Some issues that are worth talking about

I've grown tired of the news coming from the state Capitol and from Washington, D.C. It's the same old argument every day. The average American is screaming for someone to help them, but politicians keep marching to the same old tune. A large part of the problem is the issues politicians choose to talk about. They do more to divide us than unite us. Let me suggest a few “new” issues to talk about. Tax cuts, for example. Why not make overtime wages exempt from state income tax? I ran this bill in 2014, but it was never given a hearing in the House Appropriations and Budget Committee. Thousands of nonsalaried, blue-collar workers would have gotten to keep more of their paychecks had it passed. Why isn't the cost of college tuition, or the fees and fines banking institutions place on consumers, a hot topic? Why does a sick person have to sign a paper saying they agree to pay the bill before seeing a doctor? Why is a bank allowed to charge $30 for an $8 overdrawn check? Credit card companies and payday loan companies are limited on interest they can charge. Why aren't banks and credit unions regulated on overdraft fees? Do usury laws not apply to checking accounts? Why are insurance companies allowed to use a person's credit score to determine how much they pay for auto insurance? Does a bad credit score make you a bad driver? James Lockhart, Heavener Lockhart is a former Democratic member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.