TRANSCRIPT
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Dick Pryor: This is Capitol Insider, taking you inside politics, policy, and government in Oklahoma. I'm Dick Pryor with Quorum Call publisher, Shawn Ashley. Shawn, we frequently talk about bills advancing in the legislative process, but Thursday was a deadline for bills to make it out of committees in the opposite chamber, and some notable bills failed to advance.
Shawn Ashley: That’s right. Two of House Speaker Kyle Hilbert's bills, House Bill 4423 and House Bill 4424, did not receive a committee hearing. And that's very unusual for a legislative leader's bill not to at least be heard in committee. These are the bills that require verification of a person's immigration status before they can receive state benefits, such as Medicaid or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, and prohibits undocumented immigrants from receiving those benefits. Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton is the Senate author of the measures, and he said Thursday he did not move forward with the bills because of their potential unintended consequences, particularly discouraging pregnant mothers from seeking proper health care.
Dick Pryor: Votes to put two state questions on the August primary runoff ballot also failed. One of those state questions would change the membership of the Judicial Nominating Commission. The other would remove Medicaid expansion from the Oklahoma Constitution. So, what is the status of those measures now?
Shawn Ashley: HJR 1024, which modifies the membership of the Judicial Nominating Commission, has passed both chambers and currently would be on the November ballot. House Bill 4440, the Medicaid expansion question, is still making its way through the legislative process. Both of those measures are in a bill that would put them on the August ballot, House Bill 4063. It passed the House and was supposed to be considered Thursday in the Senate. Paxton laid that bill over. He told reporters there was not enough votes to pass it, but he planned to talk to senators and try to round up the votes for passage on another day.
Dick Pryor: Lawmakers have already taken two attempts to get the state question on Medicaid expansion on the primary runoff election ballot in August. At this point though, do they even know what that state question would say?
Shawn Ashley: No, they don’t. Since it was amended by the Senate and returned to the House, the House has yet to accept or reject those amendments. So, the language remains uncertain. Speaker Hilbert said the language won't be finalized until they know which ballot it will go on. Hilbert said Thursday, it would probably be premature to make a decision on the language, because quote, “some of that depends on the vote on House Bill 4063 and the timing of it, August versus November. We'll have those conversations with the Senate when the time comes.”
Dick Pryor: So why are Republican leaders moving so hard and so fast to put Medicaid on the August ballot?
Shawn Ashley: There are concerns about what the federal government is going to do in terms of Medicaid funding. House Resolution 1, Congress's “Big Beautiful Bill,” laid the groundwork for cuts to Medicaid funding, especially for the expansion population. Hilbert was adamant Thursday that the state question needs to be voted on this year so the legislature will know what it can and cannot do when it begins the next session next year.
Dick Pryor: There are already two state questions on the August primary runoff ballot and a vote to raise the minimum wage on the June 16th primary election ballot. Are there any other state questions possible coming out of this legislative session?
Shawn Ashley: Yes, there actually are. There is a proposed state question in SJR 39 that would lower the limit on the annual growth of the fair cash value for property tax purposes that would slow the growth of property tax increases for taxpayers, and it would reduce revenue for local governments. It's pending consideration in the Senate. But Thursday Pro Tem Paxton noted he didn’t have the votes to pass it yet.
Dick Pryor: And a bill to watch in the week ahead would legalize sports betting in Oklahoma. What is currently proposed in that bill?
Shawn Ashley: House Bill 1047 would allow Native American tribes to offer in-person and electronic sports betting under their gaming compacts with the states. They would pay an exclusivity fee to the state, and those revenues would go to common ed and higher education. The bill failed Wednesday in the Senate, 21 to 27. Its author, Senator Bill Coleman, held the bill on what's called a notice to reconsider. And that gives him three legislative days to bring it back for another vote. He didn’t exercise that notice on Thursday, so he could bring it back Monday or Tuesday.
Dick Pryor: And what happens next on that bill?
Shawn Ashley: If it passes in the Senate, it would then go to the House for additional consideration. However, Governor Kevin Stitt has indicated he would not sign any legislation and would veto a bill that gave Native American tribes exclusive rights to sports betting. Therefore, it seems, Coleman needs not simply 25 votes to pass the bill, but 32 for a veto-proof majority. And then there's a possible state question looming in the dark that could put sports betting to a vote of the people.
Dick Pryor: That would happen later. Thank you, Shawn.
Shawn Ashley: You’re very welcome.
Dick Pryor: For more information, go to quorumcall.online. You can find video of Capitol Insider segments on the KGOU You Tube channel. Audio and transcripts are at kgou.org, and look for Capitol Insider where you get podcasts. Until next time, with Shawn Ashley, I'm Dick Pryor.
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