Quotes of the Day

“We still have to fix the toilets when they break. There’s still not any more money. When across the budget, all the way across, there’s a lack of funds, it doesn’t make any difference how you earmark it.”

-Kenny Ward, the human resources director of Bridge Creek Public Schools, speaking about SQ 801 that would allow districts to use building fund revenue for general operations [Journal Record]

“That’s really what compelled me to run for office. I do think my interaction with the legislators are a huge part of why I decided to run because … it just didn’t seem that we were getting anywhere talking to them, like they just didn’t care about their constituents.”

-Garfield Elementary School teacher and Oklahoma HD 41 candidate Jennie Scott, who said she was inspired to run during the teacher walkout [Enid News & Eagle]

“Ensuring protection for Dreamers is the right thing to do in a state that was born out of the courage and toil of newcomers and continues to believe that Labor omnia vincit.”

-University of Tulsa associate dean Elizabeth McCormick, calling on Congress to create a path to full legal status for immigrants brought to the US as children [NonDoc]

“It’s a crucial step forward, but many more must be taken. The challenges facing Oklahoma classrooms cannot be remedied by a one-year fix any more than one time on a treadmill makes you ready for the Olympics. It’s time to build on this significant momentum.”

-State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, speaking about the Oklahoma teacher pay raise that went into effect Wednesday [Tulsa World]

“They would say, ‘Well, I talked to my pastor, and my pastor said that it was my responsibility as the wife to stay with my husband.’ That has always stood out in my mind.”

-Rep. George Young, who requested an interim study on domestic violence patterns, speaking about people who sought help from him because of violence in their relationships [Journal Record].

“[Adult Protective Services] staff come to work every day knowing they cannot fully meet the needs of the communities they serve,” Wettstein said. “Someone out there may be in real trouble and we just don’t have the resources to respond as quickly as we want to.”

-Gail Wettstein, director of Oklahoma’s Adult Protective Services which investigates neglect, abuse or exploitation of vulnerable adults. The department has lost about 30 percent of its workers since 2014 due to state budget cuts. [The Frontier]

“Girls are missing out on school because they are having periods and don’t have anything to help with it.”

-Chelsea Hughes, who is volunteering with Youth and Family Services of North Central Oklahoma to help provide feminine hygiene items for low-income students [Enid News & Eagle]

“We have a lot of students who get their main nutrition from the meals at school, and so these bags are designed to kind of be a supplement to get them through the weekend. The teachers will take these bags and put them into their backpacks over recess so nobody is embarrassed, and they are able to take that food and get it to their houses.”

-Kane Powell, volunteer operations manager at the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, which is partnering with Tulsa Public Schools where about 80 percent of students face food insecurity [KTUL]

“How do you put Medicaid recipients to work? The first thing you do is remove the obstacles that prevent them from working. Raising new obstacles by taking away their health care coverage doesn’t help. That only makes them poorer and sicker … less likely to work … and more likely to show up at Tulsa emergency rooms for uncompensated treatment when their illnesses reaches a crisis.”

-Tulsa World Editor Wayne Greene, writing about Oklahoma’s push to deny health care to parents who don’t complete strict work and reporting requirements [Tulsa World].

“Our community is changing, and we have a large Hispanic/Latinx community throughout Tulsa and the nation. We need to change the conversation, and you won’t be a viable business or effective organization if you are ignoring the community that is outside your doors.”

-Marcia Bruno-Todd, program director with Leadership Tulsa, speaking about the significant wage gap for Hispanic households and lack of diversity in board membership and executive positions in the Tulsa area [Tulsa World]