Health Care Services Bill Goes To Henry

Legislation encouraging charitable and faith-based groups to take a stronger role in providing health care services to Oklahoma's poor now awaits Governor Henry's signature, the bill's author said today.

House Bill 3143 creates the Compassionate Care Task Force. The group's mission will be to encourage voluntary and faith-based provision of free health services.

"State government must actively support the efforts of charitable health providers in every way possible," said Rep.Lance Cargill, R-Harrah. "Faith-based groups have a long and successful track record when it comes to providing for the poor, including health care services. We need to remove any roadblocks that hinder their efforts to serve and work in a collaborative way to address the needs of thousands of Oklahomans who lack adequate health insurance and medical care."

Cargill noted the legislation is similar to a law he authored last year allowing faith-based groups the opportunity to provide prison rehabilitation services.

The idea is also a result of Cargill's 100 Ideas initiative, which solicited ideas from the citizens of Oklahoma.

Share |

Grocery Sales Tax Cut Idea Makes '100 Ideas' List

A proposal by Senator Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, to end the state’s grocery tax made the list of “100 Ideas” made by Oklahomans to improve the state.

Over the course of the past year, more than 3,500 ideas were submitted through a website and thousands more were collected at “Idea Raisers” held by communities across Oklahoma. The proposal to end the grocery tax was the “Number 25” idea.

The book, 100 Ideas—Innovation for the Second Century, was released Tuesday.

The publication of the book was the conclusion of a year-long, bipartisan project getting Oklahomans more involved in the policymaking process as the state enters its second century of statehood.
In promoting repeal of the state grocery tax, the book states: “Oklahoma should eliminate the regressive grocery sales tax. Oklahoma is one of the few states in the nation that taxes groceries. Food is a basic necessity, and working families should not be taxed on food purchases at the grocery store.”

Gumm said he could not agree more. “Cleary Oklahomans have embraced the idea that ending the sales tax on groceries is an idea whose time has come,” he said.

“With a sluggish economy, there is no better time to move this proposal forward to put real money back into the pockets of working and middle class families as soon as possible. Not only will we directly help them, we give the Oklahoma economy an extra boost.”

Share |

100 Ideas Initiative Ends On Friday

House Speaker Lance Cargill's successful "100 Ideas" initiative wraps up its idea-gathering on Friday, the final day for submitting ideas.

Cargill has conducted idea-gathering events across the state; some of the ideas apparently will wind up as legislation in the next session of the Legislature.

The 100 Ideas Oklahoma website has more information.

Share |

100 Ideas Initiative Raises $487,000

The 100 Ideas Initiative has raised $487,000, with about half of it in in-kind donations, the group reports.

The Initiative was launched in January by House Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah. Former Rep. Thad Balkman, R-Norman, is the initiative's executive director.

The initiative includes a series of "IdeaRaisers," or forums, at which Oklahomans can share their ideas for the state's future. It also includes an interactive Web site, www.100ideasok.org, where people can submit their ideas online.

Major contributors to the organization are Chesapeake Energy and Chickasaw Enterprises, both of which provided $100,000. AT&T provided $50,000. Major in-kind donors included Cox Communications, $100,000 in television advertising; Lamar Outdoor, $61,200 in billboard advertising; and the Tulsa World, $60,000 in newspaper advertising. Expenditures totaled about $199,000, including $41.500 for staff and $30,000 for public relations and advertising.

Share |

OEA To Host Thursday 'IdeaRaiser'

The next IdeaRaiser for Oklahoma’s 100 Ideas Initiative will be hosted by the Oklahoma Education Association on Thursday, March 29 at 6 p.m. at Westfield Elementary School, 17601 N. Pennsylvania in Edmond.

The 100 Ideas Initiative is a non-partisan project designed to solicit the best ideas for Oklahoma’s second century. IdeaRaisers are public meetings designed to encourage input and discussion about those ideas and suggestions. To date, six IdeaRaisers have been held at locations throughout the state, and more are scheduled in the coming months.

100 Ideas Executive Director Thad Balkman said Thursday’s event has great potential for some fantastic ideas related to education and its importance. “I think this IdeaRaiser, much like our higher education event earlier this year, can bring some great minds together to come up with some groundbreaking solutions in addressing education related issues and improving our overall education system,” said Balkman. “The OEA has been very helpful in organizing this event and we are looking forward to a productive evening.”

The public is invited to attend Thursday’s IdeaRaiser. Reservations can be made via e-mail to rsvp@100ideasok.org or by calling 1-888-465-2007.

Share |

Florida House Speaker Co-hosts IdeaRaiser Event

Florida Speaker of the House Marco Rubio will be co-hosting an IdeaRaiser Friday in Tahlequah.

The IdeaRaiser, focusing on rural health, will feature the Florida speaker, who initiated Florida’s successful 100 Ideas program in 2005.

100 Ideas Oklahoma Executive Director Thad Balkman said organizers and participants were looking forward to hearing from Rubio. “We are all looking forward to the opportunity to hear from Speaker Rubio, particularly about Florida’s initiatives and success stories in health care,” said Balkman.

The rural healthcare IdeaRaiser will be held at Northeastern State University in the Ceder Room of the University Center. Registration will begin at 4 p.m.

In addition to Rubio, co-hosts include NSU President Larry Williams and his wife, Pamela, Oklahoma Speaker of the House Lance Cargill, the NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry and the Cherokee Health Science Center. Local legislators State Sen. Jim Wilson and State Reps. John Auffett and Mike Brown have been invited to the event, which is open to the public.

Those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP to info@100ieasok.org as space is limited.

Rubio started the Florida 100 Ideas program in September 2005. By the end of January, the Florida House had passed nine of the 100 ideas chosen by Florida’s 100 Ideas board. Ideas passed include adopting a uniform statewide building code and ensuring that insurance companies expedite payments for damages and consider expanding the short-term, no-interest bridge loan program.

Share |

100 Ideas Donors To Be Identified

The Tulsa World's Mick Hinton reports today that, "Thad Balkman, the executive director of the 100 Ideas Initiative launched by House Speaker Lance Cargill, said a list of its financial supporters would be released 'on a quarterly basis.'"

Share |

100 Ideas Advisory Board Members Named

The 100 Ideas Initiative, a statewide project launched a month ago to seek the best ideas for Oklahoma second century, has announced members of the project’s advisory board.

“Our advisory board members represent the best and brightest of Oklahoma’s various professions and backgrounds,” said Thad Balkman, Executive Director of 100 Ideas. “But one thing they all share in common is a thirst to bring innovation and new ideas forward for Oklahoma’s second century. I look forward to their participation in the idea gathering and selection process over the course of this year.”

Members of the board include: Carols Bermudez, Newalla resident and owner of Sonshine Services; Kirk Humphreys, former Oklahoma City mayor and real estate developer; Jonathan Small, resident of Edmond and a CPA; Daniel W. Pullin, Associate Vice President and Executive Director for the University of Oklahoma’s Center of Economic Wealth; Xavier Neira, Vice President Special Projects, Rooney Holdings, Inc.; Christopher B. Howard, Associate Vice President of the University of Oklahoma’s Honors College; veteran of the War on Terror; Rhodes Scholar and founder of the Impact Young Lives Foundation; Stuart Ericson, resident of Muskogee and a former lawmaker, now an attorney; Jason Ramsey, Policy Analyst OSU/A&M Board of Regents; Melissa McLawhorn-Houston, resident of Norman and a licensed attorney and Chief of Staff for the Office of Homeland Security; Tom Langdon, Edmond resident and vice president of Stephens Inc., an investment banking firm; Devon Shannon, Lawton resident, stay-at-home mother and wife of State Rep. TW Shannon; Tom Cooper, Tulsa resident and chairman and chief executive of the Warren Professional Building Corporation.

Along with House Speaker Lance Cargill, former Oklahoma governors George Nigh, David Boren and Frank Keating are serving as co-chairs of the 100 Ideas Initiative.

“I am honored to have these outstanding Oklahomans helping us find the best ideas from the best minds in Oklahoma as we seek citizen input from across the state,” said Cargill.

Executive Director Balkman said that 100 Ideas has partnered with the Oklahoma Community Institute, an organization focused on improving community planning and leadership and that 100 Ideas will share information about the project’s partners on a quarterly basis, beginning in the spring. Later this year, the advisory board will help review the ideas to select the best 100, to be published in a book.

IdeaRaisers are planned for February 13 in Tulsa at the Greenwood Cultural Center and February 16 in Tahlequah. In addition, future IdeaRaisers will address aviation, classroom education, public safety and transportation.

The first IdeaRaiser, held January 30 in Oklahoma City, attracted over 100 participants offering ideas on improving bioscience research and technology in Oklahoma.

For more information about 100 Ideas, visit the 100 Ideas web site online at www.100ideasok.org

Share |

Jabar Shumate Co-Hosts '100 Ideas' Event

Organizers of the 100 Ideas Initiative announced that Rep. Jabar Shumate (D-Tulsa) will be a co-host of the IdeaRaiser slated for Tuesday, February 13th at the Greenwood Cultural Center in Tulsa.

Shumate, vice-chair of the Children and Families Committee, is a member of the House’s Education Committee and Higher Education and Career Tech Committee.

The IdeaRaiser will focus on issues facing higher education. It is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. at 322 North Greenwood Avenue, in the center’s Gallery. Other co-hosts of the event include OSU-Tulsa President Dr. Gary Trennepohl, Rep. Terry Ingmire and Rep. Tad Jones, chairman of the Education Committee.

Share |

Muskogee Editorial: Disclose 100 Ideas Donors

Editorial, Muskogee Phoenix ~ State Speaker of the House Lance Cargill, who came up with 100 Ideas, told the Phoenix Editorial Board this week that he did not believe the initiative is required to follow state financial disclosure standards by reporting who contributes to the enterprise and how much they contribute.

Cargill kicked off 100 Ideas earlier this month, soliciting Oklahomans to submit any idea they have to improve Oklahoma’s future. The initiative includes public forums to spur discussion of ideas on specific topics.The end result will be, according to Cargill, a book of the best ideas that will be given to state legislators when they convene in 2008.

We like the idea behind 100 Ideas, but we don’t understand why organizers will not reveal what corporations, businesses and individuals are donating funds to make it happen.

Cargill said he did not believe the initiative needed to disclose its finances because it was a private enterprise and the proposed ideas will be as much for private enterprises and individuals as for government. That’s fine. But Cargill is a state legislator, soliciting ideas for the Legislature. The people heading this enterprise are former state officials — former representative Thad Balkman is the executive director and former Govs. David Boren, George Nigh and Frank Keating will serve as honorary vice-chairmen.

This is a very public enterprise that very well may produce legislation that provides state funding for enterprises involving private businesses, or it may place people at the helm of future state-funded projects.We don’t think it will please Oklahomans for someone in late 2008 to reveal that the state approved a contract with a private business to develop one of the 100 ideas and that business had contributed to the initiative.

It seems prudent — even if not required by law, and even if the donors are few and the donations modest — for the initiative to make available the list of financial donors and their donations.

Share |

First '100 Ideas' Reported By Cargill

The first 100 ideas have been logged, a majority of them coming through the new interactive website which was introduced one week ago by House Speaker Lance Cargill.

The site, 100ideasok.org, was launched as part of a statewide initiative to find the best 100 ideas for Oklahoma’s second century.

"The 100 Ideas Initiative has picked up real momentum over the past week, and I've been pleased with the level of participation so far," said Cargill, who officially unveiled the project on Jan. 10. "This first milestone shows that Oklahomans are excited about sharing their good ideas for our state's future."

Former Rep. Thad Balkman, executive director of the initiative, said he was excited to have reached the first milestone. “This is just the beginning of the 100 Ideas Initiative,” said Balkman. “We look forward to receiving the next 100 ideas and the next 1,000.”

Balkman said the ideas, submitted primarily through the website, www.100ideasok.org, came flowing in through e-mail, mail and through online submissions. “People from Elmore City to Henryetta to Tulsa submitted ideas,” said Balkman.

Submitted ideas ranged from eliminating the state sales tax on groceries to creating incentives for biofuels and biofuel research.

In addition to accepting submissions via mail, e-mail and online, the project will host “IdeaRaisers” across the state which will invite the public to attend, share and discuss varying ideas.

At the end of the year, 100 Ideas will publish a book with the best 100 ideas gathered from IdeaRaisers and the website. Balkman said an announcement detailing the specifics of the first two IdeaRaisers, scheduled to be held in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, will be released later in the week.

Share |

Cargill Launches '100 Ideas Initiative,' Names Balkman As Executive Director

Speaker Lance Cargill officially launched a statewide "100 Ideas Initiative" on Wednesday to find the best ideas for Oklahoma’s second century.

“As we embark on Oklahoma’s centennial year, our pioneer spirit is alive and well. I want 2007 to be Oklahoma’s year of ideas,” said Cargill (R-Harrah), who will serve as chairman of the initiative. “It’s time to harness that spirit to create a vision for our second century. The 100 Ideas Initiative will be a nonpartisan effort to seek the most innovative and forward-thinking proposals for our future. Let’s work together to make the next chapter of our state’s history even better than the first.”

At a press conference Wednesday, Cargill unveiled the interactive 100ideasok.org website that will allow citizens across the state to submit, track and discuss ideas -- as well as find out the latest news and calendar updates about the project.

Cargill said the first IdeaRaiser will be held on Jan. 30 in Oklahoma City, followed by a February event in Tulsa. More IdeaRaisers will be held across the state over the next year. At the end of the year, the 100 Ideas advisory board will help to assemble a book that will be published and disseminated to state leaders before the start of the next legislative session.

Cargill also announced that former State Rep. Thad Balkman would serve as executive director overseeing the organizational details of the initiative.

“I’m excited to be part of this historic endeavor,” said Balkman, an attorney and a Norman resident. “The 100 Ideas Initiative comes at the perfect time as we celebrate our state’s centennial and prepare for our next 100 years. I hope every Oklahoman will participate and offer their best ideas.”

Balkman and Cargill introduced members of the advisory board who will assist the initiative in its work throughout the year, as well as the development of a published book at the end of the year. Serving as honorary vice chairs will be former governors David Boren, Frank Keating and George Nigh.

At the press conference, Oklahoma Historical Society executive director Bob Blackburn also announced that materials from the 100 Ideas Initiative would be archived for the benefit of future generations.

Cargill first previewed the 100 Ideas Initiative last week in his acceptance speech on Jan. 2., when he distributed blank 100 Ideas notebooks to the 101 members of the House, Oklahoma’s 48 state Senators, the governor, lieutenant governor and other statewide office holders.

Share |

Balkman To Head 100 Ideas Initiative

Former State Rep. Thad Balkman of Norman will be named tomorrow as executive director of House Speaker Lance Cargill's "100 Ideas Initiative," The McCarville Report Online has been told.

Cargill sent this email today: "To All Members of the Oklahoma House: You are invited to attend a press conference that Speaker Lance Cargill will be holding this Wednesday, Jan. 10, to announce details of the 100 Ideas Initiative, a plan to spark innovation for Oklahoma's second century. Here are the details of the press conference: WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 10:30 a.m. WHERE: Oklahoma History Center auditorium, located at 2401 N. Laird Avenue (or the northeast corner of N.E. 23rd and Lincoln Blvd) in Oklahoma City, across the street from the State Capitol STORY AT A GLANCE: Speaker Cargill will announce details of the 100 Ideas Initiative, an effort to involve all Oklahomans in the process of sparking improvement and innovation in their state as it enters its second century. Details will include an interactive Web site where citizens can directly submit their ideas for a better Oklahoma, as well as the announcement of an advisory board for the 100 Ideas Initiative. Speaker Cargill welcomes your participation in this initiative, and we hope you will be able to attend the press conference Wednesday."

Share |