Senate approves criminal justice reforms
Treat, Shaw bills will keep communities safe, while slowing incarceration rates

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday approved a slate of criminal justice reform bills that will slow the state’s skyrocketing incarceration rates while still keeping communities safe.

The measures were sponsored by Majority Floor Leader Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, and Sen. Wayne Shaw, R-Grove, the Senate’s two primary advocates for criminal justice reform. The measures are a part of the criminal justice reform bills that, after being sidetracked in 2017, are finally on a clear path to becoming law.

“Oklahoma’s prison population is currently at 113 percent capacity and is projected to grow 25 percent by 2026. That is an unsustainable course. These reforms will slow that growth and even reduce Oklahoma’s overall prison population long-term,” Treat said. “Slowing the growth of the prison population will save the state hundreds of millions of dollars, allowing us to reinvest that money into education, health care, mental health services and other programs that will have a multiplying effect in further lowering incarceration rates.”

“These reforms are about more than saving money or reducing prison populations. This is a balanced approach to keep our communities safe while keeping more families together. We spend too much time and money locking up nonviolent offenders rather than investing in the treatment and rehabilitation. These reforms will keep more families together by ensuring nonviolent offenders get treatment and remain as taxpaying citizens,” Treat said.

The measures include:

• SB 650 (expungement bill), Shaw: authorizes offenders of no more than one nonviolent felony to apply for expungement if they have no new convictions or pending charges within the last seven years.
• SB 786 (burglary sentences), Shaw:  eliminates the mandatory minimum and allows a judge to sentence up to the current maximum sentence of seven years in prison for burglary in the second degree. Creates a new felony offense, burglary in the third degree (defined as breaking into a vehicle), punishable by up to five years in prison.
• SB 649 (habitual offender), Treat: reduces enhanced sentences for certain repeat nonviolent felonies.
• SB 689 (sentencing reform), Treat: creates risk and needs assessment as a tool for sentencing; requires intervention programming on certain domestic violence convictions; failure of offender to pay fines and costs may not serve as a basis for revocation, other than restitution and willful nonpayment.
• SB 793 (commercial drug sentences), Treat: changes the penalties for commercial drug offenses, and distinguishes conduct by possession with intent to distribute, distribution, and manufacturing.

“The costs of warehousing nonviolent offenders and those with substance abuse or mental health issues is enormous for Oklahoma. These bills are designed to avert our prison growth by nearly 70 percent and help us avoid spending millions of dollars to build more prisons. These reforms also will help us ensure nonviolent offenders who need treatment get it and get a second chance,” Shaw said.

The measures now go to the House for final consideration.

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Here’s a rough estimate of the potential impact of a recent ruling by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that says Oklahoma criminal courts don’t have jurisdiction over cases involving American Indians within the Creek Nation.

According to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, 361 inmates convicted in seven counties wholly inside the Creek Nation identify themselves as Native Americans. Another 331 self-identified Native American prisoners come from Tulsa County, which is mostly inside the Creek Nation.

Give or take a few, that’s 692 potential felons currently in prison who might have to be retried in federal court unless the appeals court ruling in the case of death row inmate Patrick Dwayne Murphy is reversed.

I’ll admit some flaws in that guestimate. Some of those inmates claiming to be American Indians might not actually be members of a tribe. That would subtract a few cases. Others may have exhausted their appeals, which could take out a few others.

Read the complete story on tulsaworld.com

Office of the President Pro Tempore Senator Mike Schulz

Oklahoma Senate Pro Tem comments on 2017 session
Says REAL ID, energy jobs policy wins during challenging budget year

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Schulz commented on the 2017 session, saying great policy bookended a session dominated by a $1 billion budget shortfall.

“The Oklahoma Senate worked this session with the goal of ensuring the policies we enacted had long-term vision and set Oklahoma on the path to success now and years down the line. Despite a session that was dominated by the $1 billion shortfall, the Senate was able to enact important policies that will help grow our economy, create jobs and generate wealth, and yield new revenues for the state budget. The Energy Jobs Act of 2017 will help kick start oil and gas drilling, allowing the industry to help lead Oklahoma’s economic recovery. And getting Oklahoma in compliance with the federal REAL ID law ensures Oklahomans can maintain access to military bases to support our service men and women and board domestic flights with state issued ID,” said Schulz, R-Altus.

“The budget process was difficult this year. The Oklahoma Senate showed its willingness to compromise – passing a revenue bill that would have meant $514 million in new, recurring revenue for the state. But without compromise from others in budget negotiations, we couldn’t reach a deal and moved forward. Initially, 18 – 20 percent cuts were feared at the outset of the year. But the budgets of common education, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Human Services, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, and the Department of Public Safety were kept whole while other agency cuts average less than five percent. Like most budgets passed by the Legislature, the FY’18 budget is not a perfect bill but it is an incredible accomplishment considering the Legislature had to deal with a budget hole of $1 billion and some refused to compromise.”

“This was a challenging session, but I’m proud of every member of the Oklahoma Senate for their dedication to our state and willingness to put our state above partisan politics. I’m proud to lead this chamber and want to thank each senator for their service to Oklahoma.”

Below is a list of some of the 2017 legislative accomplishments of the Oklahoma Senate:

BUDGET REFORMS:

• HB 2298 (Schulz):  accelerates the sunset date of the zero-emissions tax credit for wind energy to July 1, 2017, saving the state millions of dollars in future budget years.
• HB 2343 (David):  expands parameters for which the Oklahoma Tax Commission can target entities for noncompliance with certain sales tax laws. The measure is expected to generate $17 million in new revenue.
• SB 170 (Thompson):  eliminates the automatic income tax cut trigger, preserving lawmakers’ ability to pursue income tax cuts at a future date.
• HB 2311 (Schulz):  commission to conduct independent performance audits of top 20 appropriated state agencies in order to identify ways in which tax dollars can be used more efficiently and services delivered more effectively.
• HB 2344 (David): reduces the maximum for the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program by $1 million.
• HB 2348 (David): “decouples” the standard deduction on state tax returns from federal deductions. The measure is estimated to raise $4 million currently, and prevent millions in an anticipated shortfall if the federal government changes the federal standard deduction.
• HB 1427 (Leewright):  authorizes the creation of a dedicated division within the Oklahoma Tax Commission to focus solely on out-of-state vendors who may not be in compliance with Oklahoma tax code.

ECONOMY:  A MORE PROSPEROUS OKLAHOMA

• SB 867 (Schulz):  Energy Jobs Act of 2017 allows horizontal drilling in all rock formations, while maintaining protections for other producers. The bill is estimated to generate millions for state and local governments, and foster the creation of thousands of oil and gas jobs.
• HB 1845 (Schulz): brings Oklahoma into compliance with the federal REAL ID law ensuring Oklahomans can use their state-issued licenses to gain entry to federal buildings and military installations and to board commercial flights.
• SB 147 (Schulz): allows concentrated feeding animal operations (CAFO) to be located within a town if the municipality’s governing body executes a written waiver of the setback for the particular CAFO, ensuring CAFO’s can continue operations while allowing municipalities to hold them accountable.
• SB 120 (David):  extends the successful aerospace engineers tax credit.
• SB 211 (Bice):  allows Sunday alcohol sales if approved by county voters.
• SB 174 (Bice): allows spouses of liquor retail store owners to own separate stores.
• SB 593 (Schulz): Protects property rights, puts Oklahoma in line with the other 49 states in regards to private airstrips, and allows FAA to make the determination of setbacks to keep the area safe for air travel.
• HB 2186 (Holt) (pending): allows movie theatres to serve alcohol provided they receive the appropriate permits.

EDUCATION:  INVESTING IN FUTURE GENERATIONS

• SB 514 (Stanislawski):  creates task force to study ways to reduce administrative costs and improve financial stability of school districts. Another effort to ensure more dollars make it into the classroom to support students and teachers.
• SB 15 (Bice):  directs the OSDE and State Regents for Higher Education to implement a targeted teacher recruiting program.
• SB 84 (Bergstrom):  extends the probationary period for a student who cannot pass the third-grade reading test to the 2022-2023 school year.
• SB 244 (Stanislawski):  requires virtual charter schools to track attendance.
• SB 301 (Griffin):  exempts children in out-of-home placements with DHS from the requirement to attend a public school regarding the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship program.
• SB 445 (Newhouse):  Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act tax credits.
• SB 529 (Smalley): increases the family income limit for eligibility under the Oklahoma’s Promise program and expands the tuition scholarship to include more CareerTech programs.
• HB 1693 (Stanislawski):  puts into place a new framework and basic components for a new A-F school accountability system, ensuring Oklahoma is compliant with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
• HB 1578 (Stanislawski):  creates the School Finance Review Commission which will study all matters related to school finance in an effort to provide understanding and accountability in school finance.

PUBLIC SAFETY:  A SAFER OKLAHOMA

• SB 603 (Treat): requires the Department of Corrections to administer a risk and needs assessment for each prisoner. The agency must develop a plan of action based on said assessment. (pending approval by governor)
• SB 604 (Treat) requires the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training to include personal safety planning necessary at the pretrial stages of a potential criminal case.
• SB 52 (Fry): requires drivers to physically turn over their driver’s license on demand from a peace officer.
• SB 90 (McCortney): requires the sheriff or a CLEET-certified deputy sheriff to accompany a reserve force deputy sheriff unless said deputy sheriff received 240 hours of training. Requires them to complete said training in 6 months.
• SB 252 (Griffin): allows victims impact panel programs to have multiple presenters.
• SB 273 (Smalley): extends forcible sodomy laws dealing with public employees to include subcontractors and their employees.
• SB 342 (Holt): creates a task force to examine costs and fees assessed on persons interacting with the criminal justice process.
• SB 786 (Shaw) reduces charges associated with burglary if no person is present in the home.
• SB 38 (Thompson):  increases the Forensic Science Improvement Assessment fee from $5 to $10 to support the upkeep of state forensic lab equipment.
• SB 303 (Smalley) authorizes the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to submit fingerprints to the FBI Rap Back System.

A HEALTHIER OKLAHOMA

• SB 741 (Standridge): subject to the availability of funds, directs Oklahoma Health Care Authority to develop and administer a program to encourage participants in the Medicaid program to use primary care services in lieu of emergency room visits in order to drive down health care costs.
• SB 765 (Yen): prohibits minors from utilizing tanning beds.
• SB 773 (David):  directs the OHCA to initiate a request for proposal for care coordination models for children 0-18 years of age.
• SB 828 (Griffin): creates the Nursing Facility Supplemental Payment Program Revolving Fund under the OHCA which will be used to make supplemental payments of Medicaid and administrative expenses.

PROTECTING CHILDREN AND SUPPORTING FAMILIES

• HB 1703 (Treat):  “Choosing Childbirth Act,” which establishes a program to promote, incentivize, and provide support for crisis pregnancy centers.
• SB 34 (David): strengthens anti-trafficking laws by stating “lack of knowledge of the age of the (trafficking) victim” shall not constitute a defense to human trafficking of a minor.
• SB 217 (Griffin):  requires a sex offender who is given a suspended sentence to report to local law enforcement and the DOC parole office in their district.
• SB 717 (Griffin): broadens scope of the Child Care Restricted Registry to include people with a substantiated finding of child abuse.
• SB 723 (Griffin): broadens the scope of background checks for those applying to be child care providers.
• SB 726 (Griffin): subjects physicians engaging in telemedicine to the same standards in person healthcare experts are expected to adhere to.
• SB 748 (Griffin): allows DHS to create a pilot program that focuses on improving socioeconomic outcomes for children in state custody.
• SB 30 (Griffin):  requires DHS to publicly post information regarding pregnancy help centers contingent on funding being appropriated specifically for this program.
• HB 1894 (Sykes): helps protect vulnerable patients from being denied life-preserving care by creating a hierarchy of individuals who can make health decisions for someone that is consistently unconscious, incompetent or otherwise mentally or physically incapable of communicating.
• HB 1468 (Holt): modified the statute of limitations on criminal charges so that minors can now charge the perpetrator until their own 45th birthday.
• HB 1470 (Holt): modifies the statute of limitation on civil suits regarding sexual assault so that minors can now charge the perpetrator until their own 45th birthday.

SUPPORTING VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES

• SB 35 (David): allows active military members and those who are in the Reserves or National Guard who are 21 years of age or older to carry a handgun without a handgun license.  Military members’ extensive training with weapons makes the requirement of having a gun license unnecessary.
• SB 227 (Simpson): increases service members’ financial and contractual rights by allowing members in the Armed Services or National Guard to cancel services like cell phone contracts, utilities, and health club memberships without penalty when mobilized or deployed.
• SB 233 (Simpson): adds provision stating that hourly employees shall not miss out on the first 240 hours of their pay when called to active service.
• SB 543 (Simpson): directs ODVA to establish a state cemetery for veterans addressing a national shortage of space for veterans’ cemeteries and providing a way to honor veterans with a dignified final resting place.
• SB 730 (Simpson): strikes the requirement for veterans’ centers to implement non-smoking measures by January, 2018.

GENERAL POLICY AND REFORMS

• SB 145 (Fields): allows presidential electors to be chosen at a party convention, but not necessarily a statewide convention. Changes the petition requirements to file for an independent bid of the Presidency to include the number of signatures required to form a party.
• SB 148 (Fields): states that Oklahomans who renew their license must be provided with voter registration services as required by the National Voter Registration Act. Changes of address on the license shall change the address on the registration.
• SB 153 (Fields):  allows state parks to spend monies collected from entrance or day-use charges at state parks for general improvement of the park.
• SB 287 (Griffin): directs the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and Department of Environmental Quality to obtain authorization from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to administer all programs regulating oil and gas discharges into the waters of this state.
• SB 360 (Holt): directs state Election Board to develop a system to allow voters to electronically change information on voter registration.

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Oklahoma Policy Institute Executive Director David Blatt released the following statement on the final results of Oklahoma’s 2017 regular legislative session:

If we look only at the bills that made it through the full legislative process to be signed by the governor, most Oklahomans would view this year’s legislative session as a disappointment. Lawmakers entered the session knowing they needed to confront big problems — like uncompetitive pay that is draining away our most skilled teachers and state workers; a failing, hugely expensive criminal justice system; long waiting lists for mental health treatment, at-home disability care, and other key health services; and a budget that every year falls further behind what’s needed to keep our state prosperous and safe. As the session limps to a close, lawmakers have failed to address any of these problems.

This failure is especially disappointing when we consider the promises made earlier in the year. Throughout legislative session, lawmakers repeated again and again that they would find funding to provide a teacher raise. Governor Fallin, legislative leaders, and experts in the community and law enforcement came together to develop a strong, well-thought-out agenda for criminal justice reform. Hundreds of advocates and lawmakers came to the table with practical revenue solutions to fund essential services and fix Oklahoma’s long-term budget outlook.

By these efforts, we came close to achieving big advances for Oklahoma families, only to crash against obstruction and gridlock in the final days of session. What emerged was a last-minute budget with more damaging cuts as well as legally questionable revenue measures. Most of the burden of this year’s budget shortfall was once again pushed onto low- and middle-income families while sparing the wealthiest households and corporate interests. The last chance for a teacher raise this year was derailed by the Senate’s refusal to cap itemized deductions for very wealthy households. This problematic budget was forced through with little time for Oklahomans to see what was in it or voice their concerns.

Amid these failures, we see an undercurrent of hope for Oklahoma’s future. This year, more than ever before, numerous informed, engaged Oklahomans regularly came to the Capitol or worked within their communities to advocate for better state policies. Popular outcry was key to stopping Oklahoma from moving backwards by allowing an expansion of predatory lending practices or rolling back the smart on crime reforms of State Question 780. Revenue ideas that had never been seriously considered before, despite years of failing budgets, were on the table in final negotiations. Legislative leadership ultimately failed to reach a bipartisan deal on the budget or prevent one member from derailing the work of the majority on criminal justice. But beneath that leadership failure is a rising group of lawmakers and regular Oklahomans who are eager to do better.

Better policies fell barely short of the finish line this year. We are excited to work with the lawmakers and other Oklahomans who are ready to carry that progress over the line, next year and beyond.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today released the following statement on the budget agreement that has been reached for the 2018 fiscal year:

“Developing a budget in this difficult fiscal and political climate is never easy. This plan keeps our government from shutting down. It is not an ideal budget, but it avoids draconian cuts to our core services such as education, health and human services, and public safety; unfortunately it leaves many agencies facing cuts for the sixth year in a row. It puts some recurring revenue on the table, but does not address the structural budget challenges that I have been working to fix since I took office. Year after year, I have repeated my warning about our reliance on one-time funding and our eroding tax base, and yet again we have crafted a budget that only fixes some of the defects in our funding formula.

“Let there be no mistake, there is still work to do. When legislators return next year, they will already face a $400 million hole caused by one-time funds and $100 million of obligations coming due over the next 12 months that will need to be paid. Hopefully, in the months that follow they will begin putting together a real plan to address the budget to fill that hole when they return in February of 2018 – an election year when we know it is difficult to pass revenue measures.

“Now that we have reached an agreement on the budget, I am confident that Speaker McCall will do the honorable thing and allow the criminal justice reform bills be moved to a different committee so they can get a fair hearing before the end of session. The Department of Corrections is a key part of our state budget and this action would potentially save the agency and the state millions of dollars.”

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Justice and public safety are two duties every legislature needs to address. We know any legislative discussion is difficult by design, and our political system works best when lawmakers turn a critical eye on all issues to produce effective, fiscally sound public policy. In pursuing criminal justice reform the Legislature, the Oklahoma Justice Reform Task Force and Gov. Mary Fallin have done just that. It’s time for the Legislature to work together to do the right thing and fulfill their obligation to protect public safety and taxpayer dollars.

Criminal justice reform bills being considered this session accomplish five main objectives: strengthening supervision of offenders, focusing prison beds on serious and violent offenders, improving release practices, providing better support to victims of crimes, and ensuring oversight and accountability. These reforms didn’t come from nowhere. They were developed in the midst of a historic conservative movement to reform the justice system.

If the bills are passed with the policies intact, the state will not only avert the 7,200 prison beds that will be added to the system, but actually decrease the current population by 3 percent, saving taxpayers billions of dollars.

The key is doing it safely, which these packages do.

Oklahoma has the second-highest imprisonment rate in the nation and the highest among women. And, with prisons operating over capacity — at a cost of $500 million annually to taxpayers — Oklahoma risks federal intervention and worse, puts the lives of brave corrections officers in jeopardy. If the Legislature does nothing, this situation will worsen dramatically: Oklahoma will have the No. 1 imprisonment rate in the nation by 2018, at a cost of $2 billion over the next 10 years.

Read the complete story on NewsOK.com

Criminal Intent: How the Moral Foundation of Law Protects Our Liberties

Faced with the second highest incarceration rate in the nation, Oklahoma’s criminal justice system is at a crossroads. One challenge facing the Sooner State is overcriminalization, which puts unsuspecting Oklahomans in jeopardy—and possibly even handcuffs—while doing little to reduce crime or increase public safety.

On March 8, join the Charles Koch Institute, the Oklahoma Council for Public Affairs, and a panel of distinguished experts to discuss recommendations for reducing overcriminalization as part of Oklahoma’s broader justice reform efforts.

The event takes place at 7p on Wednesday evening.

Register Now

PANEL
John S. Baker Jr., visiting professor of law, Georgetown Law School
James R. Copland, senior fellow and director of legal policy, Manhattan Institute
Trent England, vice president for strategic initiatives, Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Vikrant P. Reddy, senior fellow, Charles Koch Institute

MODERATOR
Andrew Speno, state director, Right on Crime Oklahoma

ADVISORY: House to Hold Agency Budget Hearings in House Chamber

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma House of Representatives will begin holding public hearings to review the five largest appropriated state agencies’ budgets next week at the state Capitol.

Those five agencies received $5.36 billion – or 77 percent – of the $6.91 billion FY – 2017 appropriated budget.

House Speaker Charles-elect A. McCall said the hearings will give citizens and lawmakers – particularly the 32 new members of the House – valuable insight into how agencies develop programs and spend taxpayer dollars and will help lawmakers develop funding priorities earlier than usual.

The hearings will be a departure from previous agency budget hearings, in that all 101 members of the House are invited to attend and participate. The hearings will be held in the House Chamber, and the public is encouraged to attend and watch the proceedings from the Chamber gallery.

Meeting notices for the hearings can be found at www.okhouse.gov.

The schedule for the hearings will be as follows:

• Wednesday, January 4, 2017 @ 9:00 a.m. (House Chamber, State Capitol)
  • Oklahoma Department of Education
• Thursday, January 5, 2017 @ 9:00 a.m. (House Chamber, State Capitol)
  • Oklahoma Department of Transportation
• Friday, January 6, 2017 @ 9:00 a.m. (House Chamber, State Capitol)
  • Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
• Monday, January 9, 2017 @ 9:00 a.m. (House Chamber, State Capitol)
  • Oklahoma Department of Human Services
• Tuesday, January 10, 2017 @ 9:00 a.m. (House Chamber, State Capitol)
  • Oklahoma Health Care Authority

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Almost everyone connected with the state’s criminal justice system, it seems, agrees Oklahoma puts too many people in jail.

They don’t always agree, though, on what to do about it.

Many prosecutors, for instance, are leery of two state questions that address the issue by eliminating felony drug possession from the state penal code, and by creating a special rehabilitation fund for those whose criminal activity is driven by addiction or mental health problems.

If voters approve State Question 780, simple possession will be a misdemeanor regardless of circumstances, although other charges can still be “stacked” on. State Question 780’s companion, SQ 781, creates the special fund for substance abuse and mental health treatment, but is contingent on passage of SQ 780.

Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler says eliminating the felony possession option is a mistake.

“Every possession of every drug will be a misdemeanor, whether it’s the first time or the 20th time,” Kunzweiler said.

Read the complete story on tulsaworld.com

The Project for Opportunity & Safety Announces New Website & Digital Ad Campaign to Amplify Criminal Justice Reform Efforts in Congress

WASHINGTON, DC – With Congress returning this week, The Project for Opportunity& Safety, a recently-formed non-profit organization, today announced the launch of a new website – reformcriminaljustice.com – and national digital advertising campaign dedicated to helping educate lawmakers and voters on the importance of passing common-sense, conservative reforms to the American justice system.

“Congress has a critical opportunity this year to pass important, bipartisan criminal justice reform measures that will save billions of taxpayer dollars and make our communities safer by better targeting our law enforcement resources,” said Brian Walsh, spokesman for The Project for Opportunity & Safety.

“Our organization’s new website will serve as a one-stop-shop for conservatives interested in learning more about criminal justice reform efforts at the federal level. This is an issue that has rallied conservative leaders across the country and as support grows, we are focused on amplifying that message through a new digital campaign to urge Congress to act this year.”

The new website features statements endorsing criminal justice reform from Republicans leaders such as House Speaker Paul Ryan, as well as U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley, John Cornyn and Mike Lee, in addition to key conservative leaders such as Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist and Right on Crime Policy Director Marc Levin. Among other things, it also highlights the recent endorsement of the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act by the International Association of Police Chiefs and the National District Attorneys Association, the largest association of prosecutors in the country, who have joined more than 400 groups and organizations across the political spectrum in support of this legislation.

Additionally, a new digital ad will run on platforms in both Washington DC and key states around the country including Kentucky, Mississippi, Texas, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.

Click Here to Watch – “Reform”

“Overcrowded prisons. Repeat offenders. Billions of tax dollars wasted.

America’s broken criminal justice system is hurting taxpayers and making our communities unsafe. But reform is on the way.

The Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act will give judges the flexibility to reduce mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders…

…so that we can focus resources on keeping murderers and rapists behind bars.

And it will better prepare inmates to re-enter society, so they don’t commit new crimes after they’re released…Bipartisan legislation that will keep our families safe, while restoring fairness to our criminal justice system.

It’s already proven to reduce crime and cut costs…

…in states like Texas and Georgia…

…that’s why police and prosecutors have endorsed this new, tough, smart legislation.

The Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act. Reducing crime. Saving money. Keeping our communities safe.”

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BIPARTISAN BLUE-RIBBON COMMISSION FORMED TO STUDY OKLAHOMA DEATH PENALTY PROCESS

Oklahoma City (March 28, 2016) — A group of prominent Oklahomans are joining together to form a blue-ribbon, bipartisan Oklahoma Death Penalty Review Commission.  The Commission will conduct the first-ever independent, objective and thorough review of the state’s entire capital punishment system.

“Oklahoma has an opportunity to lead the nation by being the first state to conduct extensive research on its entire death penalty process, beginning with an arrest that could lead to an execution,” said former Gov. Brad Henry, of Henry-Adams Companies, LLC, one of the group’s co-chairs.  “The Commission includes distinguished Oklahomans with differing views and perspectives on capital punishment who are donating their time to work together on a research-driven review,” he said.

Joining Gov. Henry as co-chairs are Reta Strubhar, a judge on the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals (1993-2004) and an Assistant District Attorney of Canadian County (1982-1984); and Andy Lester, of the Spencer Fane law firm and a former U.S. Magistrate Judge for Western District of Oklahoma who served on President Ronald Reagan’s Transition team for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (1980-1981).

Members of the Commission have experience in a variety of aspects of the capital punishment system, including victim advocacy, policymaking, prosecution, defense, and judging. They also include leading lawyers, business leaders, and scholars. In addition to the co-chairs, the members are Robert H. Alexander, Jr., of The Law Office of Robert H. Alexander, Jr.; Howard Barnett, President of OSU-Tulsa; Dean Andrew Coats, Dean Emeritus of OU College of Law; Dean Valerie Couch, Oklahoma City University School of Law; Maria Kolar, Assistant Professor of OU College of Law; Rob Nigh, Chief Public Defender, Tulsa County; Christy Sheppard, a victims’ advocate; Kris Steele, Director of The Education and Employment Ministry (TEEM) and former Speaker of the House; and Gena Timberman, founder of The Luksi Group.

“Our goal is to provide a resource for Oklahomans to allow them to make informed judgments about our state’s capital punishment system that, we hope, will benefit both Oklahoma and the country as a whole,” said Henry.

The Commission will independently determine its findings and recommendations and will make public a comprehensive report in early 2017.

The Constitution Project is providing organizational, staffing and logistical support to the Commission. TCP is a nonpartisan Washington D.C.-based legal research and advocacy organization that brings together highly respected experts from diverse disciplines and political ideologies to examine a host of government policies and practices that pose difficult constitutional challenges. See more about TCP at www.constitutionproject.org

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Lieutenant Governor Lamb, statewide elected officials, Speaker Hickman, President Pro Tem Bingman, members of the court, honorable senators and representatives, Cabinet members, tribal leaders, distinguished guests, and citizens of Oklahoma:

It is my duty as well as my great honor to be here today to discuss the state of our state.
Before we begin, let’s acknowledge two great Oklahomans and irreplaceable public servants who were in this chamber last year but aren’t with us today: Representative David Dank and Labor Commissioner Mark Costello. We lost David in April and Mark in August. Though they are not physically here, the work they did is everlasting. We do have Mark’s wife, Cathy, and two of their children, Anna-Marie and Ian, in the chamber today.

Thank you, Cathy, for your efforts to improve our mental health delivery system.

I’m joined today by my family – my husband Wade and several of our wonderful children.

Thank you for your love and support.

Oklahoma’s economy

This session, there are huge challenges before us. Our oil and natural gas sector has been damaged in market warfare on multiple fronts. Domestic energy producers are hurting, and when they hurt, Oklahoma hurts, too.

I’m reminded of five years ago, when I gave my first State of the State address. We faced a number of difficult circumstances then as we started climbing out of a national recession. We worked hard to forge a more prosperous state. Just two years ago, we had the fourth-fastest-growing economy in the nation. Our savings account, the Rainy Day Fund, had grown to $535 million – quite an improvement over the $2.03 that was left remaining in the fund when I took office in 2011.

And today, as Yogi Berra was fond of saying, “It’s like déjà vu all over again.”

Now, just as then, we’re seeing some jobs disappearing in the wake of an economic crisis that is largely out of our control. We’ve seen a 70 percent drop in oil prices in less than two years, which has a tremendous impact on our revenue. There is an excess supply of oil and natural gas in the marketplace, and instability in worldwide markets doesn’t help.

It’s a tough world out there. And it’s easy to get discouraged or become timid.

Many of us have heard the old saying, “Never let a crisis go to waste.” We can use our budget crisis to create new opportunities to build a solid foundation for Oklahoma.

We can do it.

First, we must start with the budget. The oil price collapse and decades-old structural problems with the budget have caused almost a billion dollar budget hole. How we respond will define our future more than anything else.

We have tough decisions ahead, folks. We need to roll up our sleeves and do the hard work.

But, if we work together, we can overcome this. We can do it.

Changes in budget structure needed

Even in this fiscal climate, we can pass a budget that begins the type of true, meaningful fiscal reform the state needs. That’s the type of reform proposed in my executive budget.

But first, I want us to consider why we need bold action on the budget. In front of you there is a spreadsheet with three approaches to the budget. Each column is marked with the colors of a common traffic light – red, for stop; yellow, for caution; and green, for go.

Take a look at the red column first.

This shows what happens if we take no action. If we don’t change the way we apportion and collect revenues, most state agencies will be faced with a 13.5 percent appropriation cut for the upcoming 2017 fiscal year – or a total cut of 16.5 percent since July 1, when considering December’s revenue failure.

This approach would, for example, cut common education funding by $330 million next year. $330 million dollars. We can all agree this is an unacceptable path. It’s not the path I want Oklahoma to take. I know we can do better.

Now look at the yellow column. This is a quick and easy shortcut – often used in the past – that withdraws every penny available from the Rainy Day Fund to reduce agency cuts to 10 percent. But that’s still a $244 million cut to public education that we can all agree is not acceptable. The path in the yellow column isn’t one Oklahoma should go down, either.

The green column shows the budget I propose. This budget takes control of the challenges we face today and puts us on far better footing for the future.

It makes necessary cuts that will require continued efficiencies from agencies, prioritizes spending and lessens those reductions in our core service areas wherever possible. It modernizes our tax code to make it more consistent with 21st century commerce.

Because this budget proposes using recurring revenue, it uses zero one-time revenue. You heard me right: There is no one-time money in this budget.

It doesn’t even use the Rainy Day Fund. We need to keep the Rainy Day Fund as flush as we can because the energy sector downturn may last longer than anyone ever expected. We need to budget accordingly.

While we can’t control the price of oil, we can control our budget. Let’s truly take charge of the budget this session.

We can do it.

My budget addresses structural imbalances, fixes problematic tax policies, prioritizes spending and puts recurring, stable revenue on the table. This is the type of budget I want you to send me for approval. It will require hard work and important votes. It will be the right thing to do for future generations of Oklahomans.

In my budget, we acknowledge the revenue downturn we’re in and we make strategic cuts to agencies. Most agencies will see an appropriation reduction of 6 percent. That’s not pleasant, but it’s a far better position than 13.5 percent or 10 percent across the board and depleting our savings account.

We can do it.

$910 million in recurring revenues

This budget makes specific recommendations for capturing $910 million of recurring revenues for appropriations that will help fund core services next year and every year in the future.

Of that $910 million, my budget proposes $181.6 million from a personal consumption tax on cigarettes.

Smoking is Oklahoma’s leading cause of preventable death and it costs our state $1.6 billion in related health costs each year. Our smoking rate has dropped 19 percent since I took office, but one in five Oklahomans still smokes. This is the most important thing we can do to improve Oklahoma’s health ranking.

• Beyond that proposal, my budget has $729 million in other revenues for appropriations.
  I’m offering bold, specific solutions to fix our budget. Here they are:
• $125 million to come from non-appropriated agency revenue sharing. Some non-appropriated agencies remit a portion of their fees, fines and other revenues back to the General Revenue Fund for appropriation. Others do not.
• $19.7 million a year by eliminating non-statutory, non-critical pass-through appropriations.
• $125 million a year by passing Representative Tom Newell’s legislation automating reconciliation of some agency revolving funds, which usually contain about $1.5 billion. The transfer of monies from these accounts is often mischaracterized as one-time revenue, despite the fact the majority of these accounts replenish yearly. These funds are there every year – they are not one-time funds – as evidenced in the chart on my RIGHT.
• $40 million a year by reallocating apportionments back to the General Revenue Fund that currently go to noble but noncritical functions. Remember, just a few years ago, 55 cents out of every dollar we collected went to the General Revenue Fund. Today, just 45 cents out of every dollar collected goes there, and it is continuing to decline. You can see this on the chart in FRONT of me.

And finally, $200 million a year by modernizing our state sales and use tax exemptions. The sales tax code in Oklahoma today isn’t much different than it was in the 1980s despite huge changes in the way commerce is conducted and the way consumers purchase goods and services. Reading our sales tax code is like watching a VHS tape when you can use Netflix. Modernizing the sales tax code means keeping the same low rates and applying them in ways that better reflect today’s commerce and consumer behaviors.

We can start with taking a look at the $8 billion – that’s billion, with a B – in annual sales tax exemptions. We exempt more in sales taxes than we appropriate each session, as you can see in the chart on my LEFT.

We’ve asked around and nobody can remember any of these ever getting repealed, let alone reviewed. Surely some of that $8 billion can be revisited. Just 1 percent would net $80 million to core government services.

This budget proposes eliminating outdated exemptions and looking at areas other states apply sales tax to that aren’t subject to sales tax in Oklahoma. The Texas sales tax covers roughly 60 more categories than Oklahoma’s. New Mexico’s sales tax covers 130 more categories than Oklahoma’s.

The services component of the economy has for decades been the fastest growing segment of the U.S. economy and our tax code does not reflect that.

If we don’t adjust our tax structure to reflect this change in commerce, there will be increasing pressure to raise government revenue in less palatable ways. If structured properly, this approach could present an opportunity to reduce the state sales tax rate, which is currently the sixth-highest in the nation.

Mayors and city councilors, this will help your cities fund essential services like police and fire. We’ll need your help to get it done. We all know that cities and states are losing out on sales tax revenue each year as more business is conducted online, and states like Oklahoma can’t collect sales tax because of federal inaction. We all need to call on Congress to level the field for small businesses and Oklahoma retailers by implementing a fair system for online sales tax. We have to help our local communities keep local businesses healthy and fund core services.

So those are some of the recurring, stable, real revenues in my budget.

I think these ideas are good for Oklahoma and have bipartisan appeal. Democrats and Republicans can support them because we both want to fund core government services.

Taxpayers can support them because they expand the tax base so we can keep tax rates low now and in the future to maintain competitiveness in our pursuit of new businesses and a more prosperous state.

These proposed revenue streams lay a solid foundation to enhance outcomes and elevate opportunities. And finally, it’s important for future governors to have better, more stable revenue streams than I did so policymakers, agencies and the public aren’t faced with constant revenue uncertainty.

So that gets us to the expenditure side of my budget.

As I said, we have to face the revenue reality. Most agency appropriations in this budget are reduced by 6 percent. However, the reductions are smaller for critical core service agencies. The following agencies will receive a 3 percent reduction:

• Department of Human Services
• Health Department
• Health Care Authority
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
• Department of Public Safety
• Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics
• and the Office of Juvenile Affairs

There are three targeted appropriation increases in this budget. Each is related to the three pillars of my administration’s second term. As I shared in this speech last year, my top priorities for Oklahoma in this second term are improving education, reducing the state’s incarceration rates, and improving its health outcomes. Those priorities are reflected in my budget and the policy proposals I’m most interested in this session.

More money for our state prisons

The first involves our state prisons. The situation in Oklahoma prisons is very serious. Due to the revenue failure declaration, the Department of Corrections will run out of money this fiscal year. To prevent that, the department would have to make cuts causing it to house prisoners in unsecure areas, furlough correctional officers and other undesirable outcomes. Correctional officers put their lives on the line. We have to help them. For the sake of public safety, we have to get additional money to the Department of Corrections.

This budget proposes the Department of Corrections receive an annualized $20 million supplemental appropriation this year and a $10 million appropriation increase next year to address continued offender growth and help keep the public safe.

But it’s a fact that Oklahoma is still Number One in female incarceration and we’re consistently in the top five in male incarceration. Again, this has been a decades-long problem.

Today, I’m calling for serious sentencing changes that will preserve public safety while helping control prison costs and reduce incarceration rates.

Let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room. Oklahoma’s drug possession sentences haven’t deterred substance abuse and have filled our prisons to over capacity. These sentences, while well intentioned, tend to send some nonviolent offenders into prison for years and years, where they live alongside violent offenders whose bad influences can make nonviolent offenders worse.

• This session, I’m calling for lowering Oklahoma’s mandatory drug possession sentences.
• First, let’s allow district attorneys to have the discretion to file any first drug offense as a misdemeanor.
• Next, we lower the mandatory sentence from two to 10 years in prison, to zero to five years in prison.
• For second felony offenses for drug possession, lower the mandatory sentence from two years to life, to zero to 10 years.
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• And for third felony offenses for drug possession, lower the mandatory sentence from six years to life with no probation to zero to 15 years.
• For property crimes, let’s raise the value of a felony crime from $500 to $1,000. The $500 benchmark has been in place since 2002, and it needs to be raised. A teen who steals someone’s smartphone today could be branded for life as a felon because smartphones cost more than $500; twenty years ago, most cell phones cost less than $100.

My 40-member task force of law enforcement professionals recommended these proposals, which if fully implemented could prevent thousands of people annually from being a felon for life, which makes it harder for them to get a job and many times leads to the breakup of their family. State prisons are at 119 percent capacity. We just can’t keep doing what we’ve been doing. It’s not working.

We must also enhance law enforcement’s ability to protect Oklahomans. We can make law enforcement stronger and more efficient while keeping the public safe by consolidating targeted law enforcement agencies.

Fully funding the Pinnacle Plan

The second area receiving additional funds in my budget is the health and well-being of children through the Department of Human Services. This budget sends DHS $11.3 million to fully fund the Pinnacle Plan. It’s important to keep our commitment for the sake of the thousands of Oklahoma foster children who deserve better futures than they would have otherwise.

Late last year, I launched an initiative called Oklahoma Fosters that encourages people to foster or adopt children in state custody. The Oklahoma Fosters program is working.

One of our great Oklahoma families that answered the call to serve is the Siemens family of Tulsa. Brian and Chris have both stepped up to foster seven children and adopt three in addition to having their own biological children. They are hard-working individuals, community advocates and have big, beautiful hearts. Thank you, Brian and Chris, for helping Oklahoma’s children. Please stand up so we can recognize you.

Education is biggest priority

Next, Oklahoma’s future sits in the classrooms of today. The education of our students remains my biggest priority in my budget, even in fiscal climates like this.

I support and I know my fellow Oklahomans overwhelmingly support giving our teachers a pay raise.

This budget appropriates $178 million in new money for a permanent $3,000 teacher pay raise for every teacher in this state. And we can do it without raising the state sales tax rate to the highest level in the nation.

We can do it. I’m excited about it.

Time to bring the dinosaur out of the closet

Now I want to talk to you about the old dinosaur nobody will bring out of the closet. Just as I talked earlier about the decades-old structural budget problems, it’s time to have an honest discussion about the decades-old structural problems of our education system and how we can give our children the quality education they deserve.

Listen to the words of a former governor when I sat on the back row in this very chamber as a young legislator 23 years ago – “We need more dollars in the classroom. We need fewer school districts. Real education improvements are impacted by better organization at least as much as through additional revenues. It’s unrealistic to force everyone in the state to fund local school inefficiencies.”

And that was said by former Governor David Walters, a Democrat, in his State of the State address in 1993. My, how things haven’t changed.

It’s time to consolidate the administrative costs of the state’s underperforming K-8 dependent school districts by putting them into existing Pre-K-12 school districts. To be clear, this does not mean closing rural schools. This would get more money to classrooms and can enhance educational outcomes in a more effective way. We must ensure that our students are provided the highest quality instruction through advanced curriculum and facilities.

To help weather this energy sector downturn’s effect on school funding, let’s give school districts the flexibility to use their building funds for teacher pay and benefits if local officials determine it is prudent and meets their most pressing needs. This would free up $200 million at the local level that is currently restricted for other uses. This isn’t a panacea and it won’t be used by every district, but giving this flexibility will help schools.

It will modernize the use of the ad valorem tax base and give districts more flexibility to meet their real needs. This would make a huge difference to our schools.

And in times like these my Oklahoma Works initiative is more important than ever with developing partnerships between schools, local businesses and other key partners with its intent to boost educational attainment and better align workforce to the needs of employers.

Finally, I’m 100 percent supportive of Education Savings Accounts. 100 percent.

All students learn differently and should have the opportunity to attend a school that has the best environment for each student to be successful. This can be accomplished through Education Savings Accounts, while still protecting school finances. Senator Clark Jolley and Representative Jason Nelson have legislation on this issue. Send it to me and let’s give students and parents a better chance for educational success than they have today.

I do recognize these are some of the hardest things I’ve ever asked for your help to accomplish as governor. But they’re also some of the most important. We were sent here to lead, and we need to lead now more than ever.

We have smart, capable people in this room and throughout state government. We can do this.

Finish repairing, renovating the state Capitol

Now here’s one more big lift. It’s this building.

Thanks to your action two years ago, we’ve finally started the Capitol restoration. We have contractors on site fixing this irreplaceable building that has been literally crumbling around us for far too long. We’re making the People’s House safe to visit and work in again. It’s one of our top tourist destinations, it’s the seat of our government and we’re finally on a path to treating it as such.

We’ve always known the $120 million bond issue you passed two years ago was a start, not a finish. The contractors have told us they think it will take around another $120 million to complete this important job.

Let’s finish the Capitol’s most pressing needs. In 2017 we will celebrate with a party this building’s 100th birthday. No one should want to stop construction. Interest rates remain low, and the new bond wouldn’t be issued until 2018, when 40 percent of our existing bond principal rolls off the books, so we can do this in a way that doesn’t affect next year’s budget. This is a legacy opportunity for you all. Let’s finish the job right.

Oklahomans are known for their can-do spirit, from the days of the land runs, to the booms and busts of our economy, to moments that shook our core sense of well-being. We are at our best during our most challenging times. We can do it.

Many challenges have been overcome in the past five years

If you think back over the past five years, we’ve overcome many challenges, and we’ve had many successes.

• In 2011, Oklahoma’s unfunded pension liability was $16 billion. But we cut that nearly in half; it stands at about $8.8 billion today.
• We made Oklahoma more business friendly when we enacted tort reform measures, moving Oklahoma from 42nd to 33rd in reducing frivolous lawsuits.
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• We transitioned Oklahoma to an administrative workers’ compensation system taking care of injured workers while also saving over $368 million for businesses since 2012.
• We greatly enhanced cybersecurity and technology efficiency by reducing technology expenses by $100 million.
• We decreased structurally deficient bridges from more than 700 to about 340, and we’re on track to fix the remainder by the time I leave office in 2019.
• We’ve increased the number of degrees and certificates and beat our goal by averaging 2,788 additional degrees and certificates a year, building a better-educated workforce. We also reached a record high last year in the number of STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – degrees and certificates, with a 28 percent increase over the last five years.
• We enacted the Reading Sufficiency Act, which I have long championed and has helped elementary school students bolster their reading skills. State fourth graders improved their reading scores by five points in 2015, putting Oklahoma above the national average with the third-most significant state gains in the country.
• We implemented an A-to-F grading system for our public schools, which serves as a guide for parents and school district patrons to know how their schools are performing. It’s also helpful for school districts and teachers, because it allows them to see where they should focus on improvements and adjustments. Today, I’d like to recognize the administration and staff of the Gore School District. Gore Elementary School took the results of the grading system and improved the C score it received in 2013 and improved it to an A+ rating. Gore Upper Elementary has also improved its scores – going from a D- in 2013 to a C+ in 2015. I appreciate the hard work of the faculty and students, some of whom are with us here today, and I ask that they stand and be recognized.
• We provided the highest funding for mental health in state history, and we enacted historic legislative action to decrease prescription drug and substance abuse-related fatalities, and
• We let taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned money through responsible state income tax reductions.

Yes, we’ve faced tough challenges before, and by working together we can solve today’s problems, too.

We can do it, and we’ve done it before.

Oklahomans do the hard work day in and day out.

Just look at our first responders who, in the past year alone, have provided world-class responses to floods, tornadoes, blizzards and ice storms. My thanks especially to those who worked in the ice storms on Thanksgiving and Christmas weekends. So many sacrificed their own safety and did what it took to keep their fellow Oklahomans safe. That is what’s known as the Oklahoma Standard.

These Oklahomans are the real heroes. We need to do them justice by doing our jobs here at the Capitol so they can keep doing theirs.

In closing, I want to share something truly special with you. I mentioned earlier that it’s a tough world out there. It really is, especially for our men and women in uniform.

For the first time since I’ve been governor, no Oklahoma National Guard units are deployed overseas. Since 9/11, the Oklahoma National Guard has answered the call over and over again to protect our homeland and defend liberty. Please give them a round of applause for their continued service to our country.

I look forward to a productive session working with all of you. Thank you for your service. God bless you, and the state of Oklahoma.

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Despite three recent botched attempts leading to a state-ordered moratorium on executions, a majority of Oklahomans continue to support the death penalty, according to new polling data.

A poll of 500 registered voters conducted last week by The Oklahoman in partnership with Cole Hargrave Snodgrass & Associates found that 67 percent of Oklahomans support the death penalty, with 49 percent expressing strong support.

“(The state) may have made a mistake, but I don’t believe they should stop doing their duty to society …,” said Elizabeth Heath, 21, of Tulsa, a poll respondent who said she supports the death penalty and opposes the moratorium. 

“I do believe they need to have some safe walls, maybe more people checking they have the right drugs, but if it’s scheduled that they are set to die at this particular time, I think it should be carried out.”

But support for the death penalty in Oklahoma could be waning. The poll found that 24 percent oppose the death penalty, double the amount of those surveyed in a 2014 Tulsa World poll that found 74 percent of Oklahomans supported the death penalty while only 12 percent were in opposition.

Read the complete story on theoklahoman.com

There have been so many problems in carrying out executions in Oklahoma that it’s hard to say whether the death penalty can continue in this state, Gov. Mary Fallin said Thursday.

“Can’t answer that question yet,” she said, “but it certainly is not helpful to us having the death penalty in Oklahoma.”

An improperly set intravenous line slowed the death of one man, the wrong drug was given to another and a third execution was called off at the last minute because of the same drug mistake.

“Sure I’m frustrated, absolutely,” Fallin said.

Read the complete story on NewsOK.com

*** SAVE THE DATE ***

“Back the Blue” Pro-Law Enforcement Rally to be Held at Capitol on October 12
Public Invited to Wear Blue and Join Rally to Show Support for Law Enforcement

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin, legislators and law enforcement supporters are hosting a “Back the Blue” rally to offer support and thanks to law enforcement agencies and officers at 6 p.m. Oct. 12 on the south steps of the Oklahoma State Capitol. Oklahomans are encouraged to join the rally – dressed in blue – to show their appreciation for law enforcement professionals who risk their lives to protect their communities.

“Working in law enforcement can be a dangerous job, but it should never be a thankless one,” said Fallin. “I encourage Oklahomans to join us on Monday, October 12, at the Oklahoma State Capitol to thank our law enforcement officers for the work they do to keep us safe.”

What:  “Back the Blue” Law Enforcement Rally

Who:   Governor Mary Fallin, legislative leaders, law enforcement professionals

When: October 12, 6 p.m.

Where: South steps of the state Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City

An agenda and list of speakers will be released on a later date.

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On Monday, I am honored to discuss the importance of criminal justice reform with the outstanding group of local, state and federal legislators at the National Foundation for Women Legislators (NFWL) conference in Oklahoma City. Our country’s unparalleled incarceration rates have come at a significant cost to public safety and fiscal health, and they’ve had a devastating impact on individuals, families, and communities across Oklahoma and the entire country.

As chairman of the Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections, a congressionally mandated blue-ribbon task force on federal corrections reform, I have spent this past year focusing on reforms to our federal system by examining states that have achieved success.

Across the country, the most significant progress has been made through bipartisan collaboration. States, including traditionally “tough on crime” states such as Texas and Georgia, have led the charge in improving their justice systems by sticking to the facts and setting aside political differences. They’ve examined the causes of this incarceration crisis, its impact on public safety and public costs, and potential solutions. The resulting reforms have yielded substantial savings without increasing crime rates.

My own experience representing Oklahoma in Congress has shown me that true collaboration is about more than sponsoring legislation with members across the aisle. Collaboration also means challenging members of your own party, and challenging yourself, to think outside the box.

Read the complete story on NewsOK.com