April 30, 2019 Issue, Page 4 of 12

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Serving Western Oklahoma Since 1901 Bill is a way to help Oklahoma students The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City A program in place for several years has given low-in- come Oklahoma students the opportunity to attend private schools instead of struggling in their assigned public school. Legislators can widen that net by approving a bill under consideration. The Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholar- ship Act provides tax credits to businesses and individuals who donate to groups that give private school scholarships. The kids who benefit from the scholarships must come from families with no more than 300 percent of the income required to qualify for free and reduced-price lunches, have a learning disability, or live in a school district the state has said is “in need of improvement.” Scholarship donors get a tax credit equal to 50 percent of one-time donations and 75 percent for multi-year donations. Mane The credits are capped at $100,000 for qualified business donors, $2,000 for taxpayers filing jointly and $1,000 for individual tax filers. Tax credit payouts are capped at $5 million annually, with $3.5 million for donations to schol- arship groups and the remainder for donations to public comics.com EMAIL: [email protected] (19 AN PRewiS MoMeeL school grant organizations. Senate Bill 407 by Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, and Rep. Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City, would raise the cap to $30 An education hill worth climbing million and split the credits evenly between public school grants and scholarships. SB 407 also would expand the pro- gram to all districts; currently the law applies to districts with fewer than 4,500 students. Echols has noted that donations to the program are The Oklahoman, Oklahoma levels. The 60-member task University System of Okla- reconfiguring at schools, "but administered by nonprofits such as Catalyst Ed Fund. City force, created by the Oklaho- homa Board of Regents. The I think it's a better pathway Catalyst’s investments, Echols wrote in The Oklahoman in ma State Regents for Higher mergers must be approved for future viability," he told February, “include innovative training programs for teach- In December 2017, a task Education, spent months by the Legislature; after the The Oklahoman recently. ers, college readiness prep for students and support for force that studied the fu- looking at ways to improve deadline, the state regents Johnson says that while unique technology initiatives like Chickasha High School’s ture of higher education in the system and decided merg- (with legislative approval) the state regents believe robotics team.” Oklahoma voted to give the ing boards would advance will decide which schools will this change is best, he also Scholarships help kids who are struggling in their as- governing boards of seven that goal. Sixteen 16 months be governed by which boards. thinks it may be wise to push signed public school to succeed elsewhere. Echols cited schools until June 30, 2019, to later no formal agreements Glen Johnson, the state's back talk about involuntary Cristo Rey OKC Catholic High School, which opened this merge with larger governing have been announced. higher education chancel- year and serves low-income students who rely on the schol- boards. As the deadline nears, ‘The schools impacted are lor, says "active discussions" mergers -- so if some mergers arships. “Without these scholarships, Cristo Rey would be the number of mergers stands Carl Albert State College, are ongoing regarding the aren't completed by the June unable to offer the same kind of affordable education to a at zero. Eastern Oklahoma State Col- mergers. As a former legisla- 30 deadline, there isn't im- traditionally underserved, minority-dominated communi- This isn't terribly surpris- lege, Murray State College, tor and university president mediate action by the regents ty,” he wrote. Some opponents have criticized this tax credit ing. These schools have been Redlands Community Col- (at Southeastern Oklahoma to force the changes. as benefiting wealthy corporations and taxpayers while governed the same way for lege, Seminole State College, State), Johnson also under- That's anod to the fact serving a small number of students. Others say it adversely along time, and so there is a Western Oklahoma State Col- stands the views of lawmak- any changes require legis- impacts public school funding. However, a study by two natural reluctance to change. lege and the University of Sci- ‘ers who oppose the mergers lative approval, and it will business professors at Oklahoma City University found that When the task force voted, ence and Arts of Oklahoma. and school officials who are take work to convince some state government saved $1.39 for every dollar in tax credits some members who rejected All but USAO are two-year uneasy about them. members that these moves issued during the 2017-18 school year. the idea said local governance schools. However, noting that are needed. We would cau- “The success of the program in offering a meaningful was important and worried ‘The task force recommend- higher education has had tion against a lengthy delay, education choice to scholarship recipients combined with that costs could rise if differ- ed that those schools’ govern- its budget cut by 26 percent the fiscal performance of the programs suggests room for ent regents were calling the ing boards voluntarily merge ($274 million) in the past however, because that could program growth in Oklahoma,” the professors wrote. shots. with either the University of eight years, Johnson says he result in nothing changing. The $5 million cap has been reached each of the past two On the other hand, this is Oklahoma Board of Regents, tells skeptics that the existing "It's not goingto be an easy years. We hope lawmakers will agree to raise it this year disappointing because it's the Oklahoma State Univer- governance model isn't going hill, but we're committed to and thus provide more children, many of them at-risk, a emblematic of the inertia sity and A&M Colleges Board to be sustainable forever. trying to get it done," Johnson chance to benefit from the program’s good work. that can grip education at all of Regents or the Regional ‘Mergers may result in some said. It's a hill worth climbing. U.S. Supreme Court hears freedom of information case involving South Dakota newspaper By David Bordewyk the SNAP payments data in dollars. Also, it would help your breath. arguments present the best of as best possible - something South Dakota Newspaper _ 2011. The newspaper won more clearly identify and un- Actually, that’s how it felt the rare opportunities. not easy when we are so Association in federal courts but a Hail derstand areas ofour country while sitting through 62 min- Isometimes found myself accustomed to reaching for Mary pass by the grocers put that are being served (or not utes of the oral arguments. I distracted from the argu- our phone to take a snapshot Tositin the courtroom of _the case before the Supreme served) by the SNAP program felt as ifI were holding my ments because I became of everything before us. the Supreme Court of the Court this year. and what this government breath the entire time. absorbed in watching the United States and watch the The case in part pivots on program means to our soci- The hour was intense, fast- body language and subtle ‘There was very little noise nine justices in action isone __the definition of the word ety. In short, public release of paced and riveting. interactions among the or distraction throughout the thing. To sit inthe courtroom — “confidential” in the federal this information matters and Evan Young, the attor- justices. For instance, Justice proceedings, except the few and watch the justices inac- Freedom of Information Act. serves a public good. ney representing the Food ‘Stephen Breyer on more than times when the audience of tion when the issue is about Attorneys arguing against However, because this is Marketing Institute, was less one occasion after he posed a few hundred would laugh freedom of information and _the release of the SNAP data the U.S. Supreme Court, this than a minute into his oral alengthy question would softly at Justice Breyer’s the public’s rightoknow in _said the Court should rely case looms larger than just argument when Justice Sonia glance over at Chief Justice engaging comments. Americas a privilege. on amore strict, dictionary- the SNAP data request. It’s Sotomayor interrupted him John Roberts, as if to say, At 11:07 am., after five So it was on April 22 thatI _ type definition of the word rare that a case involving the with a question. “What did you think about witnessed the Supreme Court confidential. The attorney for federal Freedom of Informa- Quickly, other justices that question, Chief?” minutes of rebuttal argu- hear oral argumentsinthe the Argus Leader said that tion Act and the press comes began peppering the attorney Or, that Justice Samuel ment by the grocers’ attor- case of Food Marketing Insti- over the years Congress and before the Supreme Court. with questions. A volley of Alito spent much of the hour ney, Chief Justice Roberts tute v. Argus Leader Media. _the courts have developed a If the court decides to adopt questions and answers en- rocking back and forth in his abruptly announced: “Thank This case is about grocers standard for the meaning of the grocers’ argument in this sued throughout. At least 63 high-back leather chair. Or, you, counsel. The case is andthe federal government _ the word asit relates to the case, it could deliver a huge questions were asked by eight that Justice Brett Kavanaugh submitted.” wanting to block the public Freedom of Information Act blow to the public’s right to ofthe nine justices during sat upright and almost on ‘And that was that. Now we release of information about _law and the standard should know. Remember the news the 62 minutes of arguments. the edge of his chair, lean- government payments to remain. stories about the military pay- Only Justice Clarence Thom- ing forward to listen to the must wait until sometime businesses participating in Big deal, you say? ing $640 for a toilet seat? That as did not ask a question, but presenting attorneys. Chief later this spring when the the Supplemental Nutrition Why should we care about sort of thing may no longer be he rarely ever does. Justice Roberts appeared to Court will announce its deci- Assistance Program (SNAP, SNAP data? And should we known publicly if the court It’s fascinating to watch the be the least animated or fidg- sion in this case. commonly known as the food (the public) even need to see were to dramatically roll back Supreme Court in action. It’s ety. He looked head-on at the Hold your breath. stamps program). this data? 40 years of FOIA law as it not often the public gets to. presenting attorneys and his David Bordewyk is execu- The Sioux Falls Argus The Argus Leader has relates to this specific exemp- see all nine justices together. demeanor and facial expres- tive director at South Dakota Leader has been pursuing reported extensively the past tion in the law. Perhaps on TV when the pres- sion rarely changed. this information for the past _ decade on why this informa- The ripple effect on FOIA ident delivers the State of the Since no electronic devices ‘Newspaper Association. decade, The newspaper filed __ tion is important to the public. law coming from this court Union address to Congress are allowed in the courtroom, SDNA represents the state’s its first federal Freedom of _It would help protect against decision could extend far and or when the justices pose for one must try to capture a 125 week and daily newspa- Information Act request for waste and abuse of taxpayer wide. In other words, hold a Court photo, but the oral mental image of the scene pers.