Interim studies hosted by members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives are open to the public, and interested individuals and organizations are encouraged to participate and provide input.
Findings and recommendations from interim studies are used to inform future legislative efforts.
Members hosting interim studies encourage those wanting to join the conversation watch the livestream at okhouse.gov or reach out to lawmakers directly.
School meals: Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, is set to host an interim study focused on free school lunches and their impact on child nutrition. The study, set for 8 a.m. Monday, Oct. 2, aims to explore recent developments in school lunch programs and assess the potential cost of expanding eligibility for Free and Reduced Lunch programs. The study was partly inspired by increases in lunch debt due to the expiration of pandemic-era federal programs.
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Topics include the connection between nutrition and child brain development, food insecurity in Oklahoma, and school lunch economics. Speakers: Dr. Robert Murray, pediatrician; Chris Bernard, Hunger Free Oklahoma; Shonia Hall, nutrition program director at Oklahoma City Public Schools.
“Effective school nutrition programs are a boost to learning and a powerful way to fight food insecurity,” Waldron said in a statement. “Our study will examine the data to show how we can improve and expand school lunch access to yield even more benefits to Oklahoma schoolchildren.”
A-F grades for schools: An interim study set for 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 2, will examine the value of A-F report cards when rating the quality of public schools across the state.
Presenters will discuss how absenteeism affects schools’ grades, pros and cons of the bell curve system, systems used for Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) compliance and school evaluation, and alternatives to existing methodologies.
Speakers: Michael Tamborski, Oklahoma State Department of Education; Jeanene Barnett, Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration; and Sandra Valentine, formerly with APlus, who will explain the A-F report card scoring process.
“The study seeks to update and improve our system of school assessment by looking at alternative models that can add value to our understanding of school performance, and point the way to improving student learning,” said Rep. John Waldron, a former Tulsa Public Schools teacher.
Also speaking to the committee will be Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Rob Miller, Stillwater Public Schools Superintendent Uwe Gordon and Stillwater Public Schools board member Marshall Baker.
Daylight saving time: An interim study at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, will discuss whether Oklahoma should stop springing forward and falling back.
“There’s been great confusion in the past about whether or not Oklahoma can lock the clock and move to either Daylight Saving Time permanently or Standard Time,” Rep. Kevin West said. “There are strong beliefs on each side of this issue. My hope is to discuss Oklahoma’s options under federal regulations and to determine the pros and cons of any move so we can decide if future legislation would be needed or successful.”
Speakers: Jay Pea, president and founder of Save Standard Time; Jeffery Gentry, researcher at Eastern New Mexico University; Robert Scott, aerospace engineer and OSU grad; Karin Johnson, medical director of the Baystate Health Regional Sleep Program and vice-president of Save Standard Time.
Domestic violence: An interim study set for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4 will focus on ways to better assist domestic violence victims and to address the generational impact of such abuse.
“I’ve talked with countless individuals and organizations who are excited to help Oklahomans and offered their assistance in any way. Together I’m hoping these subject-matter experts can help us understand what works and how better we can help these victims,” said Rep. Ross Ford, R-Broken Arrow. “I want to look at early intervention, programs that will help empower victims to leave their attackers before it is too late, and that help show what healthy relationships look like.”
Ford, a former police officer, noted that Oklahoma ranks highest in domestic violence for both men and women and third in the U.S. for the number of women killed by their significant others.
“I think with the position we’ve found ourselves in, it’s imperative we don’t just try to go back to the old method that allowed our state to rank the highest in domestic violence,” he said. “Instead, we must look at a variety of options and organizations to try and break the generational cycle of abuse our state is in. While it is important to look after the victims, I want to ensure we are also doing what we can to help educate and prevent future victims.”
The death penalty: An interim study set for 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, will examine whether Oklahoma lawmakers should enact a moratorium on executions.
Speakers: Adam Luck, former chairman of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board; Emma Rolls, federal public defender; Andy Lester, former federal judge; Demetrius Minor, Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty; death row exoneree Herman Lindsey; and Robert Dunham, Death Penalty Policy Project.
“The time has come for Oklahoma legislators to reckon with the injustices inherent in our state’s death penalty,” Luck said. “My front-row seat to the system informs my decision to officially join Oklahoma Conservatives Concerned and to call for a moratorium on executions.”
