Latest news with #SuzanneSchreiber
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill aimed at tackling Oklahoma's childcare crisis moves forward
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Lawmakers voted to move forward with a bill that could ease the childcare crisis in Oklahoma. It would give companies a tax credit for helping workers with solutions to childcare. House Bill 1848 easily passed through the House on March 12 and will now head to the Senate side for consideration, but, it will face some challenges. The bill, co-authored by Rep. Suzanne Schreiber (D-Tulsa) of the House and Sen. Kristen Thompson (R-Edmond) of the Senate, would give employers a tax credit that they can use in three ways; provide child care onsite, give money to workers to cover part of the cost, or work with a licensed daycare center to reserve spots for the company's employees. Governor Stitt calls to extend the cap on Parental Choice Tax Credit Oklahoma-based company, Simple Modern, is on board with the program. 'We don't pretend to think that this stipend covers everything, but we think that it helps, and we want it to help,' said Jon Kuhlman, Chief Culture Officer for Simple Modern. 'That's the main goal behind why we do it.' Simple Modern employs 110 people. 'Child care is just so expensive that we just felt like it was something we really wanted to do to show our support for families who are balancing the desire to be healthy parents, a good parent, a supportive parent, but also who have career ambitions,' said Kuhlman. Rep. Schreiber tried to pass a similar law last session. 'We need to take it seriously,' said Schreiber in September while the bill was running through the legislature. But it failed in the final stretch. If House Bill 1848 becomes law, it would give tax credits of $30,000 per worker, spread over five years, to help cover the cost of child care. There would be a cap of $5 million per year. Those lawmakers questioning the bill said the focus should be on trimming the state's budget which was one of Governor Kevin Stitt's priorities this session. Schreiber said it would be money well spent because it would strengthen Oklahoma's workforce while tackling a major crisis. 'We're addressing an economic issue,' said Schreiber. 'We need a workforce. There's many families that have a single parent that may need to go to work that don't have a choice.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
09-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Oklahoma Democrats' agenda focused on cost of living, education, health care
AI-assisted summary Oklahoma House Democrats, despite being a minority, announced their legislative agenda for the 2025 session. Their agenda focuses on lowering the cost of living, improving education, and increasing access to affordable healthcare. The Democrats proposed several bills, including expanding free school lunch programs and preventing medical debt from impacting credit scores. Despite the fact they are a small minority functioning in a Capitol overflowing with Republicans, members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives' Democratic Caucus said recently they have a progressive, smart agenda for the 2025 legislative session. State Rep. Cyndi Munson, the head of the 19-member caucus, announced the Democrats' plan during a news conference at the Capitol. A majority of the caucus attended. Munson, a Democrat from Oklahoma City, said the agenda was simple: 'House Democrats remain focused on working Oklahomans and providing solutions to the real problems they face every day.' She said the plan includes: lowering the cost of living between paychecks, ensuring every child receives a free, quality public education and increasing access to affordable health care. "We will be very focused about what we heard on the door (during the campaign cycle)" Munson said. "The Number One thing we heard about was economic challenges, then education and health care." More:Health care, keeping politics out of classrooms: A look at Oklahoma Senate Democrats' 2025 agenda Cost of living, education and health care top agenda items Democrats pointed to six pieces of legislation as examples of their agenda. Those measures included: HB 1847 by Rep. Suzanne Schreiber, D-Tulsa, which would eliminate "unnecessary and costly" regulation mandating fire sprinkler systems for family home-based child care centers. The plan, the caucus said, was to make sure more child care was available to working Oklahomans. by Rep. Suzanne Schreiber, D-Tulsa, which would eliminate "unnecessary and costly" regulation mandating fire sprinkler systems for family home-based child care centers. The plan, the caucus said, was to make sure more child care was available to working Oklahomans. HB 1396 by Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa. This measure makes it unlawful to raise private school tuition as a result of the school opting to accept the Parental Choice Tax Credit. The bill also makes it unlawful to require that a parent apply for the voucher tax credit as a condition of school acceptance. by Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa. This measure makes it unlawful to raise private school tuition as a result of the school opting to accept the Parental Choice Tax Credit. The bill also makes it unlawful to require that a parent apply for the voucher tax credit as a condition of school acceptance. HB 1112 by Rep. Ellen Pogemiller, D-Oklahoma City. The bill would increase public school teacher pay by $5,000 and increases school support staff pay by 6%. by Rep. Ellen Pogemiller, D-Oklahoma City. The bill would increase public school teacher pay by $5,000 and increases school support staff pay by 6%. HB 2092 by Rep. Annie Menz, D-Norman. This bill expands the free school lunch program. by Rep. Annie Menz, D-Norman. This bill expands the free school lunch program. HB 1709 by Rep. Forrest Bennett, D-Oklahoma City. This measure would make sure medical debt accrued because of receiving life-saving care does not get reported to credit agencies. In addition to those bills, House Democrats announced an alternative to Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt's proposed cuts to the personal income tax rate. Munson said lawmakers need to be more mindful about the revenue needed to operate and fund core functions of state government. House Bill 2228, would expand and modernize an existing sales tax relief credit. That credit, which was orginally passed as companion legislation in the 1990s when Democrats controlled the Legislature and pushed through a giant education reform package, provided about $40 in sales tax relief for families meeting a certain financial threshold. "Our economy from 1990 to today is very, very different," Munson said. "This bill would increase the credit from $40 to $200 and expands the number of Oklahomans who would qualify for the tax credit." Provenzano said her bill would refine the requirements for the state education tax voucher bill. The measure, she said, pushes back against requirements being handed down by schools and by the schools' impromptu tuition increases. "For low-income families how do you make up that difference," Provenzano said. "The answer is, you don't. The practices highlight the false narrative of school choice." Menz, a Democrat from Norman, said success in school for a child comes down to a full belly. "We are expecting a lot out of our kids right now. We are mandating they learn all kinds of new things — the Bible. We are underfunding our support staff, taking mental health professionals out of our schools," she said. "And we're expecting our children to out perform when we are under delivering." One way to fight these issues is to expand the free lunch program. She said HB 2029 would assist school districts in tapping a new area of funding for nutrition programs and assist more families in qualifying for the program. "Hungry kids can't learn," she said. Bennett, D-Oklahoma City, said House Bill 1709 makes sure medical debt accrued because of receiving life-saving care does not get reported to credit agencies, which often destroys credit rankings. "Credit scores are vital," he said. "They help folks get homes and cars and a variety of other things. We are all consumers in this economy, and we all know the importance of a credit score." Medical debt, Bennet said, should not hinder a person's effort to achieve the American Dream. He said nearly 20% of Oklahomans have medical debt. Be the first to know:Sign up for breaking news email alerts "This is clearly something we need to tackle," he said. "We need to get this legislation passed so it can help, in case those people on the path to success get hit by injuries or illness." While Democrats say they have no misconceptions about their political strength or the clout they bring to the Capitol, they are quick to point to the number of seats they hold and remind Republican leaders that even with Donald Trump at the top of the ballot last fall, Democrats didn't lose any seats. The challenge now, Munson said, is getting good ideas through the Legislature. She said lawmakers like Bennett help make that heppen. "We understand what the challenges are. We understand what the barriers are," Munson said. Bennett agreed. He said he came into the Legislature at the same time as new House Speaker Kyle Hilbert. "He has been an honest broker with us so far," he said. "And we obviously have different priorities than our Republican colleagues." But good policy, Bennett said, can be accomplished if those pushing the idea aren't worried about who gets the credit. "We are interested in getting good ideas made into law," he said. "I'm genuinely trying to put my best foot forward with my Republican colleagues, and I hope talking about our previous success doesn't hinder our success in the future."
