(Many of you have items on your ballot today so don’t forget to check! Go to the election board website to look up your ballot or check out the resources on badvoter.org)
We have seen the chaos of special session devolve into a slash and dash band-aid on the gushing wound that is our state budget. I don’t know about you, but I am not impressed. As David Blatt so aptly put it in a statement from OK Policy yesterday
“Lawmakers had PLENTY of sensible options for recurring revenues that could have balanced the budget responsibly. Instead, they are doubling down on one-time money and cuts.”
We will be watching what they do this week. Keep your eye on updates from the Special Session FAQ on okpolicy.org to see what develops. Most likely our legislators will vote and adjourn this week.
So now what?
As many of you have noticed, I am transitioning out of my role as Together Oklahoma coordinator to become one of y’all, in the trenches, as a citizen advocate. I pledge to you that in the coming year I will be with you using all of our Together Oklahoma tools to express my dissatisfaction and to intensify the pressure on legislators to ensure that next session finally brings a different and better approach. Are you with me? It is time to get ready!
November 30th is our next big action and training and I need you there! Once again our statewide Together Oklahoma meeting will be video linked with multiple locations around the state and I want to see your face in person or on that monitor.
This will be my last meeting as coordinator so don’t let me down. I will be introducing leadership teams for TOK Tulsa, TOK OKC, TOK Norman, and hopefully other chapters as well. If you want to help organize a chapter of Together Oklahoma please make sure I have your information in the membership form.
It can be hard to keep fighting when times get this tough but please do not despair. We are in this together and we are NOT giving up!
With sincere gratitute and hope for the future,
-KJ McKee
