Route 66 Signage Project Completed in Oklahoma City

State Sen. David Holt praised completion of an initiative to place signage marking historic Route 66 throughout Oklahoma City. The project was spearheaded by Sen. Holt and Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and was a joint project of The City of Oklahoma City and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

“Just in time for Labor Day road trips, Route 66 is now clearly marked throughout the metro,” said Sen. Holt, R-Oklahoma City. “Route 66 remains a draw for tourists, and Oklahoma City hosts some of its most recognizable landmarks. I appreciate the great work of the City and ODOT in making this project happen. This will help Oklahoma City continue its identification with this global icon.”

The project began in 2007, after pop legend Paul McCartney’s Route 66 road trip through Oklahoma City brought local attention to the continuing global draw that is “the Mother Road.” While serving as Chief of Staff to Mayor Cornett, Holt began exploring what could be done to better mark Route 66 within Oklahoma’s capital city. There are over 23 miles of Route 66 within the city limits of Oklahoma City, but there were only half a dozen signs in the entire city marking Route 66, five of which were at one intersection.

The City chose to mark the route that it had previously named the official Route 66 Scenic Byway. This route is largely the one used during the heyday of Route 66 (1929 – 1954). From west to east, it follows N.W. 36th Street to the N.W. 39th Street Expressway, briefly follows Interstate 44, turns south at May Avenue, turns east at N.W. 23rd Street, turns north at N. Lincoln Boulevard, briefly follows Interstate 44 again until turning north at Kelley. Route 66 then leaves Oklahoma City at just north of Memorial Road before coming back into the City for 3.5 more miles east of Arcadia along N.E. 192nd Street.

Oklahoma City’s Public Information Office created a design for an Oklahoma City-specific Route 66 sign, one that honors the traditional brown historic marker, but places “Oklahoma City” within the shield. Holt worked with Mike Hickey, President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, to identify the landmarks that would receive their own identifying signs. Those landmarks are the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, the State Capitol, the Gold Dome, the Milk Bottle, the Lake Overholser Bridge, and Route 66 Park. Welcome signs also mark entrances to Oklahoma City along the route. Oklahoma City’s Streets, Traffic, and Drainage Maintenance Department placed Oklahoma City’s signs.

After being elected to the Senate in 2010, Holt worked with ODOT to place the directional signs needed at the two locations in Oklahoma City where Route 66 follows Interstate 44. After some final adjustments over the summer to ensure that drivers could navigate the route through signage alone, the initiative, four years in the making, is now complete.

Crisis of Confidence: State Treasurer Still Optimistic About Economy

By State Treasurer Ken Miller (Aug. 19, 2008)

OKLAHOMA CITY - It is widely understood that a free market economy has many variables on which growth is dependent. Less understood is the impact of the intangible determinant called confidence – how people feel about their financial situation, business and the direction of the country.

Lately, there has been a great deal of attention focused on this translucent and sometimes irrational economic variable. Such discussions center on how recent events affect public confidence. 

The consensus is that insufficient fiscal policies, the credit downgrade, debt problems here and abroad, geopolitical events and volatility in the stock market have lessened consumer, producer and investor confidence and have contributed to anemic GDP and job growth.

An economist from Moody’s rating agency blamed the current economic malaise on a “crisis of confidence.” The fear is that the negativity will create a self-fulfilling prophecy resulting in a vicious downward cycle and another recession.

Thank You!

After little more than a year this blog had its 30,000th hit on Friday. I'm glad somebody has been taking a look. I've enjoyed posting about issues I'm working on at the Capitol or otherwise find find interesting and I hope the information is interesting and helpful to you.

Thank you for reading.

Attorney General Pruitt Questions Pardon and Parole Board Action; Warns of Safety Concerns for Communities

OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Scott Pruitt Friday questioned a recent recommendation by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board to commute the sentence of a six-time felon, calling the decision a stab at public safety.


“The board’s decision to commute the sentence of a drug trafficker who pumped LSD, cocaine and marijuana into a community for more than 10 years is of grave concern,” Pruitt said. “Larry Yarbrough is not someone who made one bad choice and deserves a second chance; he is a six-time felon who was given multiple chances to do the right thing and continued to bring drugs, theft and intimidation into an Oklahoma community.”

Yarbrough was sentenced to life without parole in 1997 after being convicted of his sixth felony. He was arrested after three drug deals in an undercover drug operation by the Kingfisher County Sheriff’s Department led to his operation. A search of Yarbrough’s home found marijuana, drug paraphernalia, a notebook with logged drug sales and 38 grams of cocaine – 10 grams more than the necessary limit for trafficking.

Despite the sentence of life without parole – which typically does not come before the pardon and parole board – board members reviewed Yarbrough’s case. On Wednesday, they recommended the governor commute the sentence to 42 years.

“One argument for commuting this sentence was the notion that drug offenses are non-violent crimes. As any district attorney, law officer or family knows, drug trafficking is not a victimless or non-violent crime,” Pruitt said. “While discussion of criminal justice reform may be necessary in Oklahoma, we need to present the full picture of these crimes to protect the safety of our communities, families and victims, who count on us to keep perpetual drug dealers like Larry Yarbrough behind bars.”

ACT by the numbers: Oklahoma students average in the region, below national averages

By Patrick B. McGuigan and Stacy Martin at www.CapitolBeatOk.com (Published: 17-Aug-2011)

ACT test data for the 2010-11 academic year in the United States became available early today (Wednesday, August 17). A review of the information as provided by ACT, Inc. puts Oklahoma's graduating seniors who took the examination in roughly the same place their predecessors have garnered for most of the past two decades – below the national average, and near the middle of the regional average in most categories.


While reading and English scores in Oklahoma fall just a bit below the national average, the state comparatively “tanks” in Mathematics and Science.

In sum, Oklahoma students taking the ACT test continue to rank below the national average. The composite score for the 76 percent of graduating state high school seniors who took the test was 20.7, while 21.1 is the national average.

The Sooner State’s students fell in the mid-range among the cluster of regional states. In Kansas, where 79 percent of graduates take the college preparatory test, the composite score was 22 percent. In rank order, the other neighboring composites (and in parentheses, percentage of graduates taking the exam) were: Missouri 21.6 (71), Texas 20.8 (36), Colorado 20.7 (100), Arkansas 19.9 (91), and New Mexico 19.8 (72).

In nearby Louisiana, where the border does not touch Oklahoma, 100 percent of students take the ACT. The composite score of students in the Cajun State was 20.2.

Graduating high school students in Oklahoma continued to take the ACT in high numbers, far above the national average of only 49 percent who took the widely (but not universally) accepted benchmark of college readiness.

Understanding Faith-Based Options for Health Care

By John D. Doak, Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner

With health care costs escalating and the federal government grasping for control of everything from the purse strings to your choice of doctors, specialists and treatments, many Oklahomans are searching for innovative, individualized ways to achieve wellness. Among those options are faith-based health-care “sharing ministries.”

Often invoking Scripture such as Galations 6:2 – “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the laws of Christ” – these organizations in effect are nonprofit cooperatives. An estimated 100,000 people nationwide have joined such bill-sharing groups, which act as an organizational clearinghouse for information between participants who have financial, physical or medical needs and participants who presently have the ability to pay for the benefits of those who have needs. Members deposit monthly fees into an account and managers of the organization distribute the funds to pay bills incurred by individual members.

Many members of these organizations say they also receive spiritual support from their health-care sharing ministry, beyond the financial impact of the group.

An added benefit for those who join these health-care sharing ministries is that their participation makes them no longer subject to Washington’s individual mandate to purchase insurance, which eventually will be enforced as part of President Barack Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provided the federal law is not overturned in the courts. Section 1501(b) of the PPACA adds Section 5000A to the Internal Revenue Code, exempting members of a health-care sharing ministry from being required to purchase private insurance.

As a man of great faith, an opponent of PPACA, and an advocate of free-market solutions to insurance issues, I support health-care sharing ministries as an option for Oklahoma consumers.

But I must also make it clear that the Oklahoma Insurance Department by law cannot provide consumer protections to those who choose to participate in health-care sharing ministries.

Some history on the subject might illustrate that point.

Under the previous administration, the Oklahoma Insurance Department found that a health-care sharing ministry known as Medi-Share was actually operating in this state as an insurance company without license to do so.

In 2008, Medi-Share was enjoined by OID from acting as an insurer in the state of Oklahoma. That same year, the Oklahoma Legislature amended the requirements of the state Insurance Code 36 O.S. § 110(11) to provide that the Insurance Department did not have regulatory powers over health-care sharing ministries. Meanwhile, Medi-Share modified its operations so that it facilitated direct member-to-member sharing of health care expenses, making its operating model compliant with the revised Oklahoma law. In 2009, Medi-Share resumed operations in Oklahoma as a health-care sharing ministry.

What this means in layman’s terms is that  while faith-based sharing organizations might be an option to make health care more affordable and to keep the federal government out of your family’s health care choices, you cannot bring consumer complaints to me as your Insurance Commissioner or to the Oklahoma Insurance Department for resolution. You will have to settle any potential dispute with your health-care sharing ministry on your own.

Consider this as you weigh the decision to join a health-care sharing ministry.

For more information on this topic or about any form of insurance in Oklahoma, don’t hesitate to contact the Oklahoma Insurance Department’s Consumer Assistance Hotline at (800) 522-0071. You can also visit us online at oid.ok.gov.

Gov. Mary Fallin Supports Kickoff of “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” Campaign

OKLAHOMA CITY – Law enforcement officers across Oklahoma are joining forces for the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” mobilization from Aug. 19 through Sept. 5, and Gov. Mary Fallin is supporting the campaign against impaired driving.


“We are happy to endorse this important effort,” Fallin said. “Last year in Oklahoma, 245 people died in alcohol-related crashes and more than 6,500 people were injured. These are deaths and injuries that could have been avoided if people had not made the irresponsible choice to drink and drive.”

All 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have established a threshold making it illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 grams per deciliter or higher. The annual nationwide enforcement effort focuses on impaired driving prevention with a goal of reducing roadway fatalities.

“One of the major threats to motorists on our streets and highways is the impaired driver, and that’s one reason the ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign is so important,” Fallin said. “We greatly appreciate the efforts of all the police departments, sheriffs’ offices and highway patrol troops taking part in this effort.”

In 2009, the latest year for which nationwide data is available, nearly 12,000 people died across the U.S. in crashes in which a driver or motorcycle rider was at or over the legal limit, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“All too often, innocent, law-abiding people suffer terrible consequences and the loss of loved ones due to this careless disregard for human life,” said Commissioner Michael C. Thompson of the Department of Public Safety. “In Oklahoma, we’re committed to ending this type of tragedy.”

Law enforcement officers will be on the lookout for impaired drivers 24 hours a day during the mobilization period, which includes the Labor Day holiday weekend.

For more information, visit www.stopimpaireddriving.org.

Happy Thirteen

I married my beautiful wife Lori thirteen years ago today. Am I a lucky man? No. Luck can't account for what I have. I'm blessed by God to have such a wonderful woman to share my life with (including parenting duties)!

I Love You - Happy Anniversary Lori!

Oklahoma Higher Education exemption subject of legislative interim study

By Billie Rodely at www.CapitolBeatOK.com (Published: 11-Aug-2011) 

Among the 80 interim studies under way in the Oklahoma House of Representatives this year is one which could result in more Legislative control over tuition and fees at the state’s institutions of Higher Education. But that’s a big “could.”

Rep. Jason Murphey

Representative Jason Murphy, a Guthrie Republican, requested the study in order to have a review of statutory exemptions granted to Oklahoma Higher Education entities.

“This year, several legislators were critiquing our Government Modernization reforms based on the fact that Higher Ed had been exempted. I think some of the opposition was tongue-in-cheek,” Murphey said. He thought the members opposed to the reforms used the fact that Higher Ed was exempted in order to camouflage their real agenda.

Representative Murphy believes lobbyists for higher education in Oklahoma are strong enough to have killed the modernization reforms had higher education not been exempted. “We badly needed the reforms and I knew we could not risk having Higher Ed kill our proposal. However, I felt it was important for the legislators to know that we were going to ask for a study to examine the exemptions in order to keep them from throwing the baby out with the bath water and voting against the reforms. This kept us from being attacked from all sides.”

Besides examining and highlighting the number of exemptions granted, Murphey says the state Constitution comes into the picture.

“Higher Ed claims that they are exempted from the application of certain reforms because of the Constitution. If this is the case, then maybe we need to decide if the people should be given the opportunity to vote for a Constitutional change.”

Rep. Corey Holland

The Guthrie Republican says Representative Corey Holland a Marlow Republican, is also on board in support of the interim study and helped push for its approval out of the more than 125 interim study requests made this year.

While Interim Study 1019 is assigned to the House Committee on Higher Education, as of this writing, no hearing on the study has been scheduled. Interim study hearings can be held Tuesdays and Thursdays, with meeting notices posted under existing posting guidelines in the House.

Supt. Barresi Discusses Blended Learning

State Superintendent discusses blended learning at recent local event in Norman.

Barresi: Consider teaching approach | The Norman Transcript | http://nelsone.ws/q54vff.

Rainy Day Deposit Estimate Increased by $30 million

OKLAHOMA CITY — General Revenue Fund collections showed moderate growth in July, Office of State Finance Director Preston Doerflinger said Monday. He also announced that the deposit into the state's Rainy Day Fund will be $30 million more than originally expected.

"A final reconciliation of all sources contributing to the General Revenue Fund raised the deposit into the Rainy Day Fund to $249.2 million, compared with last month's estimate of approximately $219 million," Doerflinger said.

"This is really no surprise," Doerflinger said of the more moderate total growth figures. "We fully expected that the growth rate would moderate eventually, simply because collection of some revenue, such as income taxes, can vary greatly from month to month. We're still showing steady growth and I am optimistic that we can maintain that in future months."

Doerflinger, secretary of finance, added: "I'm concerned, of course, by Wall Street's reaction to the debt ceiling debacle in Washington and the downgrading of our country's bond rating. But this should not overshadow the progress we've made economically here in Oklahoma."

Gov. Mary Fallin also had a positive reaction to the latest GRF figures. "Our increasing revenues further show the Oklahoma economy is on the right track," the governor said. "As we begin a new fiscal year, it's also good news to see another significant deposit into our Rainy Day Fund.

Oklahoma can continue to build upon this positive momentum by pursuing the kind of pro-business policies that will attract new jobs and investment, which will lead to continued revenue growth," Gov. Fallin added.

Only time will determine the direction of the national economy, which some economists argue might be headed for another downturn that could dampen Oklahoma's robust recovery from the last recession. But Doerflinger remains hopeful about the state's economic future.

"Consumer confidence has been high in Oklahoma and our revenue collections have been stronger than most states for some time now," he said. "We saw pent-up demand leading to a buying spree by Oklahomans in 2011. While you could expect buying to level off this year, I see no reason for our citizens to succumb to the doom-and-gloom predictions of some economists."

Doerflinger pointed out that the state's unemployment rate held steady at 5.3 percent for 2 months in a row, compared with a national rate topping 9 percent.

"And unlike the systemic weakening of the manufacturing sector across the nation, Oklahoma over a 12-month period added 11,200 manufacturing jobs by June of this year," he said.

"Officials at the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission and in the energy industry attribute much of the gain in manufacturing jobs to a resurgence of activity in the oil patch due to strong oil prices and improved drilling techniques," Doerflinger said.

Many of the manufacturing jobs created in Oklahoma have been in the area of durable goods to meet the demands of the energy sector, officials say.

"While oil and natural gas prices have also taken a hit on Wall Street, some national experts continue to forecast that worldwide demand will cause an uptick in energy prices in 2012," Doerflinger said.

"That would bode well for Oklahoma, as far as state revenue collections go," he added. "But the commodity market has been known for volatility historically, and we'll be watching this area very closely in the months ahead."

The higher deposit into the Rainy Day account is important in case funding emergencies develop in the future. The constitutional reserve fund was drained to $2.03 after it had to be tapped during the last recession to ease huge budget shortfalls. It had reached a record $596.6 million at one point.

Governor, AG Comment on Appeals Court Ruling on Federal Health Care Law

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today released a statement supporting the ruling of a federal appeals court in Atlanta that the “individual mandate” contained within the federal health care law was unconstitutional.  The federal panel said in the majority opinion, “This economic mandate represents a wholly novel and potentially unbounded assertion of congressional authority.”

Fallin released the following statement:

“I am pleased that yet another federal court has agreed that the ‘individual mandate’ contained within the president’s health care law is unconstitutional,” Fallin said. “Oklahomans have made it clear the federal government under no circumstance should be allowed to force citizens to purchase health insurance. As this case moves through the federal court system, I look forward to continued validation that the ‘individual mandate’ is unconstitutional and in contradiction with the free market principles that have made this nation great.”

Attorney General Scott Pruitt released a statement in support of the ruling by the U.S. appeals court:

“I am pleased the 11th circuit ruled today that the federal government cannot force Americans to buy health insurance.

“Indeed, the ruling affirms and strengthens Oklahoma's position,” said Pruitt.

Pruitt continued, “It has always been our belief the individual mandate was unconstitutional and that Oklahoma and other states have the right to challenge the law.”

Governor Mary Fallin Announces Appointments

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today announced appointments to the Oklahoma State Council for Interstate Adult Offender Supervision, Oklahoma Health Information Exchange Trust, Construction Industries Board, Commission for Rehabilitation Services, Polygraph Examiners Board, Board on Judicial Compensation and the Oklahoma Department of Libraries Board.

Commission for Rehabilitation Services

Lynda Collins of Mannford is retired after serving 33 years at the Department of Rehabilitation Services. She earned a bachelor’s degree from East Central University and a master’s from OSU. Collins will serve a three year term and is replacing Ben White. His appointment does not require confirmation from the Senate.

Oklahoma Health Information Exchange Trust

Joe Nicholson of Tulsa is the vice president and national medical director at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. He attended the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Oklahoma State University in Tulsa. Nicholson will serve a five year term and is replacing Brian Yeaman, who resigned. His appointment does not require confirmation from the Senate.

Speaker comments on DHS report on Serenity Deal

House Speaker Kris Steele, R-Shawnee, today issued the following statement on a Department of Human Services report on the agency’s role in the death of a five-year-old Oklahoma girl, Serenity Deal:

“Five weeks after the statutory deadline to report on its involvement in Serenity’s case, DHS has produced essentially the same information contained in the report already issued by the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth. I am not convinced the DHS report tells the full story.

Several questions remain, namely, what was the nature of the disagreement between Lincoln and Pottawatomie County case workers about whether Serenity should have been placed with her father? Why didn’t the courts have all the information needed to make informed decisions in Serenity’s case? I hoped this report would answer those questions and more. The report is instead mostly a chronological recounting of the bureaucratic and legal maze Serenity went through before her death. It confirms the heartbreaking fact that Serenity was put in a risky environment, but offers little explanation or analysis as to why.

The challenge before the Legislature is to make sure we address any systematic failures that might have occurred. The Legislature’s intent is not to point fingers or cast blame. We simply need information so we can identify the problem and try to fix it. We will continue gathering that information as we work to better protect our children and most vulnerable citizens.”

BACKGROUND: Serenity Deal, 5, was beaten to death June 4. Serenity was in DHS custody and had been placed in her father’s care as part of a trial reunification despite documented evidence that Serenity had been repeatedly injured while in his care in the past. Serenity’s father has been charged with her murder. An Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth report and news reports indicate there were major disagreements among DHS officials in Pottawatomie and Lincoln counties about whether Serenity should have been placed in her father’s custody.

Oklahoma’s Multicounty Grand Jury to Meet Tuesday

Attorney General Scott Pruitt

OKLAHOMA CITY – The state’s multicounty grand jury reconvenes Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

The grand jury will meet from Tuesday, Aug. 9, through Thursday, Aug. 11. This month’s session will be held at the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, located at 313 NE 21.

The multicounty grand jury was requested by Attorney General Scott Pruitt and approved by the Oklahoma Supreme Court on Jan. 27. It is led by Assistant Attorney General Charles Rogers, chief of the Multicounty Grand Jury Unit for the Oklahoma Attorney General.

To date, the state’s 13th multicounty grand jury has returned five indictments, involving six defendants, in cases filed in Cleveland, Harper, Pittsburg and Oklahoma counties.

The multicounty grand jury has jurisdiction to investigate criminal matters in all 77 counties, assisting local law enforcement as well as handling matters of state interest.

The state’s 12th multicounty grand jury wrapped up in September. It indicted 10 people and assisted 145 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

Grand jurors typically meet to hear testimony two to three days each month. Testimony before a grand jury is closed to the public.

Liebmann Plans to File Drug Screening for TANF Recipients Bill

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Guy Liebmann announced today he plans to file legislation for the 2012 legislative session that would require drug testing of individuals applying for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

Rep. Guy Liebmann
R-Oklahoma City

“Federal law already gives states the right to test welfare recipients for use of controlled substances and sanction those recipients who test positively,” Liebmann (R-Oklahoma City) said. “My legislation would just make it mandatory. It’s just a common-sense bill and one that is already being signed into law in other states.”

Liebmann noted that Florida Gov. Rick Scott recently signed similar legislation into law. The new Florida law requires the Florida Department of Children and Family Services to conduct drug tests on adults applying to the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Applicants who test positive for controlled substances will be disqualified from receiving temporary cash assistance for one year, unless the individual chooses to seek substance abuse treatment. If the individual chooses treatment, he or she can reapply within a 6-month time frame.

Liebmann said he would like to include a provision allowing parents who test positive for controlled substances to sign up a relative to serve as a protective payee to receive benefits for a dependent child.

“I expect there will be other concerns and I welcome input to further fine-tune the bill,” Liebmann said.

Digital education and the lessons of history: a conference summary

By Patrick B. McGuigan at www.CapitolBeatOK.com (Published: 01-Aug-2011) 

A provocative and wide-ranging conference on “Education in the Digital Age” unfolded at the Oklahoma History Center last Friday (July 29). A sub-title of “Practices and Policies for Personalized Education” affirmed the historic setting of the event, sponsored by the conservative Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. 

Lee Baxter

Major General Lee Baxter, who holds the distinction of serving on the boards of both the state CareerTech and state Education Department, kicked off the day’s reflections with a brief address in which he referenced the “elite” education he garnered as a youth. 

When Baxter referred, in younger days, to his “UND” training, colleagues in the military assumed he meant “University of Notre Dame” – until he explained it was the University of North Dakota.

Andrew J. Coulson of the Cato Institute  examined ways public policy can protect and enhance development of a digital education marketplace. As did several speakers, Coulson pointed to the excellence of the Khan Academy’s online curriculum. 

He observed, “Public Schools are a $600 billion a year business, with 6 million people employed.” For this reason, it is perhaps not surprising that “change is threatening.” The bottom line, in Coulson’s view, is that educators must “find out what works, and then do the same.”

As part of a recipe for the future, Coulson argues education should become “a free enterprise,” full of dynamic models. He noted the move toward school choice, and robust examples of digital schooling, is a world-wide phenomenon, with examples abounding in Asia. In Chile, robust models of school choice have emerged since 1978. In Sweden, both public and private school choice has met the needs of one the world’s best educated citizenry. 

Coulson delivered a free market review of impediments and opportunities found in educational price, regulation, legal and regulatory threats, vouchers, Education Savings Accounts, tax cuts and policy solutions. 

In the ever-present tension between compulsion and conflict, on the one hand, and reasoned regulation, on the other, Coulson delivered a strong endorsement of the latter. 

Dr. J. Rufus Fears

In introducing the seminar’s luncheon keynote speaker, Dr. J. Rufus Fears of the University of Oklahoma, the sponsoring group’s policy vice president, Brandon Dutcher, quipped, “We are foolish if we think our microchips and bandwidth make us immune to the lessons of history, as I’m sure Dr. Fears will remind us. And unlike previous speakers, he won’t be using a PowerPoint. Dr. Fears is a historian of freedom and, like Lord Acton, he understands that power corrupts and PowerPoint corrupts absolutely.”

Dr. Fears proceeded to deliver a powerful distillation of thousands of years of human history – without either notes or power points. His theme was “The New Technology: Lessons from History.”

Online learning and the theory of disruptive innovation: Recent history, and a hopeful future

By Patrick B. McGuigan at www.CapitolBeatOK.com (Published: 01-Aug-2011) 

Online education is already playing a crucial role in the delivery of educational services, according to Michael B. Horn of the Innosight Institute. 

In his kickoff address at last week’s conference in Oklahoma City on “Education in the Digital Age,” Horn pointed to the wave of dramatic social and educational change driven by high tech. 

The sequence of events following the emergence of computers was one focus of his comments – sketching the years from main frames to mini computers, to smaller devices and finally to handheld notebooks that include telephone ability. Today, as prices drop and capacity soars, a process of “disruptive innovation” continues to unfold, leading to greater affordability and accessibility. 

In his address at the symposium, held at the Oklahoma History Center near the state Capitol, and sponsored by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, Horn listed an array of examples of how digital/online education is already “huge”: 

Credit recovery (assisting a study to fill in a requirement on the way to graduation), dropouts, advanced placement/AP classes, scheduling conflicts (providing a means for students to take required classes that would not otherwise fit into a school’s available schedule times), home school education, homebound education (students who cannot attend regular class instruction), small and rural school use of online systems, unit recovery, disaster preparedness instruction, tutoring, professional development for teachers, Pre-K instruction, after school instruction, in the home classes, classes for incarcerated youth, continued instruction during periods of in-school suspensions, school bus commutes, summer school programs, and coping with teacher absenteeism.

Horn projects that by 2019, 50 percent of K-12 courses will be offered online. As it is, he explained, there are now 4 million students who are learning online. In all, 39 states already have some forms of online learning. Of those, 30 have supplemental state-led programs. 

Even after the advent of digital learning is in full swing, he projects that schools will still exist, for at least 90 percent of students. Still, the portion of digital instruction and class work received within schools will continue to rise. 

Pointing to the work of Khan Academy and other providers of online education content, Horn reported the dramatic improvement of the quality and utility of material delivered via the Internet. 

Horn said his study of digital learning has taught him that for most people, there are different learning needs at different times of life. Whereas, “we still build school schedules and school days around the old factory model,” and the “cookie-cutter” directives fail precisely because schools operate under conflicting mandates. 

When people talk about flexibility in teaching, and meeting the needs of individual students, he said, “The truth is that the desirability of flexibility is obvious to special needs educators. Online delivery has allowed that flexibility that it is said we need for special needs students.” 

Horn contends that online instruction will allow “a move toward a truly student-centric model. … As technology improves, the predictability of success of these models also improves for blended learning, schools and student pacing.” 

In perhaps the best quip line of the day, Horn shared the observation that America’s educational system “remains obsessed with ‘seat time’ in schooling. But too often, in that obsession, we’re assessing the wrong end of the student.” 

Rather than seat time, he said, “To meet the needs of students we should instead measure knowledge of the desired content. The system needs to become student-based and outcomes-based.”

In other sessions at the symposium, the Cato Institute’s Andrew J. Coulson focused on “How Policy Can Foster and Protect the Digital Education Marketplace.” 

Dan Lips of Arizona’s Goldwater Institute focused on K-12 online learning, suggesting strategies Oklahoma can pursue to accelerate the pace of positive change. 

Other speakers at the digital-learning symposium included Rose Hernandez of Wisconsin, an educator who is active in the National Coalition for Public School Options. 

She appeared in tamed with two educators from the Oklahoma Virtual Academy: Cheryl Tatum and Audra Carr, as well as academy students Dylan Marshall (12 years old) and David Marshall (10) and their mother, Lauren. 

At noon hour of the symposium, University of Oklahoma Classics Professor J. Rufus Fears spoke about the lessons of history in eras of dramatic technological change. His luncheon address was sponsored by the Foundation for Educational Choice.

July Revenue Shows Moderated Economic Growth

OKLAHOMA CITY – July revenues show moderate economic growth as collections continue to beat the prior year, although collections have pulled back from the double-digit numbers seen last month, Treasurer Ken Miller said earlier this week as he released the state’s monthly gross revenue report.

“July collections were up by 6.8 percent from July of last year and 14.4 percent above July 2009,” Miller said. “With year-over-year growth last month exceptionally strong at 15.5 percent, it is not surprising to see growth moderate some this month.”

Miller said collections over the past 12 months totaled $10.259 billion; the highest level since July 2009, when 12-month collections totaled $10.402 billion.

Read the full report by clicking http://nelsone.ws/o2W824

Red State: Burn Ban Expanded to All 77 Oklahoma Counties

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today expanded the ban on outdoor burning to all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties. The Executive Proclamation expands the 45-county burn ban that was put in place on July 14, as the extreme to excessive drought conditions continue to worsen.

“We have just experienced the hottest July on record,” Fallin said. “The predictions of unrelenting extreme heat with no relief in sight make the statewide burn ban necessary.”


Oklahoma Forestry Services, a division of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, report increased fire activity across the state. Firefighter fatigue is a growing concern.


Gas and charcoal grilling is allowed provided that it is over a nonflammable surface and at least five feet from flammable vegetation. Unlawful activities under the ban include campfires, bonfires, fireworks and setting fire to trash, grass, woods or other materials outdoors. For a complete list of activities allowed and prohibited view the guidelines for the Governor’s Burn Ban on www.forestry.ok.gov/burn-ban-information.

Health care law committee to begin work

OKLAHOMA CITY – Legislative leaders yesterday announced membership and meetings of the Joint Committee on Federal Health Care Law, a special legislative committee that will study how the new federal health care law affects Oklahoma.

Senate Pro Tem Brian Bingman and House Speaker Kris Steele ordered the formation of the joint committee this past legislative session to ensure Oklahoma properly addresses the Federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

At the direction of co-chairmen Sen. Gary Stanislawski, R-Tulsa, and Rep. Glen Mulready, R-Tulsa, the Joint Committee on Federal Health Care Law will do its work through a series of public meetings in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

The committee’s first meeting will be Sept. 14 in Oklahoma City. The committee is expected to meet at least five times through November.

“Having suitable health care options in Oklahoma is an issue the Legislature takes very seriously and intends to proactively protect and address through this committee,” said Stanislawski, a Certified Financial Planner. “Oklahoma patients, taxpayers, businesses, health practitioners, insurers and others all have wide-ranging questions and concerns about this largely unwanted new federal law. The law will affect all Oklahomans, some in significant ways, so this committee will seek to address all relevant questions and concerns for the benefit of all Oklahomans.”

Among the topics to be studied are the state of health care in Oklahoma, logistics and ramifications of implementing the federal health care law, implementation timelines, responses to the law and the costs local governments and businesses may face as a result of the law.

The committee will also explore the implications Oklahoma’s lawsuit challenging the law’s constitutionality may have on the law’s implementation here.

“Clearly, most Oklahomans oppose this law. While we have taken steps to guard against harmful portions of the law, we would be remiss if we did not continue reviewing it so we can do our best to protect a choice-based, free-market health care system for Oklahomans,” said Mulready, a 28-year insurance industry veteran. “Simply put, the committee will show Oklahoma what to expect from this law, how we can continue to protect Oklahoma’s interests and how we can make sure we are best prepared as a state.”

The committee will solicit testimony and recommendations from a wide range of public and private sector experts. It is expected to hear from state and federal policymakers, business officials, insurance agents and brokers, legal experts, health care industry officials and more.

“All parties will be at the table working to make sure Oklahomans have health care choices, not mandates,” said Bingman, R-Sapulpa. “This is an opportunity for Oklahoma to assert our state’s rights and I’m confident all stakeholders will rise to the challenge so we can avoid dangerous federal mandates wherever possible.”

Ultimately, the committee will make recommendations on how the state should address components of the federal health care law.

“The committee will explore all possibilities for putting forth Oklahoma solutions that support a free market health care system,” said Steele, R-Shawnee. “Not everything is clear about this law, and most of us don’t like it, but what we do know is Oklahoma cannot afford to be caught flat-footed, unprepared and unprotected if it takes effect. As much as anything else, this committee ensures Oklahoma is prepared.”

Committee members are:

Sen. Gary Stanislawski, R-Tulsa, co-chair

Rep. Glen Mulready, R-Tulsa, co-chair

Sen. Cliff Aldridge, R-Oklahoma City

Sen. Bill Brown, R-Broken Arrow

Sen. Brian Crain, R-Tulsa

Sen. Sean Burrage, D-Claremore

Sen. John Sparks, D-Norman

Rep. Doug Cox, R-Grove

Rep. Randy Grau, R-Edmond

Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City

Rep. Jeannie McDaniel, D-Tulsa

Rep. Danny Morgan, D-Prague