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Hello again, everyone! The session is half over and it appears some in the Legislature want to discuss anything except what should be our number one priority.
The budget is the top job every year for my colleagues and me; this year it is even more critical than at anytime this decade. With $900 million less to spend this year than in last year’s budget, the challenges are great.
This week, a critical budget deadline will pass having been unmet. The Legislature is required, by law, to complete the budget for Oklahoma’s public schools by April 1. The House of Representatives budget chair said this about the statutory deadline: “It’s a good goal.”
It is considerably more than a “goal,” and – in fairness – that deadline rarely has been met. If it is unrealistic – and I do not believe it is – then we should change it. If the Legislature will not change the deadline, then the Legislature should meet the goal – period. Read more…
By Rep. Jason Murphey
Did you know that unelected political appointees in Oklahoma have the ability to make new laws which may affect the lives of many people? You can only imagine how frustrating it is for those affected by these rules and who have little recourse since they cannot vote the unelected lawmakers out of office.
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about rogue agencies. I defined rogue agencies as those agencies that have been co-opted by a group of industry insiders who can use the power of the government to protect their special interests. One way they can protect their special interests is to make rules and regulations that discourage their competitors. Read more…
By Rep. Jason Murphey
This week marks the first week in which the House will be considering bills that have already been approved by the Senate. It is my responsibility to be the House Author for four Senate bills.
Senate Bill 794 is authored by Senator Clark Jolly and is a request bill from the Peppers Ranch located just west of Guthrie. Peppers Ranch serves as a foster care provider for DHS and requested the bill in order to provide transparency and openness to the analysis of the state adoption process. It would require that DHS report the number of unsuccessful adoptions that take place each year. This could be used as a tool to analyze and correct issues related to the adoption process. I will be presenting SB 794 before the House Human Services committee this week.
Senate Bill 980 is authored by Senator Glenn Coffee. It calls for the creation of a CIO to oversee the state’s IT functions. Each year, state government has been spending $340,577,938 of your tax dollars on IT and telecommunications. This does not count the salaries of the hundreds of state employees who are assigned to IT departments. These IT functions are spread out on an agency-by-agency basis, with each agency capable of creating their own IT empire. Millions of taxpayer dollars could be saved each year if duplicated processes were eliminated and new technology was used to maximize speed and space. SB 980 seeks to put an end to this type of inefficiency. SB 980 has been assigned to the Government Modernization committee where it is set to receive a hearing next Monday. Read more…
Hello again, everyone! Spring Break is always a special week at the Oklahoma Senate.
The laughter of children fills the Capitol as many legislators bring their families to the week’s session. My wife, Deena, and son, Jacob, joined me this week making for a special time.
Jacob has been a part of the Senate since his birth. At only seven weeks of age, he was in my arms as I gaveled the 2006 session to order. Today, he is a precocious three-year-old who charms just about everyone he meets, and who reached for the microphone as I introduced him again on the Senate floor.
It was also a special week for me as I was given the honor of hosting the Senate Chaplain. Each week, the Senate hosts a minister to open each day’s session with a prayer and give us a short devotional as the Thursday session begins. Read more…
Hello again, everyone! Throughout my legislative career – and really, my entire life – I always have believed we must do everything possible to help children.
As many of you know, Deena and I struggled for years to become parents before the Lord blessed us with Jacob. That struggle, and then holding my precious newborn son three years ago, strengthened my unshakeable belief that our best efforts should be for our most precious resource.
Oklahoma’s children face many challenges. Nothing done at the State Capitol is more important than removing those challenges, giving every child the best chance to become what God intends.
Too many children in Oklahoma face the specter of poverty. Last year, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy inducted me into its Hall of Fame for my efforts against childhood poverty.
Health issues follow our children. One of the most serious is autism, which is why I am so passionate about providing health insurance coverage for disorder. Read more…
By Rep. Jason Murphey
I am a big supporter of Oklahoma’s term limit laws.
There is little doubt that term limits on Oklahoma legislators was a key factor in the breaking up of the “old guard” political machine that used to dominate Oklahoma politics.
Those of us who are fighting to put an end to the abuses of the past face an increased likelihood of success, due in part to the fact that there are many new elected officials who have taken office in the past few years. Many of these individuals have not been corrupted by the political process. Unlike some of their predecessors, they are not career politicians. Oklahoma’s term limit law allows all representatives and senators to serve a maximum of only twelve years in the Legislature. After that, they are under a lifetime ban from ever again holding office in the Legislature. Read more…
Opposing Debt in a Debt-Happy Society
By Rep. Jason Murphey
If you are like me, you are very upset by the recent actions of the federal government. Under the false pretense of an economic stimulus, they are using the economic downturn to approve yet another nearly trillion dollars of debt! The latest “stimulus” bill consists of a tremendous amount of political pork, some of which is no doubt designed to help the organizations that put the current office holders in power. This is just the latest (and worst) in a series of actions taken by the federal government over the past few years that are unimaginably irresponsible.
We have come to a time in our nation’s history when our leaders are actually purporting to be able to partially eliminate a downturn in the market. Markets naturally have ebbs and flows and it is to be expected that every few years there will be another downturn. There are many who are now in power who seem to have put aside the perspective provided by hundreds of years of history to such an extent that they really believe the government is powerful enough to prevent an economic downturn. Do we really want a government that views itself like that? Read more…
Hello again, everyone! The 2009 session of the Oklahoma Legislature has arrived.
With the beginning of each legislative session comes the renewed struggle to make Oklahoma an even better place to live, work and raise a family. During the session, there will be epic disagreements; each idea placed before the Legislature must endure intense questioning and careful scrutiny.
Health care will be one of the most important issues discussed during the 2009 session of the Oklahoma Legislature. That debate began last year with measures to require health insurance coverage of autism and clinical trials. Read more…
Dorman Calls for Disaster Funding Reform
State Rep. Joe Dorman today urged legislators to allow the people of Oklahoma the opportunity to vote to reform state law to ensure disaster funding is readily available following future ice storms and other disasters.
House Joint Resolution 1018, by Dorman, would amend the Oklahoma Constitution to require that money from the state’s Constitutional Reserve Fund (also known as the Rainy Day Fund) be used to provide matching funds for federal disaster relief appropriations. The proposed amendment, which would be sent to the voters for approval at the next general election, requires that the emergency funding be provided before Rainy Day Fund money is used for any other purpose.
“For too long, disaster funding has been at the bottom of the priority list at the Legislature when it should be at the top,” said Dorman, D-Rush Springs. “This legislation will ensure that families, communities and counties are not left waiting months or even years for the state to act after a natural disaster.” Read more…
Hello again, everyone! This is the final week before the 2009 session of the Oklahoma Legislature begins and I begin spending most of my time in Oklahoma City.
It is clear this will be a challenging session – perhaps as challenging as any in my more than 20 years working in and around the Legislature. The national economic slowdown is creeping into Oklahoma.
We are seeing it in revenue estimates, which are beginning to drop. That will make “Job One” – writing the annual state budget – even more difficult. It is becoming clear that we in the Legislature will have to look at ways to further strengthen Oklahoma’s economy. Read more…
By Wayne Rohde
The Oklahoma Legislature will be considering Nick’s Law, introduced by Sen. Gumm-D, Durant, Sen. Anderson-R, Enid, and Sen. Easley-D, Tulsa, which would allow parents to obtain a timely diagnosis and seek clinically proven and effective treatments for their children with autism.
Nick’s Law is the cornerstone for providing a wholesale and systemic change in the way families in Oklahoma care for their autistic children. Private insurance companies would be required to cover the diagnosis, treatment and medically necessary therapies these children must have to become independent adults and to escape from the iron claws of autism.
Autism is the fastest-growing disease in the country; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism is more prevalent than all pediatric cancers, AIDS, Down syndrome and diabetes combined. Autism affects 1 in 150 children nationwide.
Costs to diagnose and effectively treat this disability can range from $2,000 to $5,000 per month or more, depending on the severity. About 400 to 500 children will be diagnosed with autism each year.
In 2008, Arizona passed similar legislation, along with Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Illinois, and Florida. South Carolina and Texas passed their autism legislation in 2007. There will be no less than 26 states in 2009 that will introduce or re-introduce similar legislation, including Oklahoma.
This past year was a challenge, and also a real eye opener for typical citizens to understand the workings of the state capitol. Last session, we went to the capitol and talked with our legislators about the merits of Nick’s Law; we showed them pictures of our children, told them our stories, and explained the struggles in our daily lives. We sent letters, emails, faxes, and pictures.
In the Senate we were able to get Nick’s Law passed as an amendment to a few bills, but then the problems began.
In the House, politics became more important than the business of the people. Instead of being able to be heard in a committee, partisan maneuvering was the name of the game. We were denied the opportunity to be heard, yet others in the committee room were given that very same opportunity. We were called a mob, yet all we did was stand quietly in the committee room with pictures of our children.
There are many reasons FOR why Nick’s Law is the right thing to do. There were many excuses given to stop this bill from becoming law.
We were told that autism needed to be studied further. Now that the interim studies have been conducted, how are the results going to be used to stop this growing epidemic?
We have been offered tax credits, insurance policy riders, increased state services, and other suggestions have also been given as possible solutions. We have also been informed, that because of the problem of the uninsured in our state, adding a mandate will cause more people to become uninsured. These are all excuses, and they are all BULL, plain and simple.
A recent Oklahoman editorial suggested that all mandate proposals should have a cost-benefit analysis. We offered Nick’s Law with an actuarial study last session. The study was transparent and the methodology was accepted by four other state legislatures. Yet it was purposely misinterpreted to defend the notion that Nick’s Law would have a dramatic effect on insurance costs.
Offering tax credits is not an effective or efficient way to handle the problem. Most parents are struggling to pay for the therapies now; we cannot wait several months to have tax credits offset our state income tax. By the way, can we obtain a $ 30,000 or even a $ 60,000 tax credit each year?
Medical Insurance Riders do not exist for the simple reason that the people purchasing them are the same that will be filing the claims; in other words, A insures B insures C insures A.
Proposing increases to state services is a non-starter. The state currently has a 4 to 5 year wait on the Medicaid waiver. Medicaid does not even cover the most effective treatments. In addition, to suggest we fund state services more means tax increases to all of us. There is not enough state money to fund services to all of the families affected by autism.
A recent announcement from a large insurer that there will be coverage for autism without any significant cost to their members, provided some hope and a wonderful start to the new year. However, once details were released, all the excitement was met with disappointment. No new solutions and a denial of clinically proven and medically necessary behavioral therapy known as ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis).
Now we are hearing that Oklahoma is not ready for another mandate because of the lack of practitioners. Let me address that by using free market principals and empirical evidence from other states that have passed legislation similar to Nick’s Law. The reason for the lack of practitioners is because there is no method of payment for these services, other than out of pocket reimbursements from parents or very limited Medicaid payments.
Do you think that orthopedic doctors would practice in areas where the only method of payment for services is out of pocket payments? No!, and neither should qualified therapists who will treat children with autism. Once other states passed legislation, practitioners and specialists started to open clinics and provide services. They are flocking to these states.
By defending the anti-insurance mandate mantra, our Legislature is driving Oklahoma to state-run and paid for health care. Eighty percent of these children are younger than 16; without effective treatment, the first big wave of these children will be applying for state and federal services in less than three years. This coincides with the first big wave of retiring baby boomers.
It’s time to seriously discuss why Nick’s Law is good for the children and adults with autism, it’s good for the taxpayers of Oklahoma, and it’s the right thing to do.
Wayne Rohde (a true Reagan Republican)
OK Legislators’ Blog: Another Chapter in the Struggle – Senator Jay Paul Gumm
Nick’s Law & Autism Legislation in Oklahoma blog: Dr. Jepson Seminar on Financial Impact of Autism
Hello again, everybody! One of my favorite quotes from President Kennedy perfectly sums up some of our challenges as we work to create a brighter future for Oklahoma.
“The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived and dishonest – but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic,” he said. “Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”
One myth that has held back rural Oklahoma is the misguided belief by some that our area cannot compete in a global economy. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We see time and again that rural Oklahoma can compete in a global economy, bringing prosperity and opportunities to our communities.
It takes two things to dispel that myth: confidence and capital. Read more…
One of the issues about which I have felt the most strongly has been the inappropriate nature of special interest influence over policy makers. One of the foremost manifestations of the inappropriate influence has been the ability of these special interests to give personal gifts to legislators.
I do not believe it is any more appropriate for a lobbyist to give a gift to a legislator than it would be for an attorney to give a gift to a judge who was ruling on a case in which the attorney was a party. In both cases the gift giver receives a direct benefit from the decision of the recipient.
As such when I sought election to the legislature I did so on a platform of not taking personal gifts or contributions from lobbyists or the groups that hire lobbyists.
When I first entered the legislature just two years ago this inappropriate giving was nearing an all time high point. In 2007, over $150,000 of personal gift giving was reported by lobbyists. This number was probably just a percent of the total gift giving as a significant amount of gift giving probably did not meet reporting requirements.
OKPNSnet Forum Question: Should lobbyists be banned from giving legislators gifts? (click here to join the discussion!)
By Sen. Jay Paul Gumm
Thanksgiving is a time my thoughts turn to my late mother, Harlene Taylor Gumm. It was the most special of the holidays for her because she had a prayer answered over Thanksgiving Weekend 1963.
Just like Deena and me, my parents were told they could never have children. That changed Thanksgiving Weekend 1963, and this true story gave Deena and me hope during our struggle to become parents. Read more…
By Rep. Jason Murphey
I am happy to report some fantastic news about one of the most needed reforms. Last week the window of time opened when Representatives can file new legislation to be heard during the upcoming session. Those who wish to make a point and provide their legislation with one of the initial House bill numbers are using this as an opportunity to make a strong statement by quickly placing their bills on file.
One of the first bills to be filed was House Joint Resolution 1001. HJR 1001 will be a proposal by Oklahoma City State Representative David Dank. Dank has been one of the leading proponents of one of the most important issues to my constituents. The issue is that of property tax reform. Each year I receive a number of constituent calls protesting the punitive and unfair nature of the ever-increasing property tax assessments that seem to always go up by about 5% with each new issuance. Read more…
Giving Special Interests The Power To Take Your Property
By Rep. Jason Murphey
In the past, I have written about the possibility of the expansion of the Trans-Texas Corridor into Oklahoma and described why it is important that we not allow foreign-owned companies to control Oklahoma roads.
The example of the foreign-owned Texas toll road is one example of this type of abuse. However, this is not the only example of Texas allowing privately owned interests to operate much like the government in order to make a profit.
Over the past few years, a wealthy Texas businessman decided to incur the risk of investing in a product that he believes will be in great demand in the future. That product is water. The businessman formed a corporation known as Mesa Water and acquired water rights in a large aquifer in the Texas panhandle and tried to market this water to the nearby city of Amarillo. Read more…
My interim study last week provided a great deal of information regarding our elections process in Oklahoma. There were very few problems at the polls and the provisional ballots are currently being reviewed for authenticity and will be included in the totals, even though none can possibly change outcomes on the elections. Thank you to those of you that voted and helped make this election turnout just short of a state record. Read more…
Senator Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, was the guest on the Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008 edition of KXII’s First News Forum, a public affairs program hosted by Charlie Haldeman. The senator answered questions on a host of subjects including the election results, priorities for the Oklahoma Legislature in 2008 and the change in legislative leadership. This is the opening segment.
Hat tip:senatorgumm
By Rep. Jason Murphey
One of the types of bills I am most disappointed to see appear on the floor of the House is a bill that makes a seemingly small but expansive change in the way an incentive program or tax credit give away is allotted to some special interest somewhere. I believe that most legislators have no clue about the identity of the special interest or group that is set to benefit from the change but are simply asked to support the bill in the name of economic development.
Over the past few years any number of programs have popped up that give away your money to any number of entities that will benefit from the special consideration of one of these incentive programs. The programs are usually created in the name of economic development which means it is very hard for most legislators to vote against them and run the risk of being seen as anti-growth.
Now, these programs appear to be slowly expanding to include more and more special interests. These groups are no doubt willing to invest in the lobbyists and build relationships with legislators in order to be successful in expanding these programs to include themselves.
I feel that Oklahoma’s elected officials are putting us on a dangerous road down a path where anyone who can afford a high price lobbyist can create a special program that provides their specific interest with financial gain at the expense of the average taxpayers who are unknowingly forced to carry the burden of paying for these pay outs. Read more…
Related:
Sen Gumm: Mandate Myths From “The Daily Oklahoman” Opinion Page
Video: KXII First News Forum – Segment 1 – Sept. 28, 2008
Senator Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, is the guest on this edition of KXII’s First News Forum. Forum is a weekly public affairs program hosted by Anchor Charlie Haldeman. The show is broadcast Sunday mornings at 6 a.m. on KXII-TV, serving southern Oklahoma and north Texas.