USDA Cancels Funding For Oklahoma Food Programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has canceled two programs providing tribal governments, states, schools and food banks money to buy local food from producers.
The Local Food for Schools and Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Programs help pay for farm-to-table meals for low-income people across Oklahoma.
Tribal nations and the state itself receive millions in local food-purchasing money from the two projects.
Chris Bernard, president and CEO of Hunger Free Oklahoma, said the money isn’t much compared to something like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP.
“But that's kind of what's happening right now, is little cuts without a lot of thought as to that long term impact or combined impact that will ultimately really shake the foundation of some of these systems,” Bernard said.
A USDA spokesperson said the programs aren’t a priority for the agency. The department has provided notices that funds are no longer available, and the agreements will be terminated.
Drug Overdose Deaths Declining In Oklahoma
Drug overdose deaths in Oklahoma are declining.
Provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control suggest a 28% drop from the state’s peak.
The CDC tracks overdose deaths using a sliding twelve-month window. That way changes in trends aren’t just due to seasonal fluctuations.
In Oklahoma, the twelve-month window with the highest number of deaths ended in May 2023.
In that period, more than 1,300 people died.
But the number of deaths in the state is dropping and is expected to continue to do so.
“And the decline that you all have experienced seems sustained. It's not just a blip,” said
Nabarun Dasgupta, a researcher at the University of North Carolina, who has spent more than two decades studying drug trends and interventions.
Dasgupta and a team of researchers say, for the first time, deaths in all states, including Oklahoma, are on the decline from the highest peaks of the opioid crisis.
Oklahoma Lawmakers Push to Address Teacher Shortage with National Guard Career Pipeline
Oklahoma lawmakers are working to plug a shortage of teachers and recruits in the state’s National Guard.
Lawmakers are working together across the rotunda — and party lines — to create a National Guard to-teacher pipeline in Oklahoma.
House Bill 1243 by Copan Republican Judd Strom creates the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance program, which provides academic scholarships for qualified Guard members attending state trade schools.
"Currently, Oklahoma National Guard members in good standing are eligible for tuition assistance or scholarships for 2 or 4 year higher education programs or college," said Strom. "I believe we're missing the mark on all of these young people, to offer them the opportunity to learn and become certified in a trade."
Bethany Republican Tammy West’s House Bill 1465 also passed, which grants reservists of any military branch credits toward the teacher pay scale based on their years served.
Together, the measures encourage graduating high school students to join the reserves while attaining a college degree.
State Lawmakers Considering Legislation On Breast Cancer Screenings
More breast cancer screenings would be covered by insurance under a bill approved in the state House.
The author, Democratic Representative Melissa Provenzano of Tulsa, said it's important to expand coverage to low-dose mammography screenings and diagnostic and supplemental screenings, without costing more.
“1 in 8 women in America are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes. Early detection is key to saving lives,” Provenzano said.
Provenzano said more than 32-hundred women in Oklahoma were diagnosed with breast cancer last year.
The bill now goes over to the Senate.
This story was produced by Sam Moore at The Freelancer.
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