May 1, 2018

Kansas House adopts budget bill, rejects trigger tied to school finance ruling

The House on Friday voted to advance a budget bill after stripping a provision that would have lapsed most of the scheduled funding increases in the event of an unfavorable court ruling over school finance.

Representatives return Saturday morning with plans to tackle a tax bill and fix an $80 million error in public school legislation passed earlier this month.

Lawmakers remain wary of the political ramifications of a special session that will be needed if the Kansas Supreme Court decides the new school funding law is unconstitutional. The Legislature responded to the high court’s mandate to provide adequate and equitable funding by passing a plan to phase in about $525 million in increases over the next five years.

If the court isn’t satisfied, lawmakers may need to offset additional funding with a tax increase or budget cuts. Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, inserted the budget trigger as a way of framing any adjustments during a special session as enhancements. Her idea was to start over on the budget, dividing leftover cash after the dust settles on litigation.

Read more: http://www.cjonline.com/news/20180427/kansas-house-adopts-budget-bill-rejects-trigger-tied-to-school-finance-ruling

May 1, 2018

South Texas judge charge with bribery resigns

EDINBURG, Texas -- A South Texas state district judge says he's resigning in the wake of federal charges that he accepted bribes for several years in return for favorable rulings.

Judge Rodolfo "Rudy" Delgado has pleaded not guilty in McAllen to three federal bribery charges and three of violating a federal travel statute. At a news conference in his Edinburg courtroom, the 64-year-old judge said he was resigning to concentrate on his defense and avoid disrupting court operations.

A criminal complaint said the FBI had investigated Delgado since 2016 and used as an informant an attorney who argued criminal cases before the judge.

The complaint says Delgado as recently as Jan. 17 accepted a bribe of $5,500, and alleges he accepted bribes as far back as 2008.

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/national-politics/article210188579.html

May 1, 2018

Kobach's office: Stopping him from paying contempt fine with state money 'illegal'

TOPEKA -- Kris Kobach’s office says a House effort to stop him from using state money to pay fines for being found in contempt of court is illegal.

A top lawyer in the secretary of state’s office condemned the Republican-controlled House’s decision to put the prohibition in its most recent budget. In a letter to legislative leaders obtained by McClatchy, senior counsel Sue Becker raised potential problems with the budget requirement.

“(The) proviso is illegal and would require the State to expend significant resources in any futile attempt to defend it,” the letter says.

The budget move was offered by Rep. Russ Jennings, R-Lakin. He said last week the stipulation would prohibit using any state money for defense or penalties involved in a finding of a contempt of court by statewide elected officials. That would include the governor and the secretary of state.

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article210176889.html

May 1, 2018

Feeling shaky? It's not you. Earthquakes are on the rise again in Kansas

If you feel like the ground's been moving around a little more than usual, it's not your imagination.

April has brought a spate of small earthquakes to rattle your china as an underground pressure wave slowly creeps northward from the Oklahoma border region toward Hutchinson.

In fact, the U.S. and Kansas geological surveys have recorded more felt earthquakes in Kansas this month than in the first three months of the year put together.

The USGS picks up quakes from about 2.5 magnitude on up, roughly the threshold where people at ground level notice the shaking. A more comprehensive catalog of April's quakes will be available from the Kansas Geological Survey by about mid-May after a data review.

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/news/state/article209830529.html

May 1, 2018

Teachers walkout fallout: Impeachment effort underway against OEA leaders

Some teachers are working to oust two high-ranking Oklahoma Education Association leaders over their strategic handling of the Oklahoma teacher walkout, which ended two weeks ago.

Teachers began to circulate a petition through social media Friday to initiate impeachment proceedings against OEA President Alicia Priest and Vice President Katherine Bishop. The post circulated a petition that needs the signatures of 15 percent of OEA delegates, according to the group’s bylaws. An OEA spokesman refused to provide a copy of the bylaws, saying it was not a public document, but a copy was provided to the Tulsa World by an OEA member.

Another OEA member said 15 percent means about 40 signatures. If the threshold is reached, it would trigger impeachment proceedings before the OEA Review Board, which is made up of retired members, according to a member.

The impeachment effort is underway while the OEA delegates assembly takes place Friday and Saturday in Norman.

Read more: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/teacherwalkout/teachers-walkout-fallout-impeachment-effort-underway-against-oea-leaders/article_b726da5a-92eb-5794-8aa9-7b637ca4e7ca.html

May 1, 2018

Former U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn slams state leaders, says he'll 'work as hard as I can' to overturn fund

Former U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn slams state leaders, says he'll 'work as hard as I can' to overturn funding measure for teachers, state employee raises

Former U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn said Wednesday that he will “work as hard as I can” to overturn a $400 million revenue bill lawmakers say is necessary to pay for raises for teachers, school support personnel and state employees.

Speaking to the Rotary Club of Tulsa, Coburn said he supports more money for teachers and instruction but said it should be found in existing revenue and by eliminating tax credits for wind energy.

As it turned out, Coburn said this just hours before the Oklahoma House of Representatives voted to terminate the last major tax preference available to wind, an 85 cents-on-the-dollar refund of existing income tax credits for generation.

“I think there’s been a great shift away, in our politics in Oklahoma, from what Oklahoma stands for, and it really disturbs me,” Coburn said.

Read more: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/government/former-u-s-sen-tom-coburn-slams-state-leaders-says/article_5a2fbf19-bf71-54aa-9004-62e04f3c66a1.html

May 1, 2018

Oklahoma Senate kills bill that would have ended wind industry incentive early

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Senate on Monday killed a bill that would have ended a lucrative incentive given to wind farms.

Senate Bill 888, by Sen. Josh Brecheen, R-Coalgate, failed by a vote of 18-23 after securing House approval last week.

The bill, presented by Sen. Marty Quinn, R-Claremore, would have ended the refundability of zero-emission tax credits.

Under current law, electricity-generating companies earn the credits at a rate of a fraction of a cent per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated with no emissions, such as through wind, water, sun and geothermal sources, and can redeem them to reduce their state tax liability for 10 years. Companies can cash in credits to the tune of 85 percent of the face value of the tax credits.

Read more: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/state/oklahoma-senate-kills-bill-that-would-have-ended-wind-industry/article_b55bf5cf-4d3a-50cb-a5c9-0ef41a2e9f5b.html

May 1, 2018

Oklahoma child abuse prevention programs worry about funding

Oklahoma City — Parent Promise made it through this year's budget cuts without leaving the high-risk families it works with in the lurch.

Executive Director Sherry Fair said she isn't sure it can pull off the same trick for another year, though.

Oklahoma City-based Parent Promise and eight other organizations had $2 million in state contracts to perform home visits with families at a higher-than-average risk of child abuse or neglect. The Oklahoma State Department of Health cut the contracts in October to deal with a budget shortfall caused by years of overspending.

Private funders helped Parent Promise get through this year, but organizations in rural areas haven't been so fortunate, Fair said.

Read more: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-child-abuse-prevention-funding-up-in-the-air/article/5592639

May 1, 2018

New bill could have huge impact on large-school athletics

A new Senate Bill was introduced Monday that could shift the landscape of large-school athletics throughout the state.

Under the bill, the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association would be required to adopt a policy placing any district with more than 2,250 students and just one high school into its own classification.

Broken Arrow, Tulsa Union, Jenks, Owasso, Mustang and Yukon would be placed in their own classification if passed.

Senate Bill 1599 is set to be heard by the Joint Committees on Appropriations and Budget Monday afternoon and could go before the Senate Tuesday and then it could go before the House of Representatives Thursday. If it advances, Gov. Mary Fallin would receive the bill Friday, the final day of session.

Read more: http://newsok.com/new-bill-could-have-huge-impact-on-large-school-athletics/article/5592934

May 1, 2018

Governor signs budget bill

Gov. Mary Fallin has signed a $7.6 billion spending bill, signalling to lawmakers they can adjourn session nearly a month before it's scheduled to end.

Legislative leaders have said that once work on the budget was done, they could send lawmakers home for the rest of the year. The legislative session is annually scheduled to run between February and the end of May. The Fiscal Year 2019 budget goes into effect July 1.

Oklahoma's largest-ever appropriation was possible with a suite of new taxes adopted in special session. Those revenue streams come from higher tax rates on motor fuel, cigarettes and the production of oil and gas.

"The budget includes many of the priorities I have called for in my annual State of the State address to lawmakers the past three years," Fallin said in an emailed statement. "Core services of state government are prioritized throughout the budget. It provides for a teacher pay raise and additional funding for public schools as well as increased funding for mental health and corrections to implement criminal justice reform measures."

Read more: http://newsok.com/gov.-fallin-signs-2018-budget/article/5592990