A consumer archive of news sent from Oklahoma Policy Institute
“State decisions not to expand have cost the lives of 15,600 people.”
-Danielle Wells, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities spokesperson [KOSU]
The post Quote of the Day | November 15, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“A lot of the safety nets that we need in place in conjunction with core funding to our social services and punitive policies around criminal justice all kind of go together in this bucket that creates an environment that is not as conducive for child and family well-being as we would like.”
-Julie Miller-Cribbs, director of OU-Tulsa’s Anne & Henry Zarrow School of Social Work [Tulsa World]
The post Quote of the Day | November 14, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“Instead of incarcerating the individual, we want to get down to the root cause and provide the proper treatment, which will also increase the safety in our communities and reduce the prison population.”
-Theodis Manning Sr., a Midwest City pastor who teaches inside the Department of Corrections [The Oklahoman]
The post Quote of the Day | November 13, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“There may indeed be an ‘Oklahoma plan’ for Medicaid worth considering, but hopefully the governor won’t propose an ill-advised block grant scheme that will fail legal muster and, without Congressional approval, will almost surely never be implemented.”
-Former Oklahoma House Speaker Steve Lewis, writing about a consideration to use a Medicaid block grant program. [OK Policy]
The post Quote of the Day | November 12, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“I’m hoping that I’ve paved the way for the men and women coming behind me to know that they can get their pardon, that just because they wear the label of felon doesn’t mean that it has to stop them from accomplishing anything.”
-Rhonda Bear, a criminal justice reform advocate who was pardoned by Gov. Stitt on Thursday [Public Radio Tulsa]
The post Quote of the Day | November 8, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“You can’t just let people out and say ‘Good luck.’ There are so many variables when it comes to why someone is incarcerated and just being given the opportunity to get out doesn’t mean you’ve solved a lot of those problems so we have to be vigilant about going after those issues.”
-State Rep. Jason Dunnington speaking about criminal justice reform [KFGO]
The post Quote of the Day | November 7, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“It’s an overdue step, even, but really the real work for the community starts now in supporting our fellow Oklahomans. We want to make sure that we’re giving them all the tools that (we) can to be successful. They’re our neighbors.”
-Lynde Gleason, re-entry case manager at The Education and Employment Ministry non-profit group [The Oklahoman]
The post Quote of the Day | November 6, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“We have decades of politics and policy that led to our incarceration rates. Our system has been very punitive, it’s been based on retribution. But ultimately these reforms were directly the will of the people, the voice of the people.”
-Kris Steele, Executive Director of Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform [The Frontier & The Marshall Project]
The post Quote of the Day | November 5, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“Sometimes folks in these rural counties are having to choose between feeding their kids, buying medicine, putting gas in their car or making their payments to avoid going to jail.”
-Tim Laughlin of the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System. [Journal Record]
The post Quote of the Day | October 30, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“This is a complicated solution to a simple problem. The simple problem is gerrymandering, and the complicated solution is creating multiple firewalls to prevent the influence of partisan politics from corrupting the redistricting process.”
-Andy Moore, executive director of People Not Politicians speaking about the group’s redistricting ballot initiative. [NonDoc]
The post Quote of the Day | October 29, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“We are here to send a mandate that we are ready for Oklahomans to decide this issue at the ballot box.”
– Amber England, Yes on 802 campaign manager, speaking about turning in the largest number of signatures for an initiative petition in state history. [The Oklahoman]
The post Quote of the Day | October 25, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“We have made great strides in teacher pay and must now continue our investment in classrooms and student support. This budget request will help us reach the goals outlined in our eight-year strategic plan, Oklahoma Edge.”
-State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, speaking about the education department’s upcoming budget request. [Tulsa World]
The post Quote of the Day | October 24, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“We must focus on reducing all barriers to individuals seeking health care, such as poverty, stigma, and lack of health insurance.”
-Lori Tremmel, National Association of County and City Health Officials CEO, speaking about a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. [Tahlequah Daily Press]
The post Quote of the Day | October 23, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“It’s bittersweet seeing other states make advances while we are still sitting back with our hands tied. But really, what we hope will change here is the state and federal government living up to their end of the treaties and honoring those treaties. (Medicaid) expansion will remove the financial burden from the tribes to the proper place — the federal government.”
– Tyler Dougherty, a program coordinator for the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, which helps advocate for Native American tribes. [The Oklahoman]
The post Quote of the Day | October 22, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“Anytime you can prove to me that charter schools are doing a better job than traditional public schools, I’d be supportive. There’s just no indication I have seen that confirms that.”
-State Sen. Ron Sharp (R-Shawnee), a retired schoolteacher who taught in Shawnee Public Schools for 38 years. [Journal Record 
]
The post Quote of the Day | October 18, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“The walkout was never about a raise, it was about respect for education and that’s why the educator legislators are going have to fight to keep education at the forefront of the debate.”
– Rep. John Waldron (D-Tulsa), a former teacher at Booker T. Washington High School [NewsOn6]
The post Quote of the Day | October 15, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“We can’t afford to just squeak by. We need to deliver a message that will resonate across the state later this month when we turn in these signatures.”
– Amber England, manager of the Yes on 802 campaign, on why they will continue to collect signatures up until the October 28th deadline [The Oklahoman]
The post Quote of the Day | October 10, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“SQ 780 retroactivity is going to be life-changing for tens of thousands of Oklahomans, their families and communities. Unfortunately for me and many others who are getting our lives back together, the expungement fee (minimum of $1,000) is just too high.”
– Kayla Jeffries, who recently received commutation and was released from prison [NonDoc]
The post Quote of the Day | October 10, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“The effort has been very effective, and as of Nov. 1, hundreds of Oklahomans incarcerated for offenses that are misdemeanors will be eligible to return home to their families. These changes are a first step in meeting the governor’s commitment to make Oklahoma a Top 10 state. Recognizing that this is just the beginning of needed changes in the criminal justice system, it is a major step forward.”
– Gene Rainbolt, board member of Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform, on last session’s legislation to make State Question 780 retroactive [The Oklahoman]
The post Quote of the Day | October 9, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.
“We’re doing it in a public forum, and we’re allowing people to participate. We’re working with the (district attorneys), and I think the will of the people is clear: Get out the low-level, non-violent offenders. We don’t need to be incarcerating them. And that is what we’re working toward.”
– Steven Bickley, executive director of the Pardon and Parole Board, on how the Board is moving forward with the first group of incarcerated Oklahomans eligible for an expedited commutation process [The Oklahoman]
The post Quote of the Day | October 8, 2019 appeared first on Oklahoma Policy Institute.