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New law to allow Oklahoma farmers to grow hemp

By
Curtis Plant
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OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Lonnie Paxton applauded Gov. Fallin for signing legislation Tuesday to help grow Oklahoma’s agriculture industry by allowing farmers to grow industrial hemp. House Bill 2913, by Sen. Paxton, Rep. Jon Echols and Rep. Mickey Dollens, creates the Oklahoma Industrial Hemp Agricultural Pilot Program.

“Currently, Oklahoma can import hemp but can’t grow it.  This will help diversify our state’s struggling economy and will provide a tremendous boost to the agriculture industry,” said Paxton, R-Tuttle.  “This new industry will potentially create thousands of jobs and put hundreds of millions of dollars a year into our economy.  There’s a strong possibility that it could easily become a $1 billion industry.”

The new law will allow universities or farmers contracting with universities to cultivate certified hemp crops for research and development for industrial uses.  The Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry will manage the program.  A revolving fund will also be created for all registration, lab, and inspection fees paid by program participants.

Hemp is the strongest natural fiber in the world and has been found to have more than 50,000 uses including rope, clothes, food, paper, textiles, plastics, insulation and biofuel.  Being a weed, it is drought tolerant taking one-third the amount of water of alfalfa.  The benefits of cultivating this plant is that it can yield 3-8 dry tons of fiber per acre per year, which is four times what an average forest can yield and it does not require chemicals such as pesticides or herbicides. Hemp could yield Oklahoma farmers as much as $1,500 per acre.

The new law, which went into effect upon being signed, was made possible by the Agricultural Act of 2014 allowing the growing of hemp under pilot programs overseen by universities.  Nearly 40 other states already have industrial hemp programs.

Statement from Senate Democratic Leader on Oklahoma Supreme Court Ruling on State Question 799

By
Curtis Plant
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OKLAHOMA CITY- Senate Democratic Leader John Sparks released the following statement on the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s decision to declare Referendum Petition 25, State Question 799 invalid and stricken from the ballot:

 

“Today the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that State Question 799, Referendum Petition 25 is invalid. While the Oklahoma Constitution empowers citizens to initiate a referendum petition, it is also very clear what the process and procedures are which must be followed to place the referendum on the ballot. In their rush to begin collecting signatures, the group calling itself ‘Oklahoma Taxpayers Unite!’ and former U.S. Senator Tom Coburn failed to include an accurate gist explaining the purpose of the referendum, and also did not attach an exact copy of the law it seeks to repeal.

 

With the effort to repeal the revenue package by referendum stalled, the focus should now return to enacting long term, sustainable revenue to properly fund education in Oklahoma.”

Commerce Staff is Taking Oklahoma to the World

By
Curtis Plant
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OKLAHOMA CITY– When Governor J. Kevin Stitt was inaugurated on January 14, 2019, he promised that in his administration he would “take Oklahoma to the world and bring the world to Oklahoma.” The Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Commerce) has been delivering on that promise during the first six months of his administration. From the inauguration through June 30, Commerce’s recruitment staff met with 2,881 companies and site selectors over the course of 40 call trips, events and trade shows to spread Oklahoma’s positive business message. 

During that time, Commerce recorded 38 business announcements. An announcement represents a decision by a company to add jobs and/or investment to the state. Jobs, salary and investment numbers are projected by the individual companies and reported by Commerce.

These following numbers were reported and represent Commerce-assisted projects:

  • Business Announcements: 38
  • Projected New Direct Jobs: 3,111
  • Average Salary for New Jobs: $61,331 (33.34% above state average)
  • Projected New Investment: $1.439 billion
  • Oklahoma Counties with Business Announcements: 17

Compared with historic data for the same time period over the past four years, the first six months of 2019 resulted in the most company announcements, second most new jobs, highest average annual salary, second highest wage growth (when compared to the state average), highest new investment and tied for most Oklahoma counties with business announcements.

While gross domestic product (GDP) data is only available for the first quarter of 2019, it shows impressive growth. With 3.9% growth, Oklahoma saw the sixth largest increase of all states. 

“We have been working hard to deliver a turnaround that ensures a better future for all Oklahomans. One of the ways we’re moving toward that goal is by getting out and telling the world that Oklahoma is open for business,” said Governor Kevin Stitt. “I am proud of the hard work being done by the Commerce team. We have set some tough, but measurable goals, and they have been up to the challenge of bringing new jobs and investment to Oklahoma.”

“Our team works with such passion and professionalism – it’s not surprising that we’re seeing the fruits of their efforts,” said Sean Kouplen, Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Workforce Development. “The reception and interest we’ve experienced with companies and site selectors is very encouraging and I am confident we will continue to see more companies choosing to expand and invest in Oklahoma.”

From July 1 to the end of 2019, Commerce staff is scheduled to participate in another 32 trade shows, call trips and events in their efforts to bring Oklahoma to the world.

Ever wanted to own a herd of Bison? You can bid on them right now…..

By
Curtis Plant
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0

Have you ever wanted to own a herd of bison? If so, you can bid on 55 of them right now. The information can be found on the Oklahoma state surplus website (see link below).

The Bison have been wormed but have not had any vaccines and do not have any vet records. Therefore, you would be buying them as is.

If you happen to be the lucky one to have the winning bid you will be responsible for loading and removal of all the animals within 10 business days of the auction close.

The animals are located at the Foss State Park in Foss, Oklahoma.

Of course, that’s not all you can bid on. There are tons of other neat stuff there as well.  In the few short moments there I saw some air compressors, whistles, light poles, vehicles, travel trailers and lots of other things no person should be without.

If you are interested in the Bison, you will need to get your bid in before the deadline on May 16, 2018.

For more information visit: https://pay.apps.ok.gov/dcs/surplus/auction/index.php

 

The Legislative Session is Coming

By
Marcus McEntire
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 It’s time again for the annual migration of lawmakers from across the state of Oklahoma to the State Capitol to take part in the legislative session, which starts Feb. 3. The governor will open the session with his second State of the State Address in which he will outline his budget hopes and his priorities for the coming fiscal year. It will be up to the Legislature, however, to draft the final state budget, determining how much in appropriations each state agency will receive to deliver programs and services to all Oklahomans.

All indications are this will be a flat budget year. With oil and gas revenues slowing down, we will be unable to increase most agency budgets as we have the past two years. The good news, however, is that we are still sitting on a record-high amount for the state budget – $8.3 billion as of the last figures released from the State Board of Equalization. The board meets again in February to give us final certified numbers for how much we should expect to appropriate for Fiscal Year 2021. While we will not have large increases for state agencies, we should be safe from needing to cut anything except for areas where we find efficiencies. We also intend to save more money this year to offset future downturns.

This session looks to be a busy one for a variety of reasons. For one, we had 2,240 new bills filed between the House and Senate. This is in addition to the 2,192 carried forward from the first session of the 57th Legislature. Only a fraction of these bills will become state law, however. But this means both legislative chambers will have much work to do to sift through each bill to determine its merits before advancing it through committee hearings and onto the floor for a vote. Once measures are passed in their chamber of origin, they must go through this process in the opposite chamber. Only the bills that survive get sent to the governor for his consideration of final passage into law.

The Legislature goes through this weeding-out process each year. Your input on bills helps me and other lawmakers determine what is important to you and what should be left on the editing room floor.

One of the areas of intense focus for me this year will be health care policy. State Question 802 – started by an initiative petition of voters, not lawmakers – continues to put pressure on the Legislature to deal with the issue of Medicaid Expansion. No ballot measure to expand Medicaid has failed in any state where it has been proposed. SQ802 seeks to expand Medicaid constitutionally to able-bodied adults who qualify. The governor has promised to unveil his alternative health care plan very soon, which may put a dent in the state question’s popularity. My committee already is prepared for either scenario. We must do everything we can to ensure any health care plan can be paid for, operated in a fiscally responsible way, and help Oklahomans become healthier. 

Please feel free to reach out to me with your questions or concerns at marcus.mcentire@okhouse.gov or (405) 557-7327.

State Takes First Step toward Improving Auto Insurance Verification System

By
Curtis Plant
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OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) has awarded a contract for the new Oklahoma Compulsory Insurance Verification System (OCIVS). The new system, hosted by MV Solutions, Inc., will be overseen by the Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID). The current system has been managed by the Department of Public Safety (DPS). Senate Bill 115, passed in 2017, transferred authority of the system from DPS to OID.

“This will go a long way toward solving Oklahoma’s uninsured driver problem,” said Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak. “This brings us one step closer to creating a real-time, reliable database for law enforcement officers, court clerks, district attorneys and tag agents to verify auto insurance coverage. Those trying to drive without insurance are about to get a rude awakening.”

Commissioner Doak will notify all private passenger auto insurance companies in Oklahoma they are required to participate in OCIVS using a web service that allows access to the insurer’s real-time book of business. The previous system allowed companies to upload data on a weekly or monthly basis, making it difficult for OCIVS users to access current policy information. In order to create the most effective system possible, Commissioner Doak is committed to using every regulatory tool at his disposal to ensure that insurance companies comply with the requirements of the system.

Sen. Ron Sharp, R-Shawnee, was the principal Senate author of SB 115.

“Oklahoma has one of the highest rates of uninsured drivers in the nation,” said Sharp. “We have to change that. A better verification system can make a big difference. OID has the resources and regulatory authority to ensure compliance and manage the system efficiently.”

SB 115 was coauthored by Rep. Lewis Moore, R-Arcadia.

“Our state’s high number of uninsured drivers leads to higher premiums for everyone,” said Moore. “Once people realize this database is accurate and updating in real time, they’ll be much more likely to keep their auto insurance current instead of risking a costly fine.”

The new law authorizes the insurance commissioner to initiate an administrative proceeding against an insurance company that is not providing vehicle insurance policy information to the online verification system. It also allows for license plate numbers to be used for verification.

Commissioner Doak’s letter to private passenger auto insurance companies notifying them of the new requirements is linked below and attached to this email.

About the Oklahoma Insurance Department
The Oklahoma Insurance Department, an agency of the State of Oklahoma, is responsible for the education and protection of the insurance-buying public and for oversight of the insurance industry in the state.

Oklahoma Senate approves FY’19 budget giving education, mental health, criminal justice reform significant increases

By
Curtis Plant
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0

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Senate on Wednesday approved a $7.6 billion general appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2019 that gives significant funding increases for common education, mental health services, child welfare programs, and criminal justice reform.

“For the first time in years, we have a budget in which no agency receives a cut. The budget contains a 19 percent increase for common education, more than $24 million for the Department of Human Services to fully fund the Pinnacle Plan, and $11 million for multiple criminal justice reform measures,” said President Pro Tempore Mike Schulz, R-Altus. “This budget puts additional resources toward core services like education, mental health, child welfare services, and public safety. And early approval of this budget increases the likelihood the Legislature can adjourn early, saving the additional costs of a few more weeks of session.”

“In this budget, Oklahoma Senate Republicans undeniably have demonstrated our commitment to education. This budget contains $365 million for a $6,100 on average teacher pay raise, $52 million for support staff raises, $33 million for textbooks, and $17 million in new funding for the school funding formula. We also secured $7.5 million in funding for concurrent enrollment. Education is important to the success of our state which is why Senate Republicans worked so hard to secure significant increases for our students, teachers, and schools in this budget,” Schulz said.

Senate Appropriations Chair Kim David, R-Porter, said, “After years of economic recession in Oklahoma that led to massive cuts to the state budget, our state has finally turned the corner and this year’s budget reflects that. The fiscal year 2019 budget has $260 million in growth revenue due to policy changes and growth in the economy. That growth means our budget is on more stable financial footing because it has greatly reduced our reliance on so-called ‘one-time money.’ It’s a great feeling to have no agency budget cuts, and instead have a budget that puts significantly more money toward education, mental health services, and public safety.”

Highlights of the FY’19 budget:

– $7.6 billion budget

  • Approximately $745 million increase over FY’18$365 million for teacher pay raises
  • $54 million for state employee raises
  • $260 million in growth revenue
  • No cuts for any agency

– $2.9 billion for common education, a 19 percent increase

  • $6,100 teacher pay raise, on average
  • $52 million for support staff raises
  • $33 million for textbooks
  • $17 million in new state-aid funding formula
  • $7.5 million increase for concurrent enrollment

– $24.6 million funding increase for Department of Human Services, fully funding Pinnacle Plan

  • 7 percent increase for Medicaid Advantage waiver, Developmental Disability and Group Home rate increases
  • 5 percent increase on foster care and adoption rates
  • $2 million increase for the Developmental Disabilities Services Division (DDSD) wait list

– $11 million in criminal justice reform initiatives

  • $5 million to Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
  • $1.1 million to Oklahoma Indigent Defense System (OIDS)
  • $1 million to District Attorney’s Council

– $2 million for agency performance audits conducted by Agency Performance and Accountability Commission

– $4.8 million to Department of Corrections to implement electronic offender management system

– $4 million to Office of Emergency Management for disaster relief

– $400,000 to Department of Agriculture for rural fire fighters

From the office of Sen. Chris Kidd

By
Chris Kidd
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As many of you know, state budgets for the last few years have been deficient resulting in drastic cuts, revenue failures, and budget shortfalls. The last year and a half, we have worked tirelessly to correct Oklahoma’s budget. This is not an easy fix but a multi-faceted approach. This past year, we have made tremendous headway in putting Oklahoma on a firm foundation.

One area we focused on in correcting the budget was our state agencies.  By passing several budget limit bills, we now have more legislative oversight of agency spending to ensure taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly and efficiently. 

At the same time we were focusing on efficiencies, we were also giving our attention to revenue that’s sustainable and long term. The votes I had to cast to provide more revenue were by no means easy, even painful at times. As difficult as it was, those votes resulted in much needed recurring revenue into the state’s budget.

With the appropriation reforms and revenue-raising measures my colleagues and I passed this session, we can now properly fund our government with no agency cuts in the FY’19 budget. Things are beginning to turn around for Oklahoma.

The Treasurer’s office announced this week that gross receipts for April were up 15% over last April. The Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) reported that March General Revenue Fund collections were $405.5 million, an increase of 15.2 percent above March 2017 collections. In addition, gross receipts have shown continual growth for the last 13 months. Moody’s, one of the nation’s top credit-rating agencies, also issued a credit-positive report for Oklahoma earlier this month.

Most notably, lawmakers passed legislation raising salaries for all teachers, support staff and most state employees, impacting thousands of Oklahoma families with increased compensation for their service to the state. 

With the hundreds of bills and issues we tackled, this past session was difficult to say the least, but progress was made.  There’s always more that can be done and now session is over, and as we go into the interim, we will continue working to put Oklahoma on a firm foundation.

At the State Senate, I can be reached by writing to Senator Chris Kidd, State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd. Room 411A, Oklahoma City, OK 73105, emailing me at kidd@oksenate.gov, or by calling (405) 521-5563 and speaking to my assistant Suzanne Earnest.

From the Desk of Senator Chris Kidd

By
Chris Kidd
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We’re gearing up for session with interim studies and meetings with state agencies, organizations, the business community and constituents.  I’ve been busy this month between events around the district and meetings at the Capitol. 

 At the beginning of the month, I had the pleasure of being on a panel to help select new FFA chapter officers at Central High School.  We got to hear some fantastic speeches.  As a former FFA member myself, I always enjoy hearing about the great things our local FFA students are doing to help their communities and the agricultural industry. I want to thank Mr. Curry for including me in this special event.

The Senate Agriculture and Wildlife Committee and the Appropriations Committee have heard three studies so far.

We looked at the rules and regulations of beef processing plants.   Presentations were made by Dr. Rodney Holcomb, OSU Agricultural Economics Professor and Charles B. Browning Endowed Professorship in Food Science; Jake Nelson, Facilities Manager/Meat Processing Specialist at the OSU Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center; Shellie Chard, the Water Quality Division Director at the state Department of Environmental Quality; and Scott Yates, the Food Safety Division Director at the state Department of Agriculture.

In Appropriations, we looked at education funding and specifically bilingual funding, testing, qualifications, school procedures, transparency and accountability.  Speakers included Matt Richmond, the Chief Operating Officer for EdBuild; Dan Ruhl, OSDE’s Executive Director of English Proficiency and Chris Berry, Oklahoma City Public School’s Director of Language and Cultural Services.

We also studied transportation funding in a changing virtual environment, funding for schools utilizing city transit systems and the 1.5-mile rule for transportation.  Presenters included Monty Guthrie, Deputy Superintendent of Finance and Federal Programs; Ron Flanagan with Muldrow Public Schools; Jason Simeroth of Yukon Public Schools; NCSL Senior Fellow of Education, Daniel Thatcher, JD; and EdBuild COO Matt Richmond.

 Two weeks ago, I joined Ag Secretary Arthur in presenting a meat processing grant check to 5th Avenue Cattle Processing in Sterling. In total, 40 locations statewide split $10 million in federal funds from the CARES Act to expand processing capacity. It’s important that we do all we can to support our local plants to get local products to stores as efficiently and quickly as possible.

  We also had our monthly Caucus meeting to discuss interim studies and the upcoming session.  We are currently working on our agenda and what issues we’re going to focus on in the 2021 session.

 I also want to thank Chuck Wagner for asking me to speak at Duncan High School.  We had a Q&A session with the students about how the legislative process works.  

  Last week, I joined Office of Juvenile Affairs Director Rachel Holt at the OJA facility in Manitou to work on future plans ensuring the continued success for that facility. 

  I also celebrated with Frederick Elementary School as they were designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a 2020 National Blue Ribbon School.  This is a prestigious honor only awarded to the very best schools in the country. This year, a total of 367 schools were named including six Oklahoma schools.     

  Frederick Elementary was recognized as an Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing School meaning they are among the state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between their student groups and all students. Student assessment scores, subgroup scores and graduation rates were used to determine this year’s winners.

  Congratulations to the teachers, administrators, faculty, parents and students of this wonderful community and school system.  This award not only reflects on the tremendous education system but the parents who are engaged in their children’s schooling and success. 

 Thank you again for the privilege of serving our district and the State of Oklahoma in the Senate. If I can be of any assistance, you can reach me at (405) 521-5563 or Chris.Kidd@oksenate.gov.

One Oklahoma child will get $5,529 toward their college savings

By
Curtis Plant
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0

OKLAHOMA CITY (June 4, 2018) – State Treasurer Ken Miller announces the launch of the 2018 Summer Savings Adventure Sweepstakes, which will see one Oklahoma child win $5,529 toward an Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan account.

Working together with two Oklahoma City Adventure District Partners, Science Museum Oklahoma and the Oklahoma City Zoo, the Summer Savings Adventure encourages families to take time this summer to plan how they will pay for college.

“The first and best advice for anyone looking to pay for a college education is to make a plan,” said Miller, board chair of the Oklahoma 529 Savings Plan (OCSP). “Summer is great time for families to research the resources available to them, like OCSP, look at their budget and start saving for their children’s futures.”

This is the third year OCSP has partnered with the Oklahoma City Zoo and Science Museum Oklahoma for the sweepstakes. Miller said it’s a great fit because each organization is dedicated to a mission of lifetime learning.

“We couldn’t have better partners than the Oklahoma City Zoo and Science Museum Oklahoma,” Miller said. “Generations of families have made lifelong memories and explored the sciences at both of these Oklahoma institutions, and I’m proud that they are helping OCSP to raise awareness about saving for higher education.”

The 2018 Summer Savings Adventure Sweepstakes officially launches today and will close on July 31, 2018. Sweepstakes entry, official rules and additional information is available at www.ok4saving.org. The winner will be randomly selected and formally announced shortly after the sweepstakes concludes.

The sweepstakes is open to Oklahoma residents who are parents, grandparents or legal guardians who are at least 21 years old and have a child or grandchild 16 years old or younger who is also an Oklahoma resident.

OCSP serves almost 30,000 account owners with more than $850 million in college savings assets. OCSP account owners make an average monthly contribution of $269 to their accounts. (Data through 12/31/17.)  For more facts and figure about how Oklahomans are saving for college, visit www.ok4saving.org/documents/OK_infographic_may2018.pdf.

For more information about the Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan visit www.ok4saving.org or call (877) 654-7284. Funding for OCSP prizes comes from the marketing budget of the Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan; no state funds are used.

 About the OCSP

 Introduced in April 2000, the Oklahoma 529 College Saving Plan (OCSP) is Oklahoma’s direct-sold 529 college savings plan. It is designed for families who want to direct their own 529 college savings accounts. The plan is managed by TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc. Introduced in March 2009, OklahomaDream 529 Plan is offered through financial advisors and is managed by Allianz Global Investors.  As of April 30, 2018, combined assets in both plans exceed $1 billion.

Oklahoma taxpayers may deduct, from their Oklahoma adjusted gross income, up to $10,000 in contributions to the Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan for individual taxpayers and up to $20,000 for taxpayers filing a joint return with a five-year carryforward. Read the Disclosure Booklet carefully.

Consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses before investing in the Oklahoma College Savings Plan. Please visitwww.ok4saving.org or call toll-free 1-877-654-7284 for a Plan Disclosure Booklet containing this and more information. Read it carefully.

 Check with your home state to learn if it offers tax or other benefits such as financial aid, scholarships and protection from creditors for investing in its own 529 plan.  Investments in the Plan are neither insured nor guaranteed and there is the risk of investment loss.

 Taxpayers should seek advice based on their own particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor. If the funds aren’t used for qualified higher education expenses, a 10% penalty tax on earnings (as well as federal and state income taxes) may apply.     

 Investments in the Plan are neither insured nor guaranteed and there is the risk of investment loss.

TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc., Program Manager. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, member FINRA and SIPC, distributor and underwriter for the Oklahoma College Savings Plan.

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