Thousands of people now sit in our jails, sometimes for months before trial, simply because they’re unable to find the money to buy their freedom from a bail bond agent. This session legislators have a chance to correct that. SB 252, authored by Sen. Roger Thompson and Rep. Chris Kannady, will help end pretrial detention […]
Info to Action Blog
Include a boost for families in the budget
The 2019 Legislative session is coming to a close and budget negotiations are in full swing. As lawmakers work on the budget for next year, they have a chance include a boost for working families by restoring the full-value of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Write a letter to your legislators here. Take Action […]
Bail reform is being voted on tomorrow
Please contact members of the House Judiciary Committee and express your support for SB 252. This bill is on their agenda for tomorrow, April 2nd.
We need legislators to do the right thing for working families
The Earned income Tax Credit (EITC) is a highly effective anti-poverty tool that boosts works and keeps families out of poverty. Write to your legislators and ask them to restore this tax credit this session by going to oksays.com.
Help end disparities in Oklahoma’s criminal justice system
Oklahoma has the highest incarceration rate in the nation. This crisis impacts some communities more than others. Contact your state representative today and ask them to support HB 1855 (by Rep. Brian Hill). This bill would require community impact statements for criminal justice legislation. A community impact statement reveals a proposed bill’s impact on underserved communities and makes sure legislation wouldn’t unfairly impact marginalized populations.
Help expand opportunities for Oklahomans to work
One mistake shouldn’t derail someone’s opportunity to support themselves and their family. Please contact your state representative and ask them to vote yes to HB 1373 (Rep. Zack Taylor) and HB 2134 (Rep. Cyndi Munson). These bills would prohibit blanket bans of individuals with a criminal history — only crimes that are violent or sexual in nature or that relate directly to the duties of the particular job or occupation could automatically disqualify an individual from a license. Find your state representative here.
Action needed to expand health care coverage
SB 605, a bill which would expand access to health coverage, passed out of committee last week on a unanimous, bipartisan vote and has now been assigned to the full Senate Appropriations Committee. Unfortunately, it has not been brought up for a vote and is not on the agenda to be heard. The deadline for bills to make it out of committee is this Thursday.
TOK Members go to the Capitol
February 7, 2019. It was Lending Reform day at the Capitol, and many advocates were eager to talk about better lending practices with their legislators. A week earlier, Together Oklahoma (TOK) held several events across the state for members of the community to join in on the conversation about predatory lending. It was here that three TOK members from the Carter County chapter decided to take action. On February 7th at 9 o’clock in the morning, those three determined members and TOK Southeast Field Coordinator, Kyle Lawson braved icy roads and a slick parking lot. “We had a unique group, each with their own area of concern,” he reflected.
Teacher pay raises are a good start, but it’s not enough
Oklahoma House members approved another teacher pay raise last week. HB 1780, which increases teacher pay by $1,200, passed unanimously and now heads to the Senate. This is good news for teachers, but a small raise will do little to address the conditions teachers have endured over the past decade.
Visits to the Capitol
For many Oklahomans, visiting a legislator is something new. Even those of us have been to a rally on the lawn may not have working knowledge of how to do one of the most important things you can do at your state Capitol — and that is to have a productive conversation with legislators. This tipsheet will go through each of these steps for how to do it:
