Low casino fees a problem for Henry administration too

Low casino fees a problem for Henry administration too

by Ray Carter

Director, Center for Independent Journalism

(December 6th, 2019) -- Gov. Kevin Stitt has said Oklahoma casinos are not paying market rates for geographic monopoly rights to operate gambling facilities, which significantly reduces state government funding. Stitt isn’t the first statewide officeholder to raise this issue.

In 2008, former State Treasurer Scott Meacham, who negotiated the state’s gaming compacts on behalf of former Gov. Brad Henry, opposed the opening of a tribal casino because it would result in a loss of revenue to state government, pointing to the lower fees paid by tribal casinos compared to the rates paid by state racetrack casinos, or racinos.

In a June 9, 2008 letter sent to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Meacham wrote that if the Shawnee Tribe was allowed to open a casino in Oklahoma City, the state would “be harmed” because of a loss in “direct gaming revenue” as gambling shifted from the racetrack to the tribal casino.

“The state receives 4 to 6% of tribal gaming receipts but receives 10 to 30% of horseracing gaming receipts,” Meacham wrote. “Therefore, state dedicated gaming revenues for education will also be harmed.”

In 2000, Congress passed the Shawnee Act, which restored the Shawnee Tribe’s federal recognition and gave it the right to secure land outside the assigned lands of other Oklahoma tribes. That meant much of the state was off-limits to the tribe, but property in Oklahoma County was available.

In 2005, tribal officials publicly discussed their desire to purchase land and build a casino in downtown Oklahoma City or Bricktown. By 2007, the tribe had a contract to buy property and announced plans to build a casino on 104 acres fronting Interstate 35 between Britton Road and Wilshire.

That effort drew opposition from the Remington Park racetrack and casino.

In a Feb. 28, 2008 letter sent to Meacham by Scott Wells, the general manager at Remington Park, Wells said the racetrack’s “business was negatively impacted by the opening of the Riverwind and Fire Lake Grand casinos in 2006.”

While that competition had been expected, Wells said racetrack officials did not expect to face competition from “a giant tribal casino 1.7 miles away from Remington Park ...”

Under legislation approved in 2004, slot machines at Oklahoma racetracks are taxed at rates between 10 percent and 30 percent. In contrast, under the various gaming compacts signed with tribal governments, the state receives only an “exclusivity fee” of 4 percent to 6 percent for slot machines at tribal casinos. The fee paid by tribal casinos is provided in exchange for the state barring competition in an area, which gives a tribal government monopoly rights to casino activity in that area.

In his letter opposing tribal casino operation in Oklahoma City, Meacham noted that if the proposed Shawnee Tribe casino lured gamblers away from Remington Park’s slot machines, state government would receive much less money due to the lower fee imposed on tribal slot machines.

The Shawnee Tribe’s effort to open an Oklahoma City casino fell by the wayside and the tribe eventually opened a casino near Guymon in the Oklahoma panhandle, more than 300 miles from the tribe’s headquarters in northeastern Oklahoma.

Meacham and Wells’ letters are both preserved in state archives.

The large gap in rates paid to the state on slot machines continues to be an issue and plays a large role in the current dispute between Stitt and tribal casino operators.

Tribal gaming compacts include language stating that each compact “shall have a term which shall expire on January 1, 2020.” Stitt says the compacts must be renegotiated before that expiration date, and has said the exclusivity fee paid by tribes should be increased to more closely match the rates paid in other states with similar casino markets. According to one estimate, 44 percent of tribal gaming compacts nationwide involve fees of 10 percent or greater, and Oklahoma’s casino market is far larger than most. Oklahoma is currently the nation’s third-largest state casino market and home to the world’s largest casino.

Despite the expiration date Stitt notes, tribal casino operators claim the compacts auto-renew every 15 years and have refused to negotiate.

United for Oklahoma, a publicity campaign funded by the state’s tribal casino operators that opposes renegotiation of the fees paid on slot machines, estimates tribal casinos’ total combined payments to Oklahoma state government since 2006 are more than $1.5 billion.

In addition to exclusivity fees, United for Oklahoma states that tribal casino operators also provided $80.5 million for tribal education programs, scholarships, and donations to Oklahoma education institutions in 2017. Combined with the share of exclusivity fee payments earmarked for education, the tribes report providing $198 million for education in 2017.

However, the amount paid through exclusivity fees and other forms by tribal casino operators is dwarfed by the payments that would have occurred had tribal casinos and racinos been placed on equal footing, records show.

In 2018 the 1,000 racino slot machines paid $24 million to state government. In contrast, the estimated 42,000 class III tribal casino slot machines paid a total of $119 million in state revenue share.

Broken down, that averages about $24,000 for each racino machine, but just $2,833 per Class III slot machine in tribal casinos. And tribal casinos pay no state fee on more than 28,000 Class II (Bingo-style) slot machines in their facilities.

Those figures indicate the state of Oklahoma would today receive payment of more than $1 billion annually from tribal casino operators had the fee on Class III slot machines in tribal casinos been equal to the rates imposed on the same slot machines in Oklahoma racinos, based on current per-machine averages.

In response to Stitt’s call for renegotiating compacts, officials with 29 tribal governments in Oklahoma signed a letter saying they believe the compacts “automatically renew” on Jan. 1, 2020 and that “rates under the present Gaming Compact should not change.” The chief of the Shawnee Tribe was among the signatories.

Hern applauds new food stamp work-requirement rule for able-bodied adults without dependents

Hern applauds new USDA rule strengthening requirements for SNAP recipients

WASHINGTON, DC – This morning, the United States Department of Agriculture published a final rule entitled “Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP): Requirements for Able-Bodied Adults without Dependents.”

In February, Rep. Kevin Hern (OK-01) sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in support of this proposed rule with the support of 64 Members of Congress.

“I’ve been a strong supporter of this new rule since the moment they announced it,” said Rep. Hern. “There is nothing quite as empowering as a job. No federal program has the power to pull a person out of poverty, no government handout can help a person find independence and success. Only through gainful employment can a person find true stability. We should be encouraging our people to work, contribute to the economy, and put themselves on the path to independence rather than chaining them to the crutch of social programs. Programs like SNAP were never meant to be a long-term solution, but merely a temporary assistance. This ruling will help the American people rise up from poverty and find a better life for themselves. I applaud Secretary Perdue’s commitment to reforming this program!”

Background Information:

The rule promotes work for able-bodied adults (ABAWDs) between the age of 18-49 without dependents and does not apply to children and their parents, those over 50 years old, those with a disability, or pregnant women. The Food and Nutrition Act limits the amount of time ABAWDs can receive SNAP benefits to three months over a 36-month period, unless recipients work or participate in an employment workfare program for minimum hours.  The law allows states to apply for waivers of this time limit due to economic conditions. The waivers resulted in 3.8 million ABAWDs on SNAP in 2016, 2.8 million of which were not working at all. The final rule adjusts the criteria for when and where state may waive these limits.  Under USDA’s rule, states retain flexibility to waive the time-limit in areas of high unemployment and to exempt a percentage of their ABAWD caseload.

You can find more information on these changes here.

Gov. Stitt appoints Scott Crow as new director of ODOC

GOVERNOR STITT APPOINTS CROW AS DIRECTOR OF OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

Oklahoma City, Okla. (Dec. 6, 2019) – Governor Kevin Stitt announced today the appointment of Scott Crow as the next agency director for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC), a position that will require Senate confirmation in the 2020 legislative session.

“While interim director, Scott Crow stepped forward as a visionary and strong leader for the Department of Corrections,” Stitt said. “Crow successfully led the agency to accomplish major initiatives, such as the inaugural re-entry fairs ahead of the HB 1269 commutation release. Crow is strengthening morale among employees and setting goals to modernize operations, and he is the right person to receive the appointment to be the next director of ODOC.” 

“It is an honor to serve Governor Stitt, the people of Oklahoma and staff of this great agency,” Crow said. “This is a post I accept with humility, a sense of duty, no illusions of the work that lies ahead - and an eye toward what works in corrections. I look forward to continue assisting the governor as we manage and improve this critical agency, and help make Oklahoma a Top Ten state – and ODOC a Top Ten state correctional agency.”

Since June 2019, Crow has served as ODOC Interim Director. Crow has been with the agency since April 1996, when he was hired as a Special Investigator Supervisor. Before ODOC, he worked in law enforcement in southwest Oklahoma, from officer-level up to leadership, including as a captain with the Comanche County Sheriff’s Department and Assistant Police Chief for the City of Cache.

As director, Crow will continue to lead the agency’s more than 4,300 employees working in its 24 facilities stretched across Oklahoma, as well as Probation and Parole Services and Community Corrections.

As of Thursday morning, the system was home to 25,168 inmates, with another 31,915 under community supervision and 548 in county jails awaiting housing in prison.

Oklahoma public school enrollment tops 700,000 for first time ever

Student enrollment in Oklahoma public schools tops 700,000

OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 5, 2019) ­– For the first time in history, Oklahoma public school enrollment exceeds 700,000 students. The state’s annual student count shows 703,650 students enrolled in Pre-K through 12th grade for the 2019-20 school year, an increase of 5,064 over last year’s total. The figures were collected Oct. 1, and released today by the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE).

As in previous years, Oklahoma City and Tulsa Public Schools maintained the number one and two positions among the ten most populous districts. Enrollment totals for the largest districts included district-sponsored charter school students: 6,616 for Oklahoma City and 2,834 for Tulsa. The third- through 10th-largest districts in descending enrollment order were Edmond, Moore, Putnam City, Broken Arrow, Epic One-on-One, Norman, Union and Midwest City-Del City schools.

Demographic information showed little change in the racial and ethnic makeup of Oklahoma students since fall 2018. Just over half of the state’s students were Hispanic, American Indian, black, Asian/Pacific Islander, native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, or members of two or more races, while 48% of students were white.

To view the spreadsheets with state, district and site totals, click here.

OCPA column: Money for nothing? Pension raids making a return

Money for nothing?

by Jonathan Small

For decades, Oklahoma politicians vowed they could defy the laws of financial reality by giving state retirees ever-larger benefit checks without paying for those benefits, without any impact on other taxpayers, and without any impact on the rest of state government.

Rather than provide “money for nothing” to retirees, however, those politicians instead saddled Oklahomans with enormous unfunded liabilities that left current teachers and state workers with an unsecure retirement and forced the diversion of millions from schools, roads, and other needs.

There were 19 “cost of living” adjustments provided to state employees from 1975 to 2008, and most were approved without any funding. So how did lawmakers “pay” for those COLAs? By raiding pension assets again and again and again. It didn’t take long before Oklahoma had some of the worst-funded state pension systems in the nation. The teachers’ retirement system was in especially bad shape with a funded ratio that hovered around just 50 percent.

Thanks to several reform laws passed in the last decade, the situation has improved dramatically. One of the most significant reforms was to require full funding for benefit increases (imagine that!). But legislation filed in 2019, which could advance in 2020, would evade that requirement and provide increased retirement benefits without funding. Instead, it would raid state pensions of more than $850 million, according to estimates.

One doesn’t have to be a certified public accountant—although I am—to know where we’re headed with such legislation: back where we started.

The impact of past pension raids continues to be felt throughout the state. For one thing, lawmakers have had to direct hundreds of millions in additional funding to the existing system to shore it up. That’s money that would have otherwise gone to other needs like schools, roads and public safety. Remember in 2018 when legislators claimed they had to raise taxes to cover expenses? Those tax increases are one logical outcome of state pension raids.

Rather than repeat a regrettable part of our history, lawmakers need to embrace real reform. That means not only admitting that pension benefits should be funded, even if that means legislators must provide less spending to other state agencies, but also overhauling the system.

Today’s workforce is highly mobile, and the 20-something who hires on as an educator or support personnel today probably won’t remain there for the next three decades. Plus, the current outdated defined benefit plans provide employees no asset that can be passed on to help other family members or their future generations. It’s time to provide all non-hazard duty government workers with a 401(k) style retirement plan whose assets follow them when they leave a government job.

Oklahoma needs a modern retirement system fitted to the needs of modern workers, not a “greatest hits” rerun of the failed financial policies of the past.

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

Oklahoma congressional delegation united in support of USMCA trade deal, call for House vote

Oklahoma delegation unified in support of USMCA

WASHINGTON, DC – More than a year after President Trump signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) with leaders from Mexico and Canada, Oklahoma’s Congressional delegation is unanimous in support of the trade deal. All five Members of the House and both U.S. Senators call on House Leadership to work together to bring the USMCA for a vote before the end of the year.

“The USMCA is good for Americans,” said Rep. Kevin Hern (OK-01). “There’s no reason to hold it up any longer. Speaker Pelosi needs to put politics aside and let us have this debate in the people’s House and vote on the USMCA before the end of the year. More than 112,000 jobs in our home state of Oklahoma depend on trade with Mexico and Canada. The deal is expected to create more than 176,000 new jobs and stimulate over $68 billion in new economic growth. This kind of growth in our economy is beyond political spats and has overwhelming, bipartisan support in Congress. We cannot stall this deal any longer.”

Senator James Inhofe said, “We are well past a year since President Trump’s announcement of the USMCA trade agreement, yet Speaker Pelosi still hasn’t brought the agreement up for a vote. Oklahoma farmers, ranchers and manufacturers need trade certainty. We can support them through new, fair trade policies if Democrats would stop playing partisan politics. Speaker Pelosi needs to bring the USMCA up for a vote before the end of the year—no excuses.”

Senator James Lankford said, “The USMCA negotiations ended more than a year ago, and it has been sitting in the House of Representatives waiting for a vote. Every manufacturer, agricultural producer, and international business in North America is waiting on the House to finally act. A vote on the USMCA agreement would demonstrate to Oklahomans and the American people that we’re serious about updating NAFTA to reflect the 21st-century interests of American farmers, ranchers, producers, manufacturers, and more. I urge Speaker Pelosi to bring the USMCA to the floor for a vote before the end of the year.”

Rep. Frank Lucas (OK-03) said, “It’s been just over a year since President Trump signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement with his Canadian and Mexican counterparts. A trade deal guaranteeing more American jobs, a stronger economy, and support for our nation’s agriculture producers, the USMCA stands ready to provide millions of valuable opportunities for North America. Oklahoma’s manufacturers and agriculture producers know all too well the added value of exporting products into the world market and ensuring a level playing field only heightens our state’s prosperity. I’m proud to join my Oklahoma colleagues calling on House Democratic Leadership to put partisan politics aside and bring the USMCA to the House Floor for a vote. The clock is ticking, and businesses and agriculture producers across Oklahoma are waiting for Congress to act.”

Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04) said, “The United States trades with our two North American neighbors more than any other countries in the world. It’s now been more than a year since President Trump, Mexican President Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau signed an updated trade agreement to strengthen that relationship and deliver benefits to consumers and job creators. Unfortunately, each day that Speaker Pelosi prevents a House vote on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement is another day that American manufacturers, entrepreneurs, farmers and ranchers miss out on its benefits. I am proud to unify with my Oklahoma colleagues in calling for a vote on this vital trade deal.”

Rep. Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) said, “President Trump promised the American people a better trade deal with our North American trading partners and he delivered on that promise. The USMCA is good for Oklahoma farmers, ranchers, workers, manufacturers, and businesses. Canada and Mexico are Oklahoma’s top trading partners and this is a huge opportunity to put us on a level playing field with our neighbors. Speaker Pelosi has claimed for months that she’s on ‘a path to yes,’ but she has refused to give the American people this win because she doesn’t want to give President Trump a win. Every day we delay passage is another day the American people miss out on the benefits of the deal. It’s time quit playing games and pass the USMCA.”

Rep. Kendra Horn (OK-05) said, “Stronger trading relationships with our neighbors mean a stronger economy for Oklahoma. Free and fair trade is important to the families, workers, and businesses in my district, and that is why I am fighting for finalization of the USMCA every step of the way. Our next step towards passing a trade deal is to complete a bipartisan agreement between the U.S. Trade Representative and the working group negotiating final changes to the USMCA. Finding common ground takes hard work, and we won’t cross the finish line with finger-pointing or partisan politics. As the year comes to a close, we must find a bipartisan agreement and bring the USMCA to the floor for a vote.”

Hern blasts Pelosi for moving on impeachment without any facts

Rep. Hern condemns Pelosi’s decision to move forward on impeachment without any facts

WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s announcement to pursue articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

“This decision to move forward on impeachment was made with one thing in mind, and that’s to get this over with as soon as possible,” said Rep. Hern.

“Pelosi saw impeachment favorability drop in the polls these last few weeks, even Congressional support among Democrats is falling. Her goal has always been to impeach President Trump and she knows that the longer she waits, the fewer
 votes she’ll have. Just a few short months ago, Pelosi said that there must be bipartisan support to move forward with something as serious as impeachment, but so far the only bipartisanship has been in opposition to this sham process.”

Rep. Hern continued, “To any Member of Congress saying they want to wait for the facts or need
 more information before committing to impeach, today’s announcement ensures that you will never get those facts or any new information. Pelosi made it clear that she has all the information she needs. This rushed process will not uncover anything new. If we learned anything from this week’s Judiciary hearing, it’s that facts and fact witnesses are the last thing on Pelosi’s mind right now. She’s been saying all along that she wanted a vote on impeachment before Christmas – even before the hearings began! She
 was never going to give the inquiry adequate time, and she certainly was never going to give President Trump a fair shot.”

Background Information:

On March 11, 2019, the
Washington Post published an interview with Speaker Nancy Pelosi where she was quoted saying that “unless there’s something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don’t think we should go down that path, because it divides the country.”

Young Republicans Convention scheduled for December 14th

Here's a follow-up to the recent controversy over the Oklahoma Young Republicans state convention. Rick Loughery, Young Republican National Federation Chairman, sent this out the other day to notify delegates of the newly-scheduled convention being overseen by the YRNF to avoid the sort of irregularities that led to the dissolution of the original convention:

Dear Oklahoma Young Republicans:

2019 Oklahoma Young Republicans State Convention will be held on Saturday, December 14th.  The convention will be held at 2:30pm at the Hilton Garden Inn Oklahoma City North Quail Springs located at 3201 NW 137th St, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  I have appointed the Young Republican National Federation's Southern Regional Vice Chairman, Hayden Padgett, as the presiding officer for this state convention.  While the YRNF is overseeing this convention as part of its dispute resolution procedure, our goal is to adhere to the OKYR Bylaws as much as possible (state bylaws attached) - but, most importantly, to oversee the election of state officers and ensure OKYR is prepared to help us bring home Republican victories in 2020.

Delegates: this convention is open to delegates to the OKYR state convention only.  Delegates must check-in at the registration table prior to being seated at the convention.  Those members who were named as a delegate for the September 2019 state convention are currently listed to be delegates to this convention (see attached list).  If a chapter wishes to make any changes to their delegation or any other requests for changes, please inform YRNF Secretary Desiree Brown no later than December 7th. 

I look forward to seeing you at the state convention on December 14th!

Sincerely,
Rick Loughery
YRNF Chairman

Rep. Stone resigns, will donate campaign funds to help pay for special election

It's been a while since we had a legislative resignation. It was all the rage back in 2017, with the majority of those coming due to some sort of misbehavior or scandal.

Rep. Shane Stone (D-OKC) is stepping down to "pursue opportunities away from state politics and the legislature", and has pledged to delegate his campaign funds to the state election board for the purpose of helping alleviate the costs of a special election. The most recent ethics reports show that Stone had a total of $18,964.99 in his campaign account as of October 31st.

It looks as if this move had been planned for some time. One candidate - Democrat Jose Cruz - has filed with the Ethics Commission for the seat currently held by Stone. In the most recent quarterly report (the only report filed by Cruz thus far), four Democratic legislators are listed as donating: Sen. Michael Brooks (D-OKC), Rep. Forrest Bennett (D-OKC), Rep. Jason Dunnington (D-OKC), and Rep. Collin Walke (D-OKC). It seems highly unlikely that Cruz would receive this support from Stone's colleagues without his blessing and advance knowledge of his pending departure.

House District 89 has never been held by a Republican. With a Republican District Rating of 28.1, it is the sixth least Republican district in the state house, eighth least in the legislature.

Stone Announces December Departure from Legislature

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Shane Stone (D-OKC) has announced today that he will be leaving the legislature before his term is complete in 2020.

In order to pursue opportunities away from state politics and the legislature, Stone has submitted a letter to the Governor's office to end his tenure as the District 89 representative on​ Dec. 31, 2019.

“Representing South Side Oklahoma City has been a life-changing and rewarding experience,” Stone said. “I will always think fondly of my time advocating for the communities in Oklahoma City that rarely get recognized at our Capitol. We have suffered losses together, and we have celebrated victories. However, a time has come where I can no longer give the same dedication to this job that I have in the past. Because of this, I have opted to move aside and help find someone who can provide this district with the representation it needs.”

Stone said outside of leaving the opportunity to advocate for his community, he will miss the friends he has made in the legislature.

“When you fight next to people for years for change that can transform the lives of Oklahomans through expanding education and healthcare, when you are attacked by special interests together, when you face the ups and downs of the Capitol together, you build a unique and special bond,” Stone said. “I have had the opportunity to work with many, many great people in the legislature, from both sides of the aisle, that I admire and will consider a friend for the rest of my life.”

Honoring a commitment he made during a debate a few years ago in the legislature, Stone will delegate campaign funds to the election board to go toward a special election to name his successor.

“I made a comment during a debate that lawmakers who leave their seat early should help pay, to the best of their ability, for the special election to replace them,” Stone said. “I still believe that today and will act accordingly.”

Notable decline seen in state school grades

Notable decline seen in state school grades

by Ray Carter

Director, Center for Independent Journalism

(November 26, 2019) For every Oklahoma school that achieved a higher grade on this year’s Oklahoma School Report Card, more than two schools saw their state letter grade fall.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister said schools experiencing grade decline should view that as motivation for reassessment.

“We need to ask districts to have a lot of reflection,” Hofmeister said. “Are they just doing the same thing? For instance, are they using a tool to measure benchmark that is not aligned with our standards with whole awareness that that is not fully aligned? Are they teaching the science of reading? Are they taking advantage of our College Career Math Ready course? Are they using the curriculum frameworks? These are the kinds of questions that we would ask districts that are seeing an overall letter-grade drop.”

School grades were approved unanimously by members of the State Board of Education during the group’s monthly meeting. The grades reflect school performance during the 2018-2019 school year.

Just 54 of 1,494 school sites in Oklahoma received an overall grade of A, compared to 111 that received an F. Another 292 received a B, 579 received a C, and 458 received a D.

Of 1,494 school sites, 234 received a higher grade than last year, but 493 school sites received a lower grade than on last year’s report card. The rest received the same grade.

A similar but even more pronounced trend could be seen in the “Academic Achievement” subcategory that accounts for a significant part of a school’s overall grade. In the “Academic Achievement” category, there were nearly five schools that performed worse for every one school that did notably better. Department officials reported that 108 schools improved their performance in that category by at least one letter grade, but 530 schools decreased by at least one letter grade.

Better results were seen in the “Academic Growth” subcategory, which tracks individual student progress between consecutive years in English language arts and math. In that subcategory, 352 schools improved at least one letter grade compared to 285 schools that received a lower grade in that category.

“Individual students are making progress, although too many are not yet college or career ready,” Hofmeister said in a subsequent press release.

In the Oklahoma City school district, nearly all A-graded schools were charter schools that effectively operate independently from the district, although many are technically sponsored by the district.

State validation of the academic quality of many Oklahoma City charter schools comes as the Oklahoma City district is attempting to impose substantial “administrative” fees on those charter schools. Two charter schools have sued, arguing the fees are illegal.

Under Oklahoma law, an entity that sponsors a public charter school—in this case the Oklahoma City school district—is allowed to assess the charter school a fee of up to 5 percent of the charter’s state funding “for administrative services rendered.”

Officials with the Oklahoma City school district have announced that they are increasing the fee levied on city charter schools from 3 percent to 5 percent by the 2022-2023 school year.

However, charter school officials say the fee hike is not related to administrative services rendered, citing both public and written comments made by Oklahoma City officials.

In an April 23 letter, Oklahoma City Superintendent Sean McDaniel explicitly linked the fee increase to the traditional district’s loss of students to charter schools, writing that the fee “compensates the district for the cost of reduced student enrollment” as well as administrative costs.

It’s estimated the fee would divert up to $775,000 total from charter schools to the traditional Oklahoma City district.

Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Sean McDaniel issued a statement responding to the district’s poor grades.

“While the scores are not where we want them to be, we are hopeful the additional resources and supports that were brought via the Pathway to Greatness will help to spur steady, incremental academic growth for students across our district,” McDaniel said.

The district’s “Pathway To Greatness” plan involves shuttering numerous schools in the district and consolidating facilities in order to free up funding.

During the State Board of Education meeting, Hofmeister said the school-grading system is designed to raise expectations each year, so schools will have to improve performance simply to maintain an existing school grade, and encouraged districts to take the challenge seriously.

“We can’t continue to do things the way we used to,” Hofmeister said.

Lankford releases 5th 'Federal Fumbles' wasteful spending report

Government Waste Report: Senator Lankford Releases the Fifth Volume of Federal Fumbles

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today released the fifth volume of his government waste and solutions report entitled, Federal Fumbles: Ways the federal government dropped the ball. The report lists $383 billion in wasteful and inefficient federal spending. The report also lists solutions to each of the examples of government waste. CLICK HERE (pdf) to access the report. CLICK HERE (pdf) for a summary of the report.

“My staff and I compile Fumbles throughout the year to expose areas of inefficiency, to challenge other offices to help us look for taxpayer solutions, and to create a to-do list for our own team for the upcoming year,” said Lankford. “Volume 5 highlights some big-picture federal process and spending issues including budget busting budget gimmicks, border security problems, and long-term FEMA issues. We also identify a few smaller instances of government waste that have larger implications as to how the government wastes our tax dollars.

“We succeeded this year by proposing legislative solutions to previous entries, moving bipartisan legislation in Congress, and encouraging the Administration to better serve taxpayers and our dollars. I remain committed to actually solving our federal debt and deficit issues. This is one way my team and I can continue to keep our focus in on real, tangible areas of waste, fraud, and abuse in our government.”

Music Monday: I Saw Three Ships

To kick off the Christmas season, this week's Music Monday is the old carol I Saw Three Ships, played here by violinist Lindsey Stirling.

Enjoy!

See below for all previous Music Monday posts. Do you have a song you'd like to suggest for a future Music Monday? Email me at JamisonFaught@MuskogeePolitico.com.

November 25th, 2019: Count Your Blessings
November 18th, 2019: Poor Wayfaring Stranger
November 11th, 2019: Over There
November 4th, 2019: Great Speckled Bird
October 28th, 2019: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
October 14th, 2019: Batman Theme
September 30th, 2019: These Are My People (Johnny Cash)
September 23rd, 2019: Pictures at an Exhibition (Great Gate of Kiev)
September 16th, 2019: The Streets of Laredo (Piano Puzzler)
September 9th, 2019: I'm Ready To Go
August 26th, 2019: It Is Not Death To Die
August 5th, 2019: 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)
July 29th, 2019: Let It Be Said Of Us
July 15th, 2019: Bach's "Little" Fugue in G Minor
July 8th, 2019: The Majesty and Glory of Your Name
July 1st, 2019: Medley of Sousa Marches
June 24th, 2019: Seventy-Six Trombones
June 17th, 2019: I Want To Be That Man
June 3rd, 2019: "Les Toreadors" from 'Carmen'
May 20th, 2019: Lonesome Road
May 13th, 2019: Mr. Mom
April 29th, 2019: Have Faith in God (Muskogee's hymn)
April 15th, 2019: The Government Can
March 25th, 2019: Transcendental Étude No. 4, "Mazeppa"
March 18th, 2019: St. Patrick's Day in the Morning
March 11th, 2019: What Wondrous Love is This
March 4th, 2019: Scandinavian Waltz
February 18th, 2019: Adagio for Strings
February 11th, 2019: 'Romance' from 'The Gadfly'
February 4th, 2019: Columbia, Gem of the Ocean
January 7th, 2019: Loch Lomond
December 31st, 2018: Auld Lang Syne
December 24th, 2018: Remember O, thou Man
December 17th, 2018: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
December 10th, 2018: Carol of the Bells (medley)
December 3rd, 2018: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
November 26th, 2018: Happy Birthday
November 19th, 2018: My Heart is Filled with Thankfulness
November 12th, 2018: Hymn to the Fallen
October 29th, 2018: A Mighty Fortress is Our God
October 22nd, 2018: Hymn to Red October
October 15th, 2018:  Indian Reservation ("Cherokee People")
October 8th, 2018: Wagner's 'Columbus Overture'
October 1st, 2018: Danny Boy
September 24th, 2018: Dvorak's 'From The New World' Symphony, 4th Movement
September 17th, 2018: Deep River
September 10th, 2018: Muleskinner Blues
September 3rd, 2018: Boomer Sooner
August 20th, 2018: Psalm 23
August 13th, 2018: Ashokan Farewell
August 6, 2018: How the West Was Won
July 23rd, 2018: I Just Can't Wait to Be King
July 16th, 2018: 'Jupiter' from 'The Planets'
July 9th, 2018: Hail to the Spirit of Liberty
July 2nd, 2018: Turn The Tide
June 25th, 2018: Good Guys Win
June 18th, 2018: Watching You
June 11th, 2018: Adoration
June 4th, 2018: March from 'A Moorside Suite'
May 28th, 2018: Taps
May 21st, 2018: Listz's La Campanella
May 14th, 2018: Handful of Weeds
May 7th, 2018: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
April 30th, 2018: Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53 ("Heroic")
April 23rd, 2018: Blow Ye The Trumpet
April 16th, 2018: Asturias (Leyenda)
April 9th, 2018: Old Mountain Dew
April 2nd, 2018: His Life For Mine
March 19th, 2018: See, the Conqu'ring Hero Comes!
March 12th, 2018: Choctaw Nation
March 5th, 2018: Hark, I Hear The Harps Eternal
February 19th, 2018: The Olympic Spirit
February 12th, 2018: Olympic Fanfare and Theme
January 29th, 2018: Hail to the Chief
January 23rd, 2018: Waltz in A-Flat Major, Op. 39 No. 15
January 15th, 2018: Bleed The Same
January 8th, 2018: Saint-Saëns' Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Maestoso)
December 25th, 2017: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
December 18th, 2017: I Saw Three Ships (The Piano Guys)
December 11th, 2017:Who Is He In Yonder Stall
December 4th, 2017: Carol of the Bells (Mannheim Steamroller)
November 27th, 2017: Joy to the World!
November 20th, 2017: We Gather Together
November 13th, 2017: Mansions of the Lord
November 6th, 2017: Träumerei
October 30th: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
October 23rd, 2017: In Christ Alone
October 16th, 2017: When I'm Knee Deep In Bluegrass
October 9th, 2017: I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb
October 2nd, 2017: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major (Brahms)
September 25th, 2017: Beethoven's Sonata No. 8 in C minor ('Pathétique')
September 11th, 2017: Have You Forgotten?
September 4th, 2017: Bach's Double Violin Concerto
August 28th, 2017: Noah Found Grace In The Eyes Of The Lord
August 21st, 2017: The Heavens Are Telling The Glory of God
August 14th, 2017: Beethoven's 5th Symphony
August 7th, 2017: 'Lift High The Name Of Jesus' medley
July 31st, 2017: Fanfare for the Common Man
July 24th, 2017: Variations on 'Happy Birthday'
July 10th, 2017: Summer (Presto) from Vivaldi's Four Seasons
July 3rd, 2017: Freelance Fireworks Hall of Fame
June 26th, 2017: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
June 19th, 2017: A Christian Home
June 12th, 2017: Ol' Man River
June 5th, 2017: Choctaw Cowboy
May 29th, 2017: Armed Forces Salute
May 22nd, 2017: Double Bass Concerto No.2 in B minor
May 15th, 2017: Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D major
May 8th, 2017: The Army Goes Rolling Along
April 17th, 2017: He Is Alive
April 10th, 2017: Surely He Hath Borne/And With His Stripes/All We Like Sheep
April 3rd, 2017: Here Comes Carolina
March 27th, 2017: 'Spring' from Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons'
March 20th, 2017: Symphony No. 5 ("Reformation") Finale
March 13th, 2017: The Pigeon on the Gate
March 6th, 2017: Finlandia
February 27th, 2017: When I Can Read My Title Clear
February 20th, 2017: William Tell Overture - Finale
February 13th, 2017: 'Romance' from 'The Gadfly'
February 6th, 2017: White Winter Hymnal
January 30th, 2017: Hail, Columbia
January 23rd, 2017: Hail to the Chief
January 16th, 2017: Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy
January 2nd, 2017: Auld Lang Syne
December 26th, 2016: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
December 19th, 2016: I Wonder as I Wander
December 12th, 2016: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
December 5th, 2016: A Christmas Festival
November 28th, 2016: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
November 21st: Beethoven's 'Hymn of Thanksgiving'
November 14th: Hymn to the Fallen
November 7th: This World Is Not My Home
October 31st, 2016: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
October 24th, 2016: 'Mars', from 'The Planets'
October 17th, 2016: My Shepherd Will Supply My Need
October 10th, 2016: Spain
October 3rd, 2016: International Harvester
September 26th, 2016: 'The Imperial March' from Star Wars
September 19th, 2016: Awake the Trumpet's Lofty Sound
September 12th, 2016: Before the Throne of God Above
September 5th, 2016: The Hunt
August 29th, 2016: Liberty
August 22nd, 2016: Summon the Heroes
August 15th, 2016: Bugler's Dream
August 8th, 2016: Olympic Fanfare and Theme
August 1st, 2016: 'Prelude' and 'Parade of the Charioteers' from Ben-Hur
July 25th, 2016: How The West Was Won
July 18th, 2016: Six Studies in English Folk Song
July 11th, 2016: From Everlasting To Everlasting
July 4th, 2016: The Stars and Stripes Forever
June 27th, 2016: Rule, Britannia!
June 20st, 2016: Bugler's Holiday
June 13th, 2016: Ride of the Valkyries
June 6th, 2016: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54, Allegro Vivace
May 30th, 2016: Armed Forces Salute
May 23rd, 2016: Paid in Full (Through Jesus, Amen)
May 16th, 2016: Overture from 'Carmen'
May 9th, 2016: L'Arlesienne Suite No. 1 - Prelude
May 2nd, 2016: My God Is a Rock
April 25th, 2016: Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
April 18th, 2016: Paganini's Caprice No. 24 in A Minor
April 11th, 2016: Fantasia on a 17th Century Tune
April 4th, 2016: Hark The Sound/I'm a Tarheel Born
March 28th, 2016: Rustle of Spring
March 21st, 2016: 'Ode to Joy' sung by a 10,000-voice choir
March 14th, 2016: Hard Times Come Again No More
March 7th, 2016: 'The Suite' from Downton Abbey
February 29th, 2016: Moonlight Sonata
February 22nd, 2016: Liebestraum No. 3
February 15th, 2016: Help Is On The Way
February 8th, 2016: God of Grace and God of Glory
February 1st, 2016: 'My Story'
January 25th, 2016: Israeli Concertino
January 18th, 2016: What Grace is Mine
January 11th, 2016: "Meditation" from Thaïs
January 4th, 2016: Praeludium and Allegro
December 28th, 2015: Appalachian Carol
December 21st, 2015: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
December 14th, 2015: O Holy Night
December 7th, 2015: Christmas Fantasy
November 23rd, 2015: Simple Gifts
November 16th, 2015: Preacher Tell Me Like It Is
November 9th, 2015: Armed Forces Salute
November 2nd, 2015: Amazing Grace
October 26th, 2015: The Harmonious Blacksmith
October 19th, 2015: Liberty Fanfare
October 12th, 2015: The Majesty and Glory of Your Name
October 5th, 2015: Elgar's 'Enigma' Finale
September 28th, 2015: Stayed on Jesus
September 21st, 2015: Great Gate of Kiev
September 14th, 2015: Nearer, My God, To Thee