Free Market Friday: Fairy tales, pensions and math

Oklahoma House Republicans decry Washington DC-style politics and then turnaround and act just like the swamp. See how Oklahoma House Republicans are breaking their promises👇


Primarily because of Republican House members, lawmakers voted to raid state pensions and increase benefit payments to state government retirees – without funding to cover the increased cost, durin…

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Free Market Friday: Fairy tales, pensions and math

Lives and livelihoods are decimated by surgery bans

Oklahomans are fortunate that our state’s “elective” surgery ban has been lifted. People in other states are not so lucky.


The U.S. health care system is starting to collapse, and lives and livelihoods are being endangered and lost. The cause of this malady is easy to

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Lives and livelihoods are decimated by surgery bans

Free Market Friday: Fairy tales, pensions and math

Lawmakers ignored financial reality and still voted for an unfunded benefit increase. The unfunded COLA further drains pension assets, adding an estimated $400 million in unfunded liability to the teachers’ system alone.💸


Primarily because of Republican House members, lawmakers voted to raid state pensions and increase benefit payments to state government retirees – without funding to cover the increased cost, durin…

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Free Market Friday: Fairy tales, pensions and math

Nikki Haley proposes requiring colleges to disclose Chinese funding | The College Fix

The former U.S Ambassador to the United Nations has proposed requiring American colleges and universities to disclose all Chinese Communist government funding of professors and researchers.


At a site called “Stop Communist China,” Stand for America urges visitors to sign a petition to “stop the Chinese Communist government’s deception and manipulation.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Nikki Haley proposes requiring colleges to disclose Chinese funding | The College Fix

Don’t Put Anything of Value in the Mail— Except Your Michigan Ballot

Enter the word “Oklahoma” in a Google search bar and then add the terms “postal” and “sentenced.”


On Tuesday, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced that each of the state’s 7.7 million registered voters will receive an absentee ballot application for the November 2020 general election. This is a brand-new policy with an anticipated upcharge of $4.5 million, to be drawn from $3 b...

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Don’t Put Anything of
Value in the Mail—
Except Your Michigan Ballot

Medicaid expansion the wrong path for Oklahoma

The title says it all👇


Even before COVID-19, nearly every state that expanded Medicaid under Obamacare drastically underestimated the cost—putting their already-stretched state budgets in a bind.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Medicaid expansion the wrong path for Oklahoma

Medicaid expansion the wrong path for Oklahoma

Even before COVID-19, nearly every state that expanded Medicaid under Obamacare drastically underestimated the cost—putting their already-stretched state budgets in a bind.

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by Kaitlyn Finley

K-12 school budget built on one-time funding

Gov. Kevin Stitt said the plan set up the state for significant budget challenges next year.

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by Ray Carter

Leader of teacher walkout loses teaching license

One of the chief ringleaders of the 2018 statewide teacher walkout was stripped of his teaching license following his arrest for making lewd proposals to a minor.

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by Ray Carter

K-12 school budget built on one-time funding

“When we start to look at the next year’s budget, we have to make up roughly $550 million just to get back to zero. It fixes a short-term problem, but it doesn’t necessarily solve our long-term problem," said Oklahoma State Board of Education member William Flanagan.


Gov. Kevin Stitt said the plan set up the state for significant budget challenges next year.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs K-12 school budget built on one-time funding

Leader of teacher walkout loses teaching license

🤯🚨


One of the chief ringleaders of the 2018 statewide teacher walkout was stripped of his teaching license following his arrest for making lewd proposals to a minor.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Leader of teacher walkout loses teaching license

Legislative session ends with few accomplishments

While some are using COVID-19 as an excuse for not getting necessary reforms passed, others are declaring spending taxpayer money as this session's greatest accomplishment. Despite all of that, lawmakers will still receive a 35% raise come November.


When they effectively ended the session, lawmakers left with few accomplishments to tout.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Legislative session ends with few accomplishments

State’s red tape for private schools may violate federal law

The dispute threatens to impede effective COVID-19 response across Oklahoma.

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by Ray Carter

Government Overreach Tracker

Remember when OKC, Norman, and Tulsa mayors continued to keep cities closed after Governor Kevin Stitt issued reopening orders? Check out the top story on our government overreach tracker. Turns out, the legality of those mayoral orders may have been shaky at best.


How far will 'they' go?

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Government Overreach Tracker

School Districts Owe Taxpaying Parents a COVID-19 Refund

Oklahoma families deserve a refund. The money should be placed in a restricted-use education savings account that parents could use to pay for virtual tutors, online learning, textbooks, diagnostic tests, and other products and services.


A COVID-19 refund would build on the principle that education funding should always be student-centered and portable, rather than institutional.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs School Districts Owe Taxpaying Parents a COVID-19 Refund

State’s red tape for private schools may violate federal law

The Oklahoma State Department of Education and local public schools appear to be violating the CARES Act by imposing red tape upon private schools seeking equitable-services funding.


The dispute threatens to impede effective COVID-19 response across Oklahoma.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs State’s red tape for private schools may violate federal law

OKC doctor says shutdown ‘a mass casualty incident’

Americans may be paying for the extended shutdowns for some time as unrelated health issues that are not being treated now continue to emerge.

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by Mike Brake

OKC doctor says shutdown ‘a mass casualty incident’

“The downstream health effects … are being massively underestimated and underreported.”


Americans may be paying for the extended shutdowns for some time as unrelated health issues that are not being treated now continue to emerge.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs OKC doctor says shutdown ‘a mass casualty incident’

A Case Study of the Confucius Institute: How China Organizes Politically Motivated Campaigns to Achieve Its Domestic and Foreign Strategic Goals

What have American universities received in return from the Chinese Communist Party? Jingduan Yang asks. And why do Confucius Institutes—including the one at the University of Oklahoma—remain open?


Commentary China is a country that has a political system unlike any other. Since taking power in 1949, ...

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs A Case Study of the Confucius Institute: How China Organizes Politically Motivated Campaigns to Achieve Its Domestic and Foreign Strategic Goals

Comparing Ed Reforms

Is private-school choice effective? What about small class sizes, or pre-K, or open enrollment? Any serious politician or journalist will ask: What does the gold-standard experimental research say?


EdChoice partnered with Hanover Research to find out what research has been conducted in nine major education reform areas focusing on outcomes related to student achievement or education attainment.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Comparing Ed Reforms

Fears of Mass Transit Fuel Increases in Oil Demand

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, people are feeling more comfortable driving to work than using mass transit.


As lockdowns ease and parts of the world reopen for business, driving has emerged as the social- distancing transportation mode…

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Fears of Mass Transit Fuel Increases in Oil Demand

Legislature overrides veto, may restrict citizen choice on tag renewal

Lawmakers voted Friday to override Gov. Kevin Stitt’s veto of a tag-agent bill, saying it would increase consumer choice in vendors. But the text of the new law undermines that claim.

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by Ray Carter

Transparency fuels profanity at Capitol

During this year’s session OCPA President Jonathan Small had a never-before encountered public experience that really stands out.

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by Jonathan Small

Coburn’s anti-duplication effort has saved Uncle Sam $393 billion: GAO

Former OCPA trustee Tom Coburn’s anti-duplication crusade turned 10 years old this year—and it has led to $393 billion in cost savings for the federal government over that time.


The late Sen. Tom Coburn’s anti-duplication crusade turned 10 years old this year — and it’s led to $393 billion in cost savings for the federal government over that time, according to the latest report Tuesday from the Government Accountability Office.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Coburn’s anti-duplication effort has saved Uncle Sam $393 billion: GAO

Legislature overrides veto, may restrict citizen choice on tag renewal

“Instead of an Oklahoman being able to quickly choose to renew a vehicle tag online and have the Oklahoma Tax Commission promptly handle their request, the consumer would have to select a motor license agent to handle the online claim,” Gov. Kevin Stitt wrote.


Lawmakers voted Friday to override Gov. Kevin Stitt’s veto of a tag-agent bill, saying it would increase consumer choice in vendors. But the text of the new law undermines that claim.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Legislature overrides veto, may restrict citizen choice on tag renewal

Lawmakers override veto, will borrow millions to create jobs for professors

With their override votes, lawmakers ensured the state will borrow millions to fund matching grants that have paid salaries to college officials to teach classes in New Mexico, direct theatre performances in state prisons, and study classic films, among other things.


Members of the Oklahoma Legislature voted Friday to override Gov. Kevin Stitt’s vetoes of two bills impacting the state’s “endowed chair” program.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Lawmakers override veto, will borrow millions to create jobs for professors

Questioning Ties to China | RealClearEducation

For years the Chinese government has worked to co-opt American students, scholars, and institutions of higher education. Thirty-eight American universities have closed down their Confucius Institutes, but the one at the University of Oklahoma is still open.


The probe doesnt concern itself with whether the Wuhan lab really did start the pandemic. The U.S. intelligence communitys looking into that. But the Department of Educations investigation...

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Questioning Ties to China | RealClearEducation

Transparency fuels profanity at Capitol

This story is shocking🤯 Now, more than ever, we need transparency at the Oklahoma Legislature. More than ever, we need to hold lawmakers accountable for their votes.


During this year’s session OCPA President Jonathan Small had a never-before encountered public experience that really stands out.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Transparency fuels profanity at Capitol