By Vickie White Rankin

By the People Consulting

 

Oklahoma’s 2020 primary elections are notable for many reasons.  As a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, a record-breaking 141,000 absentee ballots were requested in our state.  Ultimately, 675,000 Oklahomans voted in the primary.

 

In Oklahoma State Legislative races, we will see a small handful of new faces.  After 25 races were decided in the primary, 5 new members were elected, while 3 incumbents lost their seats.  An additional 8 races proceed to the runoff in August. Many of these races are vital to health professions and the health and well-being of Oklahomans.  I will highlight just a few of the races here. 

 

Notable Races of Interest:  Three incumbent candidates had been heavily targeted by anti-medicine candidates.  All three incumbents won their primaries outright.  Rep. Cindy Roe, Advanced Practice Nurse, Vice Chair of the House Public Health Committee and House author of the Health are Worker’s Protection Act, was reelected to HD42 after winning her primary race by 61.64%.  Rep. Gary Mize, professional investment advisor, is a Floor Leader and a member of the Public Health Committee.  Endorsed by a variety of healthcare groups, Rep Mize was reelected to HD31 after winning his primary by 66.78%.  Senator Greg McCortney, Home Care and Hospice owner, Former Mayor and Pastor, is the Chairman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.  Senator McCortney has been a longtime proponent of Medicaid expansion, and sought ways to fund it in Oklahoma.  He was endorsed by many professional health care organizations.  He carried bills to allow patients the right to choose pharmacies, and to establish marijuana regulations.  Senator McCortney drew an opponent, Carissa Robinson, a proclaimed “abortion abolitionist” in the primary, when he refused to hear a bill that classified abortion as homicide and sought to criminalize licensed healthcare providers.  Senator McCortney will retain his seat after winning the primary by 74.58%.

 

Notable Senate Races:  Rep. Zack Taylor of Seminole won Senator Jason Smalley’s vacated Senate seat, and will fill his unexpired term.

 

Senate District 15:  Republican Pharmacist Rob Standridge has long served as Senator in this seat, representing this district and the state as Senate Majority Whip and as a member of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. He has been a strong advocate for health care, and has continually fended off attempts to privatize Medicaid through MCOs and private insurers.  Incumbent Senator Standridge drew two Democratic opponents who faced each other in the primary.  Alex Scott, a Norman City Council woman notable for her recent fight to slash funding for the Norman Police Department, won the Democratic primary, and will face Senator Standridge in the November 3 election.

 

Notable House Races:  Rep. Mike Dobrinski will replace term limited Rep. Mike Sanders, House Majority Leader, in the HD59 seat.

 

You may remember former Republican Rep. Rick West.  He was a one-term member representing HD3, who left office after voting against teacher pay raises in the 56th Legislative Session.  Rick West made the decision to run against Rep. Lundy Kiger for a potential return to his former seat, after Rep. Kiger voted in favor of updating a three decades old HIV Education bill.  Rick West hopes to return to the House, if he wins the general election against his Democrat opponent, Mike Sullivan on November 3.  Mike Sullivan is a Democrat attorney who served in the House 5 decades ago.

 

In HD15, Republican Rep. Randy Randleman won reelection by a landslide vote of 73.27%. Dr. Randy Randleman is a psychologist, and serves on the House Children, Youth and Family Services Committee.  He defeated Angie Brinlee to keep the seat.

 

Runoff Elections August 25:

 

Senate District 7:  Republican Incumbent Senator Larry Boggs was forced into a runoff with challenger, Republican Warren Hamilton.  The winner of this race will ultimately face Democrat Jerry Donathan in November.

 

Senate District 17: Longtime Republican Incumbent and former teacher Ron Sharp has been a healthcare advocate and supporter of nursing.  He finished in second place with 33.33% of the vote in a difficult primary, behind retired House member, Rep. Shane Jett who took 44.18% of the vote. Rep. Shane Jett was also tremendously supportive of nurses, health and behavioral health care while serving in the Oklahoma House.  The winner of the HD17 runoff election will face Libertarian Greg Sadler in the November General Election.

 

Senate District 43: Republican incumbent Senator Paul Scott is the perfect example of the importance of each vote in every election. Senator Scott failed to win the primary, and was forced into a runoff election by less than a single vote in each precinct! Senator Scott is a member of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.  He is a health care advocate and owner of a mobile X-Ray company. His daughter is a dental hygienist. Senator Scott will face Jessica Garvin, a nursing home administrator with Gregston Nursing Home, in the run-off election in August.  The winner of the runoff will compete with Democrat Teri Reimer in the November general election.

 

General Election Races November 3:

Senate District 3: Incumbent Senator Wayne Shaw lost his seat to republican nominee Blake Cowboy Stephens, a school counselor.  Stephens will face Democrat Dyllon Fite, supervisor at the Creek Casino, in the general election.

 

House District 100: Incumbent Rep. Marilyn Stark, a nurse serving on the House Health Services and Long Term Care Committee did not have a primary, but will face Democrat attorney and activist Summer Wesley in the November general election.

 

SQ 802:  Oklahoma became the 37th state to pass Medicaid Expansion with the passage of SQ802 by a vote of 50.48% to 49.52%.  Only 7 of Oklahoma’s counties supported the measure: Oklahoma, Tulsa, Cleveland, Comanche, Cherokee, Payne and Pontotoc counties.  However, the primary support that carried the constitutional Medicaid Expansion question to passage arose from the state’s two largest population metro areas:  Oklahoma City and Tulsa. 

Medicaid Expansion covers Oklahoma adults ages 18-64, earning 133% of the poverty level or less.  Using federal poverty guidelines, income below $17,236 annually would allow a single adult to be eligible for coverage, while adults with a family of four would become eligible with an income under $35,535 annually. Under the constitutional provisions of SQ802, the state of Oklahoma will now be required to pay for its’ portion of the cost (currently 10%), with the federal government paying the balance.  SQ802 generated considerable interest at the polls.  It provides that Medicaid Expansion will go into effect in Oklahoma on July 1, 2021. 

The Oklahoma legislature will have until that date to develop a workable funding mechanism to pay the estimated $164 million to cover the costs of the expansion.  Some advocates have suggested an increase in fees charged to hospitals to help capture federal funding, others suggest altering the apportionment of tobacco settlement payments to TSET (Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust) Funds via SQ 814.  Some would simply advocate for a tax increase.  None of these potential solutions are as straightforward and simple as they might sound.  Inability to identify a new revenue source to fund constitutionally mandated Medicaid Expansion would possibly result in the diversion of needed revenue from other critical core services like higher education and related healthcare workforce development, long-term care, mental health services, school nurses and health programs for infants and children under 18, for example.  As we move forward, one of the challenges for nurses and other health professionals and advocates will be to ensure that policy makers are not forced to “rob Peter to pay Paul.”  Creative thinking, encouraging and positive relationships with policy makers, and active involvement in the political process, will help overcome challenges to improving the health of all Oklahomans.