OCPA: Send Medicaid Expansion to Vote

With the cost of Medicaid expansion exploding, lawmakers should send two state questions to voters that would allow for financial adjustment when needed, Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) President Jonathan Small said yesterday.

“Medicaid expansion’s cost overruns came close to a half-billion dollars this year and could easily hit $1 billion per year in the near future, which will force massive cuts across the rest of state government and hold back progress and economic growth in Oklahoma,” Small said. “Given financial reality, Oklahomans should be given the opportunity to bring some stability to state government by passing state questions that reform this out-of-control system.”

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Energy Discrimination Unconstitutional

The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that a law requiring state entities to divest from financial companies that have policies deemed hostile to fossil fuel companies is unconstitutional. The court also issued a permanent injunction against state Treasurer Todd Russ, the defendant, to prevent him from enforcing or applying the Oklahoma Energy Discrimination Elimination Act of 2022 to the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System. 

 Justice James Edmondson, in his majority ruling available here, wrote: “We conclude Energy Discrimination Elimination Act of 2022 is unconstitutional in its entirety when applied to (the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System)”

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Muskogee Chili & BBQ Cook-Off

In 1985 a group of Muskogee businessmen after one a successful Chili Cook-Off decided they needed to find an honorable nonprofit organization that could benefit the community. They found that the National Exchange Club’s national project of child abuse prevention and its overall programs of service was exactly the kind of club the businessmen wanted. Together, they created a family friendly fun spring adventure with delicious Chili and BBQ that you are invited to enjoy this weekend.

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SQ 832: Band-Aid on a Deeper Wound

Analysis: Oklahoma voters, face a choice on June 16th that goes far beyond a simple wage increase. State Question 832 promises a “modest” path to $15 per hour by 2029, then locks in automatic yearly rises forever, tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. This index reflects the inflated costs of New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, not Oklahoma reality.

On the surface it sounds compassionate. But look closer, and we see it moves us away from personal responsibility and voluntary agreements. Plus, it ignores two deeper truths and will only make our economic reality worse, not better.

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U.S. Supreme Court Rules Equal Tax in OK

Governor Kevin Stitt today celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s decision in Stroble v. Oklahoma Tax Commission. This confirms that the McGirt decision does not extend to Oklahoma’s civil or taxing jurisdiction. Plainly stated, laws are not enforced based on race or tribe.

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