Political notebook: Bill would authorize bond issue for new public health lab

Lab work: A bill authorizing a $58 million bond issue for a new state public health lab is being assigned to the Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget, state Senate Appropriations Chairman Kim David, R-Porter, said late last week.

Assignment to JCAB, as it is known, shortens the legislative process and is generally the first step for spending bills.

Debt service on the bonds would be about $4 million a year, David said.

Oklahoma's public health lab is more than 40 years old and in danger of losing its accreditation. Oklahoma would have to contract with another state for health lab services if that happens.

"We are in a position where we can invest $4 million annually in a new lab or spend up to three times that to pay another state to do it for us and put our citizens at risk in the case of a health emergency such as Ebola or Zika. It makes the most sense to invest that money in this critical piece of state infrastructure," David said.

Financial check: Among legislation passed by the Oklahoma House late Wednesday was a bill that began as a mandate for quarterly financial checks on all public assistance recipients, but is now an annual review of everyone on Medicaid.

House Bill 1270, by Rep. Elise Hall, R-Oklahoma City, originated with the Florida-based Foundation for Government Accountability, whose staff includes former state Rep. Tom Newell, R-Seminole, who resigned from the House late last year less than a month after being re-elected.

The bill was gutted after the Department of Human Services said it would have to hire an additional 500 workers to enforce HB 1270's provisions. By Wednesday night, all that remained was an annual check on Medicaid recipients that, according to some sources, is already done anyway.

Data indicates Oklahoma'sMedicaid programs have some of the lowest error and fraud rates in the country, but Hall said more oversight might uncover undetected assets, such as unreported lottery winnings or inheritances.

One-liners: Julie Cunningham was named executive director of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. She has held the position on an interim basis since October. ... The House last week passed a sales tax retention incentive intended to help revitalize the vacant, 33-story First National Center in downtown Oklahoma City.