Quotes of the Day

“I’m 68 years old, and my voice is important. I was determined no matter what the hardship to continue on and make my voice heard.”

-Lynn Barnes speaking about her 90-minute wait in the pouring rain to cast her early vote on Thursday. [The Oklahoman]  

“Our health care system is getting overwhelmed. They keep wanting to know why the public is playing Russian roulette with their health and with the health of the health care system.”

-Dr. Bruce Dart, director of the Tulsa Health Department [Public Radio Tulsa]

“I believe in liberty, I believe in all those things. That’s why I joined the Army. That’s why I fought for the country. But these are things to keep America safe, and to keep our communities going. I don’t want to shut things down, and I want people to stay healthy and have their loved ones and everything like that. I don’t understand why people don’t understand what a big deal this is.”

-Dr. Roger Gallup, a pulmonologist and critical care physician working a COVID unit at Tulsa’s Saint Francis Hospital [Public Radio Tulsa]

“I certainly have a great concern for (detention officers’) well being, as well. It goes without saying that we do not have the staff that we need really on a day-to-day basis, let alone if we start getting people sick.”

–Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton, speaking about his concern for the safety of all individuals inside the Rogers County jail during the COVID-19 outbreak. [Tulsa World]

“Paying almost $300 a month for junk food just because the prisons care less about mankind irks my soul.” 

-The mother of an incarcerated man at Dick Conner Correctional Correctional Facility in Hominy, who said she spends nearly $300 a month on food and other personal items to supplement meals that lack fresh fruits and vegetables and come in portion sizes too small to satiate grown men. [The Frontier]

“In the auditing world, this arrangement is a nightmare. There are no checks and balances, no internal controls, endless conflicts of interests, inappropriate related party transactions. It’s ripe to misuse taxpayer dollars.”

-State Auditor Cindy Byrd discussing Epic Charter Schools’ board management processes that came to light from her office’s investigative audit [NonDoc]

“These are really extraordinary times. The need to connect people with health coverage is critically important right now.”

-Jesse Cross-Call, senior policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities [The Nation]

“Medicaid expansion is the best economic development opportunity that Oklahoma has ever had and likely ever will have.”

-Paul Shinn, Budget and Tax Senior Policy Analyst with OK Policy [The Journal Record]

“Turning to managed care — which has shown to be infeasible in Oklahoma — is merely an expensive solution in search of a problem. Gov. Stitt and the OHCA administration would be better served carrying out the will of Oklahoma voters by putting their full energies into implementing Medicaid expansion as quickly as possible.”

-OK Policy Executive Director Ahniwake Rose [The Oklahoman] 

“There’s just no evidence that would suggest adding additional years or decades onto a person convicted for a nonviolent offense does anything in the way of reducing crime.”

-Kris Steele, executive director of Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform, speaking about SQ 805. [StateImpact Oklahoma]