Small: Medicaid-expansion critics proven right

Medicaid-expansion critics proven right

By Jonathan Small

Prior to the 2020 statewide vote on Medicaid expansion, we at the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs warned that projected costs were unrealistic, lowball estimates and spending would quickly surge, forcing lawmakers to divert millions from other uses, such as education or public safety.

Officials with the Foundation for Government Accountability and Americans for Prosperity also made that argument with reams of data.

Expansion supporters dismissed those critiques. In June 2020, Medicaid expansion was authorized by statewide vote, albeit by the narrowest of margins.

But now there’s no denying critics knew what we were talking about.

Left-wing and right-wing OK think tanks unite on expanding sales tax to services?

It's not often that the main left-wing and right-wing think tanks in Oklahoma agree on tax policy, but we've entered something like the Twilight Zone.

Both the Oklahoma Policy Institute (left-wing) and the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (right-wing) have now promoted expanding Oklahoma's sales tax to cover most services, which are currently not included under the current taxation system. As some of you may recall, Governor Mary Fallin made a similar, very controversial proposal in 2017 (it never received legislative consideration).

House Dems, liberal think-tank oppose budget deal

In response to the new budget deal reached by Governor Stitt, House Speaker McCall, and Senate President Treat, the perpetually-aggrieved House Democrats lashed out in protest:

House Minority Leader Responds to Republican Budget Proposal

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Minority Leader Emily Virgin, D-Norman, released the following statement today in response to the Republican budget proposal announced by Gov. Kevin Stitt:

“This is what a budget looks like when you decide taxpayer money is better suited to sit in a bank than be invested back into state resources like our children, state employees, and middle and low wage earners. Our state agencies were brutally impacted by Republican cuts over the past decade. This budget fails to make these agencies, including the state department of education, whole.

The Republican budget will now be voted on and passed before lawmakers have a chance to go home, talk to their constituents and receive feedback from the people in their communities. I hope those constituents will ask “why?” After being in session since February, and being promised transparency from day one, why didn’t we allow constituents more time to provide feedback?

In contrast, House Democrats put out the “Brand New State” budget more than two weeks ago. We took transparency to the point of posting a line-by-line budget on www.brandnewstateok.com/budget.

House Democrats presented a budget that restores an Earned Income Tax Credit to more than 200,000 Oklahoma households. We have the only budget that expands Medicaid and increases healthcare coverage to hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans. Our budget is the only budget that invests $90 million into the state’s infrastructure. The “Brand New State” budget is the only budget that provides a $2500 pay raise to state employees so that their salaries are closer to those in the private sector. We have presented the only budget that ends the debtor prison that exists in our court system, and it is still the only budget that fully funds public education in Oklahoma.”

Oklahoma Policy Institute Executive Director David Blatt released the following statement on the budget deal announced today by state lawmakers:

Budget deal brings welcome progress but many missed opportunities

As a result of last year's revenue increases and a continuing strong economy, lawmakers had a historic opportunity to reverse a decade of cuts across core public services. This opportunity was only partly realized. In particular, increased state aid funding for schools, pay increases for correctional officers, and reduced law enforcement reliance on fines and fees will address some of the most dire funding needs for Oklahoma kids and public safety.

In other ways, this budget reflects misplaced priorities by lawmakers. Adding $200 million into the Rainy Day Fund, on top of the more than $400 million Rainy Day deposit already scheduled for the end of the year, is misguided while Oklahoma continues to leave so many urgent needs underfunded. Likewise, putting $19 million into a "Quick Action Closing Fund" with a poor track record and little accountability does not match lawmakers' promises of fiscal oversight and transparency.

Even with the state aid increase in this budget, Oklahoma's school funding formula will remain well below the per pupil funding levels of a decade ago. This budget plan does little to reverse Oklahoma's record cuts to higher education. It fails to restore the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for working Oklahoma families. For yet another year, the budget does nothing to provide cost-of-living relief for state retirees. It does not cover critical repair needs for the Department of Corrections and leaves indigent defense severely underfunded. It provides minimal help for mental health compared to the need and no new funds for many agencies that have been cut 20 to 40 percent in the past decade. At the same time, lawmakers have not addressed flaws in the new Revenue Stabilization Fund that could absorb every dollar of growth revenue next year.

Lawmakers still have time this session to restore the EITC, fix the Revenue Stabilization Fund, and make better use of this long-awaited budget growth. While any progress out of years of cuts is welcome, there are too many missed opportunities in this plan.

Medical orgs, left-wing political groups plan rally to support Medicaid expansion

A coalition of medical organizations and left-wing activist groups (including Planned Parenthood) is planning a rally at the State Capitol on April 24th to support Medicaid expansion:

COALITION TO EXPAND COVERAGE HOSTS RALLY AT STATE CAPITOL WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 10 A.M.

TULSA, OK — A broad coalition of Oklahomans are holding a rally day at the state Capitol to call on lawmakers to expand health coverage for more than 100,000 currently uninsured Oklahomans. This coverage expansion can be paid for using 90 percent federal dollars.

The rally is set for Wednesday, April 24 at 10 a.m. It will focus on Oklahoma’s opportunity to extend SoonerCare or private health coverage to Oklahomans making below the poverty level. Free buses to the rally will be available from cities across the state.

“Expanding care will help ensure that over 100,000 Oklahomans have access to the care they need while boosting hospitals and other health care providers in our communities across the state,” said Carly Putnam, Policy Director of Oklahoma Policy Institute, a state policy organization that is coordinating the rally. “It’s time we brought Oklahomans’ tax dollars back home to take care of Oklahomans.”

The rally is organized by the Coalition to Expand Coverage, a broad coalition of Oklahoma groups and individuals, including Oklahoma Policy Institute, Together Oklahoma, ACLU of Oklahoma, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Heart Association, CAIR Oklahoma, Coalition of Oklahoma Breastfeeding Advocates, E.B Consulting OKC, Evolution Foundation, Family & Children’s Services, Fellowship Congregational Church UCC, Guiding Right, Inc., Indivisible Stillwater, Improving Lives, Inc, League of Women Voters of Oklahoma, Mental Health Association Oklahoma, Morton Comprehensive Health Services, NAACP Oklahoma City, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Psoriasis Foundation, NASW Oklahoma Chapter, O.B. Hearne DDS, Oklahoma AFL-CIO, Oklahoma Conference of Churches, Oklahoma Heart Association, Oklahoma Hospital Association, Oklahoma Lawyers for Children, Oklahoma Primary Care Association, Oklahoma State Conference NAACP, Oklahoma State Medical Association, Oklahoma Women’s Coalition, Planned Parenthood Great Plains, Potts Family Foundation, Rock Whisperer LLC, St. John Health System, Take Control Initiative, TARC, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The Oklahoma Academy, and Tulsa CARES. Additional members are joining the coalition on an ongoing basis.

“If we don’t expand coverage, Oklahoma will only fall further behind in health and economic competitiveness,” said Sabine Brown, outreach and advocacy coordinator for Oklahoma Policy Institute and Together Oklahoma. “All Oklahomans are invited to join this effort to make sure we can all see a doctor and get treatment when we need it.” To get information as it's released, learn more about the campaign, or sign on to the coalition, visit coverok.org.

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.

Sens. Ford, Halligan, Mazzei to launch new think tank

State Senators John Ford (R-Bartlesville), Jim Halligan (R-Stillwater), and Mike Mazzei (R-Tulsa) are starting a new think tank to focus on state issues. Ford and Mazzei are both leaving the Senate due to term limits, while Halligan opted to not run for a third and final four-year term.

From Oklahoma Watch:

Mazzei, a certified financial planner, told Oklahoma Watch that the Opportunity Project will reflect the views of fiscal conservatives like himself on issues of state finance, education and health policy.

“Our goal, in the era of term limits, is to offer policy ideas and institutional knowledge to members of the Legislature who would like to have some expertise that doesn’t come from lobbyists and agency employees,” Mazzei said.

Mazzei said organizations such as OK Policy and OCPA play an important role in the legislative process, but generally lack the insider perspective gained from years of service in the House or Senate.

“Our ideological friends out there sometimes make proposals that sound good on paper, but they don’t work in the real world,” Mazzei said. “And neither do they understand the political realities of how to get stuff done at the Capitol.

“That level of detail and expertise frankly just doesn’t exist at the think tanks,“ he said.

Ford leaves office with a lifetime Conservative Index score of 63, Halligan with a score of 45, and Mazzei with a score of 64. Comparing those scores to the rest of the Senate, Mazzei is tied for 13th most conservative/19th most liberal, Ford is tied for 14th most conservative/18th most liberal, and Halligan for 22nd most conservative/9th most liberal (2nd most liberal Republican).

Read the full story at Oklahoma Watch here.