By Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy CEO Joe Dorman

When most people hear the term MIA, or Missing in Action, they think of it in relation to the military. In a recent speech to the Turning Point Council, I referenced how this acronym can also describe three attitudes that hurt our children.

The "M" stands for maliciousness, or manipulating the facts of a discussion to benefit one's own personal self-interest. Having worked at the Capitol for more than two decades, there is no question that there are factors at play that sway some to prioritize profit over the policies which could help the youngest of Oklahomans. This can be seen with some businesses that promote the sale of a product over health concerns.

Some put profits over good education or health policy. Others misrepresent, data to support a personal agenda over the common good.

The "I" stands for ignorance. This is more prevalent today thanks to social media posts that are shared, either by well-intentioned readers or closed-minded folks who refuse to see the entire story. The best way to stop this practice is to get the facts. Make sure what you are reading comes from a credible source before sharing.

The "A" stands for apathy. In my opinion, the greatest danger in the fight for children is also one of the most prevalent dangers: apathy, or a lack of passion. Seeing apathy from those who have influence or the ability to make a difference is extremely demoralizing for those of us who want to see a better future for the children of our state, our nation and the world. When people decide it is "not their fight" or they simply do not have time to make their voice heard, malice and ignorance are able to grow stronger.

The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) was formed in 1983 to battle against the malicious, ignorant and apathetic treatment of children in state custody. The OICA works every single day to overcome the MIA attitude we face from far too many people. To stop being MIA in the fight for child advocacy, simply do not believe what you are told about policy without investigating it first, do not spread misinformation without verifying the source is speaking the truth, and do not just sit back and assume that others will do the work that is required.

If you want to be a part of the solution, I strongly encourage you to register and attend our 2019 OICA Fall Forum on October 1-3 in Oklahoma City. We will have lawmakers present to discuss a myriad of policies to better the lives of our youth. Attendees will have the opportunity to help OICA shape a solid list of goals for improvements which can be implemented by the state, and they will be surrounded by like-minded champions wanting better for our state. Please do not be missing in action for this. Together, we can make a difference.

Go to oica.org or learn more about the 2019 Fall Forum and how you can be a part of the solution.

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Rhonda Baker (R-Yukon) has scheduled two education interim studies to examine the availability of Advanced Placement courses in public high schools and to take a deeper look at Work Ready Initiatives to better prepare students for the workforce.

The studies will take place at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Sept. 4 in Room 432-A at the state Capitol.

“I want to make sure Oklahoma students have every avenue for taking rigorous coursework in high school and that they have full access to training and certification programs so they are prepared for college or the work force by the time they graduate,” Baker said. “Having a skilled and educated workforce not only benefits the students but broadens our job market and will boost our state’s economy to everyone’s benefit.”

The study on Advanced Placement (AP) courses, at 8:30 a.m., will examine the availability of these courses in schools across the state. Additionally, it will allow lawmakers to look at data that shows the success rates of students in those courses to give them ideas on potential legislation that could increase student outcomes by providing more of these rigorous curriculum options to students.

Baker said the focus is not to push a particular coursework vendor, but simply to show lawmakers and anyone else interested the value of AP coursework. Studies show that students who take AP courses in high school are better prepared for college coursework. In addition, students can earn college credits based on scores on corresponding AP tests. This saves students and parents thousands of dollars in college tuition, she said.

AP courses, however, are only one way for high school students to earn college credit. Also very popular are concurrent or dual enrollment courses. This study is in no way intended to diminish those offerings, Baker said, but merely to ensure schools are apprised of all of their options to help prepare students for higher education and the workforce.

Speakers scheduled to speak on this subject are:
• Ryan Walters, executive director of Oklahoma Achieves, an education initiative of the State Chamber;
• Representatives from the Oklahoma State Department of Education (SDE);
• Shawna Nord, career and academic connections academic coordinator with the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology (CareerTech);
• Rebecca Wilkerson, executive director of the State Virtual Charter School Board; and
• Nate Meraz, superintendent of Elgin Public Schools
• Dr. Sarah McKenzie, executive director of the Office for Education Policy at the University of Arkansas

The Work Ready Initiatives study, at 10:30 a.m., will focus on connecting internships or work study options with students and businesses in the hope of providing more training and certifications opportunities to students.
Some districts and counselors are forging ahead on this, and the interim study will take a look at their successes, Baker said. The study also will examine the partnership between CareerTech and Higher Education in training students in much needed areas such as nursing and other fields of high demand.

“We must train our workforce in skills that are marketable and job ready,” Baker said.

Speakers on this topic will include:
• Stephen Pruitt, president, and Meagan Crowe, policy analyst, with the Southern Regional Education Board;
• Lesa Hefner, teacher of the year for Duncan Public Schools;
• Don Raleigh, superintendent of Pryor Public Schools;
• Representatives from the SDE; and
• Dr. Marcie Mack, state director of CareerTech.

Press release

Veolia North America, which originates from France, defended their poor performance in making clean water for the city of Heavener this week by saying, “We know that many residents are understandably asking why the water that reaches their homes is sometimes discolored and flecked with minerals.”

Veolia, along with Heavener city leaders, also wants to put the entire blame of discolored water all on an aging water piping or water line system. This is completely inaccurate, said state Rep. Lundy Kiger (R-Poteau).

“Veolia said they don’t know what my motivations are and I should have contacted them first,” Kiger “They went on to say that ‘Veolia is working to make sure the people in this community are getting the very best service possible in our water plant.’ This has been going on for decades so the time to ask permission has long passed.”

The following statement is from Kiger to Veolia and to city leaders on behalf of the people and businesses in Heavener who he represents in House District 3. He said he and his consituents are tired of putting up with the practices of Veolia and the city.

“All cities have aging water systems that move water from the water treatment plant or the source of making potable water, and you will at times find discoloration in water in some cities. But even Veolia on a rare day will produce clean water; so it’s possible. But even after spending over $8 million, the city has experienced dirty water for over 25 years. The time for this to end is now!

“When the people and businesses of Heavener contacted me, it wasn’t just about discolored water, it was about dirty, nasty, black water that stinks like sewage that people couldn’t drink or even use most days for the simplest things such as bathing or washing their clothing. So this results in people having monthly water bills running at times over $100 and having to buy bottled water for their everyday necessities. This is unacceptable!

“My actions and my comments are on behalf of the people and business owners of Heavener, and I stand by every comment I’ve made, including that Veolia North America – which is getting paid $192,000 a month by the citizens of Heavener – doesn’t know how or just doesn’t care to make clean water under their current leadership.

“The residents and businesses of Heavener cannot drink the water and cannot use the water on ‘many’ days due to being black, not just discolored.

“Dirty water is also affecting the poultry industry (including growers) resulting in OK Foods having to shut down operations, sending workers home and chickens back to the farm, and killing the economy of the region, because the water is too dirty to clean up. Every business in town is affected and spends money monthly on water filters and purification systems.

“I spoke with the city manager, a portion of the City Council and the Heavener Utilities Authority (HUA) before holding my first Town Hall meeting on behalf of the people. These leaders stated to me that they had received no complaints, and there was also no money available to fix the aging water system. These both were proven wrong, and frankly I believe this issue is over the heads of many city leaders and Veolia is taking advantage of everyone.

“I worked in industry for over 27 years and I don’t make statements like I’ve made unless I see they are warranted.

“I have taken these complaints, researched the water quality with five different independent water quality experts and companies, and I stand by my claim that Veolia continues to put the screws to everyone who lives, works or receives a water bill from the city of Heavener.

“Veolia claims the water is compliant when it leaves the water plant. We provided to the people this week a presentation by a real water company showing how water that’s over-treated with chemicals may show compliant at some points in the process, but will show up black after a short period of time as it moves into the water lines. This is how Veolia justifies producing clean water and blaming city water lines. The water is more than discolored at times; it’s black. and people can’t use what they’re buying. Enough said!

“The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality inspected the plant on August 28, 2019, and within the next 30 days we will see what the agency found. I don’t believe this will be the last visit that DEQ makes to the plant, and soon the real source of black water will be discovered and corrected.

I believe we will see that those who really run the plant, even though they may have the best intentions, don’t have a clue as to what their actions are causing in homes and businesses. And with these poor water quality results, you normally see improper maintenance at the plant and on equipment also lacking and contributing to the overall problem.

“For $192,000 a month, Veolia should have made it a priority of producing clean water for the citizens and businesses of Heavener. And with over $8 million being spent by the city most of the aging water pipes should have been replaced.

“But an aging water line system doesn’t produce black water (with manganese and other metals) that’s unusable and not fit to drink or use on a daily bases.

“Veolia and those on the City Council who take this position should be ashamed to allow this to continue for so long and for defending the actions of Veolia.

“This year isn’t the first year that Veolia has been getting paid by the city for operation of the treatment facility and/or sewer plant. And today isn’t the first time that ‘conflict of interest’ has been discussed with a council person and water treatment plant manager. I also believe that is a real part of the problem. Time will tell.

“I will continue to hold Town Hall meetings in getting to the bottom of black and unusable water. I’ll communicate the real findings of DEQ over time regardless if I’m accurate or inaccurate in my statements. And with the support of the people of Heavener, this town will soon begin receiving the only things we want, clean water everyday that’s usable, even with an aging water line system!”

By Congressman Markwayne Mullin

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, establishing a minimum wage was one of the main ideas that activist groups had to end sweatshops, where workers were being forced to work in terrible conditions for low wages.

The federal minimum wage in the United States has been in place since 1938, when Congress passed and President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act. It was originally set at $0.25 per hour and has been raised 22 times, most recently in July 2009 to $7.25 per hour.

Earlier this year, Pelosi Democrats passed H.R. 582, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025. We have seen record low unemployment rates and historic economic growth under President Trump, but this one-size-fits-all legislation would take all of that away. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that if their bill was signed into law, it would kill 3.7 million jobs. That would be the equivalent of every person in the entire state of Oklahoma being told “you’re fired.”

The effects of raising the minimum wage are not only hypothetical. Some states and cities have already seen the detrimental effects of raising the minimum wage. A study of Seattle’s Minimum Wage Ordinance concluded that the wage increase to $13 an hour ultimately reduced hours for people who worked in low-wage jobs, resulting in a lower monthly income. The higher wage ended up hurting lower income employees more than it helped.

Employees are the ones who set the price and drive the job market. The unemployment rate in the United States is currently 3.7 percent and wages have been rising on their own. Employers are competing to get the best employees and are paying higher wages to recruit the top talent.

We all want Americans to have good-paying jobs, but raising the minimum wage is not the answer. With 6.9 million open jobs in our country, we should provide people with the education and resources they need to succeed. The market should determine what people are paid for their work, not the federal government.