Sometimes it seems like many state legislators are in a bubble that the realities of life in Oklahoma cannot penetrate. This has been a hard year, but one positive takeaway is that I am seeing more of those bubbles burst. Thanks to your advocacy efforts, more legislators are hearing your stories. BUT so far that […]
Info to Action Blog
WHAT is going on at the Oklahoma State Capitol?
The Oklahoma mental health community delivered a press conference on Wednesday, October 18th that shook the state. If our legislators don’t act soon, many clinics will close, people will lose access to treatment, and Oklahomans will get furloughed or lose their jobs. We knew this could be coming, but many of our friends and neighbors […]
Legislators are headed back to the Capitol next week, and so are we
We’re hearing that legislators are likely to return to special session next Monday, Oct 9th, and we will be there too. Sign up for your shift visiting the Capitol or making calls to TOK members here! We will continue calling Oklahomans all weekend and activating them to speak out, because legislators need to hear from […]
NO new cuts! Fix the shortfall! Teacher pay raise! sing it with me now
Do you know what a big deal it is that Republican Senators are coming up to me at the Capitol saying, “I don’t know what we are going to do, but I can tell you this, NO MORE CUTS!” They are finally starting to get it! Saying it out loud is the first step to […]
Exactly how many of us does it take to level the playing field?
There are more than 300 registered lobbyists in Oklahoma. Some of them do this work for the right reasons, but many others are working for well-funded special interests who absolutely DON’T want what you want. If we are going to counterbalance money power with people power, we need effective citizen advocates to vastly outnumber the […]
5 Steps Toward Our Second Chance #GetItRightOK!
Good news! Our legislators will be in Special Session beginning Monday, September 25th. It’s good news because we don’t need to wait until spring to strengthen core services. Now that lawmakers have a second chance to get the budget right, they shouldn’t waste it. So I’m going to lay out how we can help them […]
How to ask a friend to join our efforts
Grassroots advocacy is more effective with more people! We don’t need you to try to go Lone Ranger in these situations, because legislators are not going to listen to only you or me. Asking people to help can be a little uncomfortable at first. You may feel nervous about the reactions you’ll get when you […]
Calling a Legislator
Calling a legislator can be a strong way to get their attention. Oklahoma legislators tell us that as few as 7 calls from their own constituents can prompt them to carefully a bill. Here is how to make your call effective: Find the phone numbers of your own two legislators and go ahead and put […]
Picture the most powerful and yet disempowered Oklahomans
Last week, we brought the Together Oklahoma info table and Oklahoma Jeopardy to the Jackson County Fair in Altus. It was a big hit with the kids and their parents in this key legislative district represented by Senate President Pro Tem Mike Schulz. We had such a great time in Altus that I found myself […]
#CallEmBack -Tell lawmakers to do the right thing in Special Session
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 […]
