By throwing out a cigarette fee as unconstitutional, the courts confirmed what we suspected to be true since the day the Legislature passed a gimmick-filled budget. But unless lawmakers go into special session and find a way to replace that revenue, we will see massive cuts to SoonerCare, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and protections for the most vulnerable seniors, children, and people with disabilities in our state.
You know the drill! Call, email, and tweet your two legislators, House Speaker Charles McCall, Senate President Mike Schulz, and Governor Mary Fallin to let them know that they get a second chance to get the budget right! Use hashtag #CallEmBack on social media but make sure you call the offices too!
(Also, #SaveOurStateOK and #okleg are good social media tags if you want to get fancy.)
After you reach out to ask legislators and the governor to finish the job in special session, let us know! Check in with Together Oklahoma in our Together OK Facebook group and in TOK Slack. Some people really need to know they are not alone before they take action. Every single one of us has a role to play in boosting this message and spreading the word!
Here’s the statement on this ruling from the Save Our State Coalition, which includes Together Oklahoma and about 20 other organizations:
Let’s help them make sure they get it right this time! #CallEmBack
