“Tough on crime,” “truth in sentencing” and the “jailhouse” concept for juvenile offenders all play into our overcrowded prisons. It’s time to get away from these useless and expensive concepts and focus more on being “smart on crime.” Campaign contributions from private prison operators have led to a strong “lock them up and throw away […]
Commentary
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Drive a car, learn to read
They make our world bright and give us hope for the future. But who is responsible to assure their world is bright and safe? Thank you to the Oklahoma Legislature for funding a high-quality program for all 4-year-olds whose parents choose to give their children the opportunity to attend public school. As a result, Oklahoma […]
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Tax credits worth saving
Based on rhetoric surrounding Oklahoma’s income tax debate, some lawmakers seem to think so. Gov. Mary Fallin and other state leaders are eager to cut the top income tax rate this year. They say we can offset some of the cut by eliminating “special interest” tax credits and deductions. Yet when the details emerge, we […]
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Politics of satire
Kurt Hochenauer Democratic state Sens. Constance Johnson of Oklahoma City, Judy Eason McIntyre of Tulsa and Jim Wilson of Tahlequah are responding to the GOP assault on women’s reproductive rights here and elsewhere this year with satire and humor. Their pointed barbs and actions have an obvious theme in common: Reproduction involves a man as […]
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Proceed with caution
Larkin Warner As reported in state Treasurer Ken Miller’s January Oklahoma Economic Report, their mission was to emphasize the positive performance of the state’s economy to officials of the three main bond rating agencies. Oklahoma’s general obligation bond ratings were already relatively high, but even higher ratings would mean lower future borrowing costs. For example, […]
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Saving college savings
Oklahoma families can deduct up to $20,000 each year for their contributions to the state’s college savings plan, and their investment can grow tax-free. This legislative session, an effort is under way to eliminate this tax deduction that is critical for many middle-income families. Long-term gains for our state and people should not be sacrificed […]
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Oklahoma stalls on insurance exchange
The costs to comply with this law are staggering. Just days ago, the federal bureaucracy released more than 600 pages of proposed regulations related to health insurance exchanges, just one provision of PPACA. Many companies expect to hire full-time staff just to comply with the law, taking resources away from the company’s normal production for […]
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A plan to fix DHS
Public outcry over a series of tragic deaths of children in state custody had reached a fever pitch. Rather than run away from the problem, we opted to confront it and fix it. The speaker tasked us with digging deep into what was ailing the troubled agency, in order to make recommendations about how to […]
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OKC needs a children’s museum
Most agree that this solution to save the historic building would be welcomed. One unexpected question we keep hearing from those not part of the parent pack was: What the heck is a children’s museum? That’s simple. A children’s museum is a place dedicated to a unique indulgence: a playground for kids, age 0 to […]
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A smarter criminal justice system
Oklahoma leads the nation in incarcerating women and outranks all but a few states in its overall incarceration rate. Our incarceration rate has doubled since 1989, and 50 percent of those in prison are there for nonviolent property or drug crimes — at a cost of more than $460 million annually. Each year we pass […]