Section 11 of Article VI of the Oklahoma Constitution to approve or object to legislation presented to me, I have VETOED Senate Bill 86.

I am vetoeing SB 86 because this bill transfers the decision making on state transportation projects from the state Department of Transportation (ODOT) to local municipalities.

Since the state began the ROADS program in 2005, it has been the practice of state leaders to allow the engineers and professionals at ODOT to make transportation project decisions based on sound data and not by political interference. The results of this practice have led to tremendous improvement in the condition of our transportation system evidenced by a reduction in structurally deficient bridges from 1,168 to 185. About 5,000 miles of pavement of the state's 13,250-mile system have been reconstructed or resurfaced. Additionally, 325 cable median barriers have been installed reducing horrific crossover accidents.

However, it is important to hear and consider the concerns expressed by the community of Muskogee, and to that end, I am asking ODOT to consider all options in improving the U.S. 69 that has raised the concern of area citizens. Considering the opposition voiced by the community, it would be prudent to provide plenty of opportunity for input and to give consideration to the effects on municipal revenue collections and the overall economic impact on the community.

Fallin Signs Bill Setting Work Requirements for Medicaid Recipients

Governor Mary Fallin Signs Bill Setting Work Requirements for Medicaid Recipients

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today signed legislation that directs the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to apply to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for a waiver that institutes work requirements for Medicaid. 

House Bill (HB) 2932 by Representative Glen Mulready and Senator Adam Pugh is a measure requested by the governor. It is part of a suite of bills related to employment, training, and education client engagement for recipients of public assistance programs.

HB 2932 aligns Medicaid work and job training requirements with that of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which involves working, participation in a work program, or a combination of both 20 hours a week.  The new eligibility criteria will affect up to approximately 8,000 able-bodied adults without dependents between the ages of 18 and 50. The state has the ability to negotiate any further exemptions necessary in the waiver writing process.

“It is imperative to provide expectations for all of our citizens who are able to work,” said Fallin. “Medicaid recipients who are able-bodied will be able to take advantage of job-training programs and work opportunities that lead to a stable job, self-sufficiency, and success. Medicaid is meant to be a safety net for the most vulnerable among us: the medically frail, pregnant women, new mothers, and children. Those individuals will continue to be exempt from work requirements.”

CMS has approved similar waivers from Kentucky, Indiana, New Hampshire and Arkansas. Maine, Kansas, Mississippi, and others have submitted waivers, and await approval from CMS.

HB 2932 takes effect Nov. 1.

Fallin last month signed HB 2825, which links Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients with career and technology education and training programs.

Dahm praises passage of Constitutional Carry

Senator Nathan Dahm Praises Oklahoma Legislature's Passage of Constitutional Carry Legislation

Law-abiding Oklahomans will be able to defend themselves without the burden of a required government-issued license.

Tulsa, OK - Nathan Dahm [Friday] praised the Oklahoma Legislature's passage of Senate Bill 1212 known as Constitutional Carry.

"The passage of Constitutional Carry is a momentous occasion for 2nd Amendment protections in the state of Oklahoma," said Dahm, R - Broken Arrow. "There is not another Constitutional right that requires people to get training and licensing in order to exercise that right. Now, law-abiding Oklahomans will be able to defend themselves without the burden of a required government-issued license."

If signed into law, firearms would remain prohibited in schools and government buildings, among other places where weapons are not allowed. With the passage of this law, Oklahoma would be the 14th state to enact Constitutional Carry legislation.

"As a long-time champion of 2nd Amendment rights, I was proud to secure the rights of every law-abiding Oklahoman. Constitutional carry simply guarantees the fundamental rights laid out in the 2nd Amendment alongside our other constitutional freedoms."

Senate Bill 1212 now awaits the signature of Governor Fallin.

Nathan Dahm is a current Oklahoma State Senator and conservative Republican candidate for Congress in Oklahoma's 1st Congressional District. To learn more about Nathan, visit www.NathanDahm.com.

Governor Fallin Signs FY2019 Budget Bill

Governor Mary Fallin Signs Budget Bill

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today signed the Fiscal Year 2019 budget bill (Senate Bill 1600) into law, which includes historic teacher pay raises and increases for public schools as well as criminal justice reform measures that she recently signed into law. The $7.6 billion budget puts significantly more money toward education, mental health services, and public safety.

“The budget includes many of the priorities I have called for in my annual State of the State address to lawmakers the past three years. Core services of state government are prioritized throughout the budget. It provides for a teacher pay raise and additional funding for public schools as well as increased funding for mental health and corrections to implement criminal justice reform measures. The legislation also includes additional revenue growth to put Oklahoma on a stable foundation, and reduces reliance on one-time funds.

“The budget includes a 19.8 percent increase for common education, the largest appropriation for public schools in state history. The appropriation includes $353 million to fund teacher pay raises that average $6,100 per teacher, which move Oklahoma teacher from last in the seven-state region to second for average annual pay, and from 49th in the nation to 29th. When taking into account the cost of living, Oklahoma teachers will be the 12th-highest-paid in the country. It also has $52 million for support personnel pay raises, $24 million for flex health benefits; $33 million for textbooks, and $17 in new funding for the school funding formula.

“This budget includes $11 million for multiple criminal justice reform measures, such as:

• $5 million to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services - $4 million to fund risk/needs assessments, and $1 million to drug and mental health treatment courts.
• $4.8 million to the Department of Corrections to fund a new system that will allow the agency to track and monitor offenders on probation in one system, and will allow for shared data regarding offenders to be shared in one database statewide.
• $500,000 for the Pay for Success program, which reduces the number of women sent to prison and the resulting impact incarceration has on their children.

“The budget also includes about $23 million for the Department of Human Services to help Oklahoma’s most vulnerable citizens. This will fully fund the Pinnacle Plan, which calls for improving services to our children in state custody, and restoring provider rates that had been cut, as well as addressing those on the Developmental Disabilities Service Division waiting list.

“For the first time in years, no agency is receiving a cut. This budget provides a long-term solution to the re-occurring budget deficits and helps reduce the reliance on one-time funds. The people of Oklahoma expect excellence and demand we solve our state’s problems. This budget provides an opportunity to bring forth an enduring reality for a promising future.” – Governor Mary Fallin

Reaction to end of teacher walkout

Here's some reaction that came in tonight in response to the end of the teacher walkout. First, Governor Mary Fallin:

Governor Mary Fallin Statement on End of Nine-Day Public School Teacher Walkout

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin this evening issued the following statement on the announced end of the nine-day public school teacher walkout:

“Oklahomans and our elected officials have proven they are committed to school children, teachers and educators. We appreciate our professional teachers. I’m glad teachers who participated in the union strike will return to teaching their students.  They’ve been out for two weeks, and it’s time for them to get back to school. Student learning at schools affected by the strike has been halted for nearly two weeks at a critical time in the academic year when federal and state testing requirements need to be completed.

“Three weeks ago, before the walkout, I gave final approval to an historic raise for teachers, which allows for a $6,100, or 16 percent, pay raise on average. Now, Oklahoma’s teacher pay moves up from the lowest, in average teacher pay, to second in the seven-state region and up to 29th from 49th nationally. Oklahoma’s teacher-pay ranking improves to 12th in the nation when adjusted for cost of living. And last week I signed a bill - approved by legislators before the walkout - which allocates $2.9 billion for common education for the upcoming 2019 fiscal year, which is the largest amount ever appropriated in Oklahoma for K-12 public education and a 19.7 percent increase over this fiscal year’s appropriation for public schools.

“I am very proud that Republican lawmakers have led the way on increasing educational expenditures for Oklahoma’s students this session. In addition, they have protected Oklahomans, especially small businesses and farmers, from an irresponsible capital gains tax. The Legislature still has important work to do for the people of Oklahoma before they adjourn, including criminal justice reform and meeting the financial needs of other core services such as public safety, health and human services. I appreciate their ongoing efforts to address all of the priorities in the state.

“I want to thank the more than 100 Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers who worked long hours at the state Capitol to keep teachers, visitors and state employees safe. The state employees who work at the Capitol deserve our state’s gratitude for their service, too.”


From the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, the leading right-wing think tank in Oklahoma:

OCPA Statement on the End of the Teacher Walkout

After the Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) announced the end of the teacher walkout, Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA), released the following statement:

“We are glad that teachers received a needed pay raise. Now, for the sake of the most vulnerable, we must focus on transformational reforms.

“Since 2015, lawmakers have increased taxes and other revenue by more than $1 billion, including increases of $610 million since March 29, 2018 alone.

“Now that teachers have received a pay raise, we must focus on reforms that will empower teachers and local school districts to use funds to best meet the needs of students.”


From the Oklahoma Policy Institute, the leading left-wing think tank in Oklahoma:

Oklahoma Policy Institute: Walkout resulted in major victories for education, but the work is not done

Oklahoma Policy Institute Executive Director David Blatt released the following statement on the announcement that the Oklahoma Education Association is shifting focus beyond the teacher walkout:

Teachers and other participants in the historic walkout to save Oklahoma schools deserve our thanks. This walkout was responsible for breaking years of legislative gridlock and motivating a supermajority of lawmakers to approve the tax increases needed to raise teacher pay for the first time in a decade. During the walkout, advocates delivered a loud and clear message heard by the whole state that we must do more to support schools.

The walkout was the continuation of years of growing action by a broad coalition of educators, parents, school boards, and regular Oklahomans. These efforts will continue, because the work of funding core services is not done.

The revenues approved by lawmakers just before and during the walkout represent a major breakthrough, but they are still not enough to fully fund new commitments to education, much less to undo years of devastating cuts to school programs and other core services like public safety, health care, and protection of vulnerable Oklahomans. Lawmakers have not adopted all of the sensible revenue options available to them, like removing the costly, ineffective capital gains deduction, or rolling back income tax cuts for high earners that have not lived up to their promises of economic growth.

We have more work to do, but the good news is that more Oklahomans than ever are stepping up to do that work — from advocating with their lawmakers to running for office themselves. As the walkout comes to an end, lawmakers should know that these voices and this movement are not going away.

Fallin signs hotel/motel tax repeal, opposes removing capital gains exemption

Governor Mary Fallin Signs Legislation Repealing Hotel/Motel Tax

Measures to make up revenue from proposed tax also signed into law

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today signed House Bill (HB) 1012XX, which repeals a $5 tax on hotel and motel rooms, and two other bills that are estimated to replace the revenue to help fund teacher pay raises and increased education funding.

Fallin signed HB 3375, which allows tribal casinos to use traditional roulette and dice games, which were specifically prohibited since a 2004 vote of the people. Exclusivity fees generated by the change will put substantial additional dollars into education.

The governor also signed HB 1019XX, which will require third-party online retailers to collect and remit sales tax back to state coffers. It will affect purchases made through sites like Amazon, when the seller is someone other than Amazon. It is estimated to bring in about $20.5 million for public schools.

The House of Representatives and Senate voted to repeal the hotel-motel tax, which was included in a larger revenue package, HB 1010XX. That bill raised a variety of revenue to pay for an average $6,100 teacher pay raise – the largest teacher pay increase in state history – and added $50 million in new revenue for textbooks and school supplies.

“The revenue package that funded the teacher pay raises would not have passed the Senate with the required super majority, or three-fourths support, had a bipartisan agreement not been struck to repeal the hotel/motel tax,” Fallin said.

The governor and the Legislature have worked diligently to pass historic funding measures for K-12 public education.

Fallin last month signed HB 1010XX, part of an historic revenue package to fund pay raises for teachers. The package allows for a $6,100, or 16 percent, pay raise on average for Oklahoma teachers. It moves Oklahoma’s teacher pay up from the lowest, in average teacher pay, to second in the seven-state region and up to 29th from 49th nationally. Oklahoma’s teacher-pay ranking improves to 12th in the nation when adjusted for cost of living.

Last week, the governor signed the $2.9 billion appropriation bill for common education for the upcoming 2019 fiscal year. The funding marks the largest amount ever appropriated in Oklahoma for K-12 public education and a 19.7 percent increase over the $2.4 billion appropriation bill for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.

The $2.9 billion education funding contained in HB 3705 includes an additional $353.5 million for teacher pay; $52 million for support personnel pay: $33 million for textbooks: $17 million for the state aid formula; and $24.7 million for flex health care benefits.

“This shows again that education is a priority with legislative leaders and me,” said Fallin. “The single-most important thing we can do to help Oklahomans have fulfilling and productive lives is improving the quality and outcomes of education.”

Fallin said today’s action should complete funding K-12 public schools for the 2019 fiscal year. She encouraged legislators to turn attention now on other issues, such as criminal justice, and address the financial needs of other core services, such as public safety and health and human services, in finishing work on the 2019 fiscal year budget.

The governor made it clear she supports the voters’ decision in a 2004 statewide election of encouraging investment in Oklahoma through the capital gains tax deduction.

The capital gains tax deduction, which was a tax reform measure approved in a statewide vote in 2004, is an exemption from capital gains taxes for property and business located in the state of Oklahoma. The idea was to increase the incentive for people to invest in Oklahoma, and to put Oklahoma properties and businesses on an equal footing with other states.