News Stories
For June 16, 2017
Author: Fallin Press
Date: 06/16/2017
Oklahoma Receives REAL ID Extension through October 10
(PRESS) Governor Mary Fallin and the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety (DPS) announced fRIDAYthat
Oklahoma has received an extension to meet the requirements in the REAL ID Act through Oct. 10, 2017, from the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
"This is great news for Oklahomans as it means there will be no restrictions on individuals using Oklahoma licenses
to access federal buildings through October 10," said Fallin. "We will request additional extensions until we are fully
compliant with the REAL ID Act."
Fallin earlier this year signed House Bill (HB) 1845, which allowed state officials to begin work on building a
compliant system. That includes training tag agents and creating a centralized office to handle card manufacturing
and storage.
Oklahoma Public Safety Commissioner Michael Thompson said implementing the changes could take two years or
longer. Officials hope that the Department of Homeland Security will acknowledge the state's progress and grant
extensions until the state achieves full compliance with the REAL ID Act and implementing regulations.
Fallin said she was grateful legislative leaders worked quickly this past session to pass a measure that would make
Oklahoma compliant with the REAL ID Act. HB 1845 was a priority measure for the governor, who urged lawmakers
during her State of the State address in early February to pass it. Lawmakers gave final approval by the end of that
month.
"I appreciate the hard work and determination of Speaker Charles McCall and President Pro Tem Mike Schulz in
getting this legislation crafted and approved overwhelmingly in both the House and Senate," said Fallin. "I applaud
our lawmakers for working in a constructive, bipartisan fashion."
Tracked Bills Related To Story: None
06/16/2017
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News Stories
For June 16, 2017
Author: Tyler Talley
Date: 06/16/2017
Freshman legislator plans first town halls
(eCap) Fresh of his first session as a legislator, Rep. Monroe Nichols IV, D-Tulsa, hopes to gain feedback from his
constituency via a series of town halls he intends to hold over the coming months in his district.
Nichols said in an interview with eCapitol that the overall goal of the town halls would be to gain a better insight in
their respective wants and concerns as a means of forming a well-rounded legislative agenda for the district going
into next year.
"I think it's important to make sure, as I think about my work in Oklahoma City, that it's in line with what the people in
the district believe to be important," Nichols elaborated.
Nichols said he hopes to co-host the town halls with groups already at work within the community such as the North
Tulsa Community Coalition, a group aimed at attaining the full health potential for the North Tulsa community, and
Growing Together, an organization dedicated to neighborhood revitalization.
Nichols added he intended to invite individuals such as school board members and health care professionals as a
means of painting a wider, more comprehensive perspective of the community as a whole.
Elaborating on areas of interest and concern to District 72 specifically, Nichols predicted matters relating to
education, public safety, health care and employment to all be brought up during what he predicted would be a
round-table format of discussion. Given his district is a diverse mixture of urban and rural settings, he also
anticipated concerns unique to certain areas.
"The question that we'll work on together in those town halls is what, from a state perspective, can we do," Nichols
said. "Is it legislation? Is it administrative rules? What are the things that we think lend themselves to doing things at
a state level and then beyond that what can we do at a local level?"
The dates, times and locations for the town halls have yet to be officially set with one tentatively to be held in July
and the others ideally falling at some point in August. Nichols emphasized all dates are subject to change as to
ensure the optimal amount of participants could attend. He added his goal was to have five town halls at most
completed by mid-September.
"That gives us plenty of time before it's time to even think about bill filing," he said, adding he intended to post
updates on the dates, times and locations via social media.
Tracked Bills Related To Story: None
06/16/2017
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News Stories
For June 16, 2017
Author: Shawn Ashley
Date: 06/16/2017
Fallin joins Trump to tout job training
(eCap) Gov. Mary Fallin sat beside President Donald Trump during a meeting Thursday with six other governors
and administration officials for a discussion about expanding apprenticeship and vocational job training.
"Aligning our education and workforce training programs to provide relevant work skills will be the best way to keep
job growth strong," said Fallin in a press release. "I appreciate President Trump's leadership and commitment to
education and workforce issues, and his executive order to make policy changes that encourage more
apprenticeship programs. Oklahoma has long been a leader on this issue through the development of my statewide
strategic plan named Oklahoma Works, which helps to develop a robust workforce and career pathways for our
students. It was gratifying the president and his Cabinet recognized Oklahoma as a leading state in workforce
initiatives."
Trump signed an executive order Thursday designed to reduce barriers to the creation of apprenticeships, which
largely has been limited to construction-related industries. The order directs the U.S. Department of Labor to allow
companies, trade associations and unions to develop their own apprenticeship program guidelines. It also directs
additional federal funds to the programs.
Trump said his executive order will "expand apprenticeships and vocational training to help all Americans find a
rewarding career, earn a great living, and support themselves and their families and love going to work in the
morning.
"We will be removing federal restrictions that have prevented many different industries from creating apprenticeship
programs," he said, saying the directive is "empowering" companies, industry groups and unions to "go out and
create new apprenticeships for millions of our citizens" that would allow them to "earn while you learn."
Fallin launched Oklahoma Works in 2015. The program is intended to ensure students are being educated for the
high-quality, high-paying jobs the state wants to retain and attract. It was modeled after her America Works initiative
she created in 2013 when she was chairman of the National Governors Association (NGA).
In October, Fallin presided over an Oklahoma Works summit, in which she outlined a plan to align education and
work skills with businesses and job openings. More CareerTech certificates and college degrees are needed to
meet the demands of the workplace that will require higher education levels than nearly half of Oklahomans
currently have, she told those attending the summit. She also set a goal in December, named Launch Oklahoma, to
increase post-secondary education and training attainment for Oklahomans.
"The growth of technology is causing the workplace to change rapidly," Fallin said. "About 46 percent of Oklahoma's
workforce has a high school degree or less, but by the year 2025 only 23 percent of new jobs will be available to
people with those qualifications. It is critical that we help our citizens gain the skills needed to meet the new reality."
Fallin also was one of three governors who went on an NGA-sponsored trip to Germany and Switzerland in March to
study apprenticeships. The goal of the trip was to learn how those countries effectively leverage apprenticeships as
a key workforce and economic development strategy, and to provide governors with ideas as they look to build
globally competitive talent development systems in their states.
Surveys conducted as part of the Oklahoma Works initiative gathered data on employability skills needed now and
in the future. They also collected information on opportunities for students to explore career options and participate
in post-secondary opportunities in high school.
In 2025, 77 percent of all new jobs will be available only to those who have education beyond high school. Currently,
only 54 percent of Oklahomans currently have that level of education.
Tracked Bills Related To Story: None
06/16/2017
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News Stories
For June 16, 2017
Author: Christie Southern
Date: 06/16/2017
ABLE Commission discusses impact of cigarette fee
(eCap) Members of the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission Friday were briefed on legislation
affecting the agency, including SB0845, which establishes a $1.50 fee per pack of cigarette for tobacco cessation.
The bill was highly contentious as some members of the Legislature questioned whether it was appropriate to
consider the measure a fee instead of a tax. However, the bill received just enough support to squeak by in the last
week of session. It was passed and signed without an emergency clause, so the will take effect in late August.
Since its passage, two tobacco companies, tobacco wholesalers and retailers have already filed a lawsuit trying to
stop its implementation.
If that challenge is upheld, $1 million in funding would no longer be available to the ABLE Commission, which
oversees the restriction of youth access to tobacco, Executive Director Keith Burt pointed out.
"This $1 million that we might get in late August is very important to us," he told the Commission.
The agency was cut a little more than 4 percent for fiscal year 2018. Last year the ABLE Commission also took a hit
of about 11 percent.
Burt said the agency plans to budget for the 2018 fiscal year in anticipation of receiving the million but will hold off
on any new hires, telling the board "it would be very foolish to hire someone then have to let them go."
Oral arguments will be heard by the Oklahoma Supreme Court Aug. 8.
Following Friday's meeting, Burt acknowledged this year's difficult budget challenge.
"Whenever you have a huge hole, it's a difficult challenge for all legislators. We're grateful they saw the need for
additional funding for our agency and hopefully we get that funding that they intended for us to get," he said.
The agency has been offsetting its budget cuts through attrition, something Burt said they will continue to do in the
coming months.
"We're never going to cry uncle and say we can't do something but we might be at a tipping point if we get too many
more responsibilities without the resources to deal with them," he added.
SB0845, by Sen. Kimberly David, R-Porter, and Rep. Leslie Osborn, R-Mustang, creates the Smoking Cessation
Act of 2017. The bill requests that Indian tribes and nations who have entered into compacts relating to cigarettes
and tobacco products to use any revenues derived from them for the purposes of preventing Oklahomans from
smoking cigarettes and encouraging Oklahomans who already do so to cease cigarette smoking. It requires signs
prohibit smoking be conspicuous and in prominent locations. The bill requires the State Department of Health and
the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust to work together to inform the public about the dangers of smoking in
motor vehicles where children are present. The bill prohibits the use of any tobacco product on all state properties
and in all state vehicles, whether owned, leased or contracted, except for Oklahoma Veterans Centers. It requires
the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to
work together to develop new and innovative strategies to prevent tobacco use by minors. The bill establishes a
$1.50 per pack of cigarettes smoking cessation fee to be paid by wholesalers to the Oklahoma Tax Commission. It
allocates the first $1 million in revenue from the fee to the ABLE Commission Revolving Fund and subsequent
revenue to the Health Care Enhancement Fund. It requires funds in the Health Care Enhancement Fund to be
appropriated by the Legislature for the purpose of enhancing Oklahomans' health. It establishes requirements for
wholesaler compliance.
Tracked Bills Related To Story: None
06/16/2017
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News Stories
For June 16, 2017
Author: Christie Southern
Date: 06/16/2017
ABLE Commission director comments on potential consolidation
(eCap) Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Executive Director Keith Burt shared his thoughts Friday on
speculation about a potential consolidation of his agency and other law enforcement groups.
"I do think the state is better served with an ABLE Commission, a statewide alcohol (enforcement) presence, also
youth access to tobacco also charity games enforcement," he said. "We're a bargain for the state of Oklahoma. If we
were a company, we'd be paying dividends. We take in a lot more than we need to operate."
That's the same position Burt's maintained in the last two to three years a consolidation of the ABLE Commission
has been attempted.
In 2016, lawmakers tried to consolidate the ABLE Commission into the Tax Commission, effectively removing the
commission's law enforcement arm. That bill failed to move forward, however.
Both in 2015 and 2016, the Legislature presented a plan that would have joined the Department of Public Safety,
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs under a single,
shared executive director and governing commission. Previous plans also included the Alcoholic Beverages Laws
Enforcement (ABLE) Commission and the State Fire Marshall.
Earlier this week, Rep. Bobby Cleveland said there's a renewed interest in consolidation of some state law
enforcement entities. It is also the subject of one of his interim study requests.
Cleveland, R-Slaughterville, said this proposal may return to the Legislature if all parties involved can agree on who
would lead the consolidated agency and which agencies would be absorbed. He said his ideal plan would exclude
the Department of Public Safety, particularly, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, from consolidation. It would, however,
aim to consolidate the ABLE Commission.
Cleveland's IS-H-2017-026 has been filed but approval or disapproval is pending. Speaker Charles McCall plans to
take action on interim studies before July 7.
Tracked Bills Related To Story: None
06/16/2017
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