A&A Advocates of Oklahoma, NASL member firm, is detailing the latest legislative news below.
Nearly 70% of Oklahoma voters polled recently said they paid more for health care and prescription drugs in 2023—according to a poll conducted by Cygnal and commissioned by Oklahoma Families for Affordable Healthcare in early January. The survey also found that almost 90% said the federal government should do more to address drug companies’ role in the increasing cost of prescription drugs. Still, nearly half of the respondents said government involvement in health care generally is “hurtful.” View the full memo here.
An Oklahoma teacher has filed a lawsuit against the state Department of Education and State Superintendent Ryan Walters after the department demanded she and other teachers repay a bonus it said they received in error. The department said $185,000 was awarded to teachers who did not qualify for the program, and $105,000 was overpaid to teachers the department said were qualified for lower bonus amounts than what they received.
Changes are coming to SoonerCare on Thursday—most Oklahomans participating in the program will be asked to enroll in a health care plan administered by one of three companies: Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma, Humana Healthy Horizons, or Oklahoma Complete Health. The change comes as the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, which oversees the state’s Medicaid program, begins to shift to a managed care model called SoonerSelect.
Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, the chairman of the Senate Education Committee, says three efforts will be at the top of his priority list for the upcoming legislative session: improving the reading skills of Oklahoma students, creating a revolving fund that would help both higher education and CareerTech address the state’s workforce needs, and recruiting military veterans to combat Oklahoma’s teacher shortage. Pugh also added that State Superintendent Ryan Walters will not be setting the legislative agenda for the Senate.
What We’re Watching
The 2024 regular session begins on Monday, February 5, with Gov. Kevin Stitt’s State of the State Address. The address will be available to view here.
A special session regarding tax cuts began on Monday—as a result of the Jan. 16 executive order, calling lawmakers to the Capitol one week early to consider tax cut legislation.
On Tuesday, the state of Oklahoma filed a lawsuit against an education funds vendor for its role in the misuse of $31 million during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The filing can be found here.
“These families have waited far too long for justice to be done. Each family has a heartbreaking story of tragic loss, and it grieves me that the death penalty system takes so many years to deliver closure. Their day for justice draws closer. When that day comes, I will be there to bear witness.” – Attorney General Gentner Drummond and Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC) Executive Director Steven Harpe today filed a joint motion seeking 90-day execution intervals.