Public Policy

Bill Baker recently joined CareSource Oklahoma and will lead efforts in expanding managed healthcare in the state, including bidding on the Oklahoma Medicaid business announced by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority.

Amid all the uncertainty we’re facing, the Oklahoma legislature has provided some reassurance to businesses and health care providers.

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) was recently signed into law, making several significant changes to how employers, attorneys and individuals will approach retirement: • Limitations on “stretch” IRAs.

As part of a $1.4 trillion spending package signed by President Trump on Dec. 20, 2019, the national minimum age to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products was raised from 18 to 21.

Local community leaders, business owners and others are partnering with FWD.

Earlier this month, Governor Kevin Stitt promoted Air Force Col. Brent Wright to the rank of brigadier general. Wright’s last assignment was as the vice wing commander, 138th Fighter Wing, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

During Leslie Osborn’s 10-year legislative tenure, she authored a public-private partnership to move women from incarceration to the Women in Recovery program. She was the first woman to chair the House Judiciary Committee and first Republican female to chair the House Appropriations and Budget Committee.

In the March 1980 Republican primaries, George Bush had already lost what he called his “Big Mo” to Ronald Reagan. He bounded off his campaign plane in conservative Augusta, Georgia, for another obligatory meeting with local reporters.

The new Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation has officially launched, with the purpose of providing support for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and its activities in managing the state’s fish and wildlife resources.

The Oklahoma primary elections with multiple run-off races are set for late August. Some notes:

OKC-County Health Department (OCCHD) is a data-driven organization, focused on directing resources to areas of our community where the greatest impact can be made. Every few years the Wellness Score is released, providing a summary of community health status.

Oklahoma’s public health system plays a critical, unique role in protecting and improving health. The OKC-County Health Department (OCCHD) protects the public’s health and safety, prevents disease and health disparities, promotes healthy lifestyles, and creates partnerships in every sector to effectively link residents to needed resources.

It took four days for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to reach the H-1B visa cap for the 2019 fiscal year. This is the sixth consecutive year it was met within a week.

Community leaders and students impacted by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program joined FWD.us for a teleforum call to discuss education and immigration.

America is in the throes of a prescription opioid epidemic, and tragically Oklahoma is close to ground zero — costing us thousands of lives and billions of dollars. Consider: four out of five heroin users started out using prescription drugs.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program for children brought to the country illegally is under imminent threat. DACA could be gone by Sept. 5, putting the 6,900 Oklahoma recipients who contribute $344 million annually to the state’s GDP at risk for immediate deportation.

Amid state budget cuts, Oklahomans for Better Roads and Bridges is deploying a campaign to let the public know just how little goes to fund fixing roads and bridges.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin announced the appointment of avid sportsman James Barwick to the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission. Attending over 100 commission meetings during his public service career with the state AG’s office, Barwick is a six-time state BCO archery (traditional) champion; winner of eight Sooner State Games gold and silver medals in archery; hunted numerous book animals and qualified for the Super Ten of North American Big Game.

1. Close Calls: If you don’t vote, others are making the decisions for you without your input. Even in presidential elections, one vote can be the difference between winning and losing (AKA – Florida 2000).

The easiest way to make your voice heard is to vote. Three steps to voting in Oklahoma:

1. Register. You can register to vote if you are 18, a citizen of the US and an Oklahoma resident. The last chance to register before the general election is Oct. 14.
2. Find a polling place. Polling places are typically in churches or public community centers. You must vote in the county you registered in. If you are going to be outside your county at the time of the election, you can fill out an absentee ballot.
3. Vote. The general election is Nov. 8.

State Question 792 would restructure the laws governing alcoholic beverages and allow the sale of full-strength beer and wine in Oklahoma grocery stores. Currently, the law states that full-strength beer must be kept at room temperature and can only be sold in liquor stores.

Oklahoma State Question 776 would introduce an amendment to the Constitution of Oklahoma, giving the state legislature authority over execution methods, provided the methods do not violate the US Constitution, in administering the death penalty.

State Question 777 would potentially add what is colloquially known as the “Right to Farm” amendment to the Constitution of Oklahoma. It would declare that “the rights of citizens and lawful residents of Oklahoma to engage in farming and ranching practices shall be forever guaranteed in this state.”

State Question 779, known as the “Penny Sales Tax,” would raise the state sales tax by 1%. The tax revenue would be applied toward the state education budget and is projected to increase spending by an estimated $615 million per year.

State Question 780 is a measure that would reduce the classification of some crimes from a felony to a misdemeanor. Specifically, it would declassify simple drug possession charges from a felony to a misdemeanor. It would also declassify some property crimes and increase the amount of property stolen to equal a felony from $500 to $1000.

Oklahoma State Question 790 is a measure to remove Article 2, Section 5 of the Oklahoma Constitution, which prohibits government spending of public money for religious purposes.

https://vimeo.com/166517470

On Tuesday, April 5, Tulsa voters will decide on Vision Tulsa – the 0.6 percent tax package extension of the original Vision 2025 initiative passed in 2003.

The Oklahoma presidential primary is March 1 – Super Tuesday. For thousands of millennial voters like me, this will be the first election we participate in. Millennial turnout will be a significant factor, as candidates have already made apparent by their campaign strategies.

Whether having coffee with friends or attending a campaign rally, Oklahomans want their voices heard on issues and candidates.