News
Shelly Hickman
State leaders might have lost what some said was a high-stakes gamble when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate to purchase health insurance. As a result, a health care exchange required under the ACA will have to be established for Oklahoma, which some observers say means it is likely the federal government will be the entity creating it.

Commentary
Jonathan Small
Remember State Question 744? It required the state to raise its annual per pupil expenditures to at least the average rate of surrounding states. The measure did not raise taxes or designate funding. It was estimated that, if passed, SQ 744 would have increased state spending on common education by $830 million.

Commentary
Mike Brake

Oklahoma was bright red on Nov. 6; the nation went a very pale blue.

CFN
Gazette staff
The owners of Hobby Lobby and Mardel are continuing their quest to keep the Affordable Care Act from forcing them to provide emergency contraception insurance coverage to their employees. That vow — presumably made with a fist waved righteously in the air — came after U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton on Nov. 19 denied a preliminary injunction sought by the Green family, which owns the Christian-oriented businesses.

CFN
Gazette staff
Why does the standoff between Gov. Mary Fallin and the Affordable Care Act remind us of the battle between Sylvester and Tweety Bird?

Letters to the Editor
Kevin Acers
When Gov. Fallin announced that Oklahoma will not participate in the expansion of Medicaid under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, she revealed political cowardice and recklessness of judgment. She may as well have proclaimed of our state’s low-income citizens, “Let them eat cake.”

News
Clifton Adcock
Perlinda George, a student at Oklahoma City Community College, had hoped to sign up for coverage in an expanded Medicaid program under the auspices of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Commentary
Rep. Doug Cox
Jane is in the emergency room complaining of stomach pain. This is her third ER visit in two weeks. She is worried about losing her job because of the missed time.

Letters to the Editor
Wanda Jo Stapleton
Gov. Mary Fallin’s ruthless refusal to expand Medicaid coverage to low-income Oklahomans is typical of the way her past political actions have harmed Oklahomans.

Commentary
Kate Richey

For nearly 50 years, Medicaid has provided basic medical care to the poorest and most vulnerable Oklahomans. While Medicaid is the state’s primary safety net health care provider, many of the state’s poor are not currently eligible. The vast majority (93 percent) of those covered now under SoonerCare/Medicaid are children, seniors, disabled adults and pregnant women.