The legislature is winding toward the close of this legislative session, but the end date is still uncertain. One sticking point is the education budget. The Senate president pro tempore on Thursday said he’s found a way to allocate $200 million in new common (preK-12) funding next fiscal year, which would include approximately $70 million for a teacher pay raise and $130 million in new classroom funding. The only problem was he was speaking to the media and not to House leadership or the governor – the two partners he’ll need on his side to push his plan through the gate.
We fully intend to give more money to common education this year, with the expectation this will help improve student outcomes – such as increased graduation rates and reduced remediation rates for our young people who choose college. But, we have many other pressing needs as well.
State retirees, for instance need a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). The House this year passed a bill that would have given a 4 percent COLA to retirees across six state pension plans – teachers, firefighters, law enforcement and police, judges and other judicial workers, and other state employees. The Senate amended the COLA to 2 percent and then sent it to the legislative actuary asking for a report that details any potential negative effect on the solvency of the pension funds. The House, meanwhile, is asking the actuary to examine the impact of a 4 percent COLA. The reports are due before the start of our next legislative session, so we can move forward on firm footing next year to give these retirees this benefit.
While health insurance and other costs of living have increased, it’s been about 12 years since the last COLA. While we want to ensure our pension benefits are there for all employees who retire, we also want to help those who need this COLA.
Other core services that must be appropriately funded include health and mental health care, transportation and public safety. We’ve already dedicated some funding to these areas, but the final appropriation’s bill will need to reflect adequate funding to make sure our state citizens receive appropriate care and services.
On the criminal justice front, there is still much talk about sentencing and other reform to address our state’s high incarceration rate and prison overcrowding. At the same time, however, we’ve taken steps to ensure our populace remains safe.
One measure that will keep people safer would allow the use of Rapid DNA field testing by law enforcement to determine if an arrestee is already in their databases for previous serious crimes such as murder or rape. Senate Bill 184 passed its final hearing in the Senate this week and was sent to the governor. This bill could stop the release of a violent criminal and prevent subsequent crimes.
Another bill sent to the governor authorizes the use of one standardized sexual assault evidence kit by all law enforcement agencies statewide. Senate Bill 975 will address the state’s backlog of untested rape kits and help secure faster just for victims of this terrible crime.
Thank you for allowing me to represent northwest Oklahoma. I hope you have a great week. If you have questions or need to contact me, please call my office at 405-557-7339 or email me at carl.newton@okhouse.gov. May God bless you and our Great State.
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