The Big Picture and What to Do About the Budget

By: Posted byKara Joy McKee Posted inInfo to Action/ Together Tuesday Updates

choicesThis legislative session is scheduled to end on Friday, May 27th.  You have JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS to get your friends to join us in calling and visiting their legislators to impress them with our need for a better budget.  Let’s do this! 

The Big Picture

Let’s keep the big picture in mind.  Right now we’re responding to a budget emergency, but the things we do in response can build our power, connections, and knowledge in ways that will help long after this emergency. By getting to know our legislators, understanding the legislative process better, and making connections within our communities, we’re growing our influence. The situation is bad now — we’re hopeful that we can get some wins to make it less bad in the short-term, but this emergency also can be a launching point for Oklahomans becoming involved in a whole new way to more us in a better direction for years to come.

The Plan

What Legislators Need to Do

  • OK Policy has put together a long list of revenue options for the budget emergency. They boil down to these main ideas:
  • Roll back recent tax cuts, starting with the most recent income tax cut that was never intended to take effect while revenues were falling and budgets were being slashed;
  • End costly tax breaks and tax loopholes, starting with the “double deduction” for state income tax;
  • Selective tax increases, starting with a $1.50 cigarette tax increase to avert catastrophic cuts to health care services;
  • Careful use of one-time funds.

What YOU Need to Do

Advocacy Strategy One– engage your legislators

Advocacy Strategy Two– help get other people to engage their legislators

  • Think of three friends who care about those devastating cuts to Oklahoma public schools, healthcare, and other essential services.
  • Help them get the talking points and contact their legislators

Advocacy Strategy Three

  • Compare notes with other constituents of your two legislators or with constituents of other legislators.
  • Talk about this in the Together OK Slack Channel (Join TOK Slack HERE)
  • Talk about it on social media (TOK Facebook and TOK Twitter @TogetherOK )
  • Get some folks together at a cafe to talk about the revenue.
  • Discuss what is going on and what we can do to get more of strategies 1 and 2.

Video of the #DoSomethingOK Webinar from Sunday, May 8th

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