Friends,

Welcome to cooler temperatures everybody! It’s just so nice out. I hope everyone can enjoy the new season watching soccer or football, walking the dog, seeing the new Gathering Place bridge and dam – any way you can to remember that the outdoors are not forever miserable. In all things, seasons change!

Municipal Elections

For the first time since the City of Tulsa Charter changed in 2012, our municipal elections will be on the same ballot at the presidential election in November. Just a fun, interesting fact and more motivation for Tulsans to vote!

Town Hall

For our town hall on the 18th we will touch on current issues but also have a special report from the Attorney General’s office on the State’s opioid settlement funds. What exactly is the settlement, what the money can be used for and some of the grants that have been awarded. I was very happy to see that in conjunction with other partners, Tulsa Public Schools was one of the first awardees! Come join us and learn. And if there is an agency or service of the state you would like to feature at future town hall please let me know and I will invite them.

Department of Education LOFT Investigation and Call for Bipartisan Investigation

Many of you have consistently shared your concerns with me about State Superintendent Ryan Walters. I share those concerns and honestly feel sad that we have to spend so much time as legislators and citizens chasing his apparent unwillingness or inability to fulfill his constitutional and statutory duties. I want us to be spending our time taking advantage of all the potential that our Oklahoma students offer and figuring out what they need to be successful! But it is our duty to hold the Superintendent accountable for delivering – or not delivering – the funds apportioned to the agency.

The Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) is pursuing an investigation to this end. I am hopeful this report will be shared in October and, depending on the findings, create pressure to finally form the bipartisan committee to investigate impeachment. I support the formation of the committee and have for more than a year. Let’s understand what is happening with our tax dollars at the State Department of Education and get to the business of meeting the needs of our awesome students – they don’t get any dress rehearsals – their building block for a successful life is happening now.

Deep Dive On Childcare, Still

In preparation for my upcoming interim study on the impact of childcare on our economy, I have been sorting through a ton of data, visiting childcares, and talking to experts about the current state of childcare. So bear with me as I take you on a deep dive on the finances of childcare. It’s overwhelming to sort out, but we must persevere in this work. Currently our state economy loses $1.2 billion due to our workforce’s infant and toddler childcare challenges.

To figure this issue out, I think it’s important to understand a little about the state’s relationship to childcare. Licensed childcare providers whether in-home or center-based are licensed and regulated by the state. Oklahoma uses a star-rating system to indicate quality of the care, five stars being the best. The state pays the provider a subsidy rate tied to the star rating (more stars, higher rate).

Oklahomans needing childcare who are working or going to school and make less than $3,077 per month are eligible for a sliding scale of support from federal and state dollars which increases as the family income goes down. About two-thirds of the state’s providers take clients using subsidies. So if my family makes $3000 per month and needs care for one child, I pay $170 per month and the state pays the rest. If our income were to decrease, so would the co-pay. Everybody with one child making more than that $37,0000 per year pays the full freight of $10,000 to $12,000 per year. The income limit for support changes if more kids need care.

During these past few years, there has been significant additional federal dollars provided to stabilize and support this system through the pandemic. These supports have helped an already difficult business model improve while also somewhat easing the cost burden for families. The supports include an additional $5 per child who receives subsidy, free childcare for those working in the childcare industry (childcare teachers make an average of about $12 per hour), guaranteed payment for a certain number of absentee days (note that Oklahoma pays for attendance not enrollment), and waived co-pays. The federal dollars for these benefits run out September 30, 2024 thus putting our childcare providers in a bind to run their businesses and serve children with quality. Read more about expiring federal funds here.

As we lose the supplemental funds, childcare will lose capacity as many businesses will not be able to survive without these additional supports that more closely reflect private market costs and/or cost to families will increase. And because childcare is workforce infrastructure, we will lose employees because they cannot find or afford childcare. Check out this article that covers the national conversation around childcare and provides statistics reinforcing the massive difficulties in the system.

I don’t know how to fix it all and there are many federal level changes being debated. But it seems to me, there are some things we can do right now in Oklahoma. Next session, I will be bringing back a suite of childcare bills that incentivize employers to share in the cost of childcare as well as incentivize the childcare workforce itself. I also think the quality rating system needs examination, are childcares claiming they are five-star really five-star? Making sure this is right sized would afford for a better distribution of funds. Of course I will also be studying regulations and where they unnecessarily create cost but don’t improve safety. And finally, advocating for an adequate budget appropriation for our childcare that accepts subsidies to be sustainable and create the workforce infrastructure needed.

Enough for Now

It’s a lot, I know! I welcome your thoughts on solutions, your own experiences as a client or as an employer needing our childcare system to work! Be sure to tune in for my interim study on the House website on September 16, 2024 at 11 a.m.

As we progress through election season, remember that while I am a candidate, I am still your legislator and here to help however I am able with your state needs and policy concerns. I have a list of bills (beyond childcare!) for next session under consideration and hope you will continue to bring me ideas and needs to make sure we are utilizing the government for good. Take care and please, enjoy this weather.

Let’s Keep Going,

Suzanne