Quotes of the Day

“We will have to look at what remains after our statutory obligations and then prioritize based on what will affect student learning the most.”

– State Superintendent of Schools Joy Hofmeister on how the state Department of Education plans to move forward with lower overall education funding (Source)

“They had the chance to make a difference that would have been revenue neutral. It would have made huge difference for women across this state, and they chose not to do it.”

-Sally’s List Executive Director Kendra Horn, speaking about an equal pay bill that failed the last day of session. Business leaders have expressed concern that the state legislature is harming Oklahoma’s national reputation (Source)

“What’s the best part of hitting yourself in the head with a hammer? Stopping. The Oklahoma Legislature wasn’t able to figure that one out this year.”

-Tulsa World Editorial Pages Editor Wayne Greene, on the Legislature’s failure to fix an income tax cut trigger that could take effect as early as January 1, 2018 (Source)

“I think it’s crazy. In North Dakota, they’ve set away like $2 billion for something similar like this to happen and, in Oklahoma, we’ve only set away a fraction of that.”

– Matthew Mcquistion, a 14-year-old who marched for better education funding on Thursday as part of the third Let’s Fix This rally (Source). During the oil boom, North Dakota invested oil and gas tax revenues in a conservatively-invested sovereign wealth fund that could be used to shield the state from the effects of economic downturns.

“This is a $4 million increase for the Legislature at a time when every area of government is slashed, including life-threatening cuts in mental health and human services. It’s unconscionable.”

– OK Policy Executive Director David Blatt, on news that the current budget proposal would give a funding increase to the Legislative Service Bureau, which does legislative research and provides computer services for lawmakers and their staff (Source)

“We can do this better. If we have a special session, so what.”

-Rep. Richard Morrissette, arguing that the budget agreement announced yesterday should be rejected by lawmakers (Source)

“Our state lawmakers will announce a budget this week. It will cut aid to Oklahoma’s poor and needy. It will cut the revenue available to most state agencies. Key lawmakers say it won’t hurt education as badly as some predicted. Unfortunately, the damage has already been done.”

-The Editorial Board of the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, on the widespread cuts announced in school districts across the state in anticipation of falling state aid (Source)

“It is a train wreck. They are avoiding dealing with the fundamental issues.”

Keith Gaddie, chairman of the political science department at the University of Oklahoma, speaking about how with just one week left in Oklahoma’s legislative session, lawmakers have yet to reach a budget agreement to fill a $1.3 billion hole (Source).

“Google it.”

– Steve Mullins, former General Counsel to Governor Fallin, telling Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Miller that potassium chloride and potassium acetate “were basically the same drug” on the day of scheduled execution of Richard Glossip. Glossip’s execution was later postponed due to the drug mix-up. Potassium acetate had previously been used in place of potassium chloride during the botched execution of Charles Warner (Source). 

Number of school sites in Oklahoma offering Advanced Placement (AP) courses in 2014

Source: OK State Stat