Quotes of the Day

“We made the point that if we don’t do anything about this problem in some manner, shape or form there will be cities that will not be able to afford a police department or a fire department.”

– Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett, who is launching a campaign with Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett to get the state legislature to allow cities to diversify their source of revenue. Oklahoma municipalities are currently funded almost entirely by sales tax (Source: http://bit.ly/1uCGJlS).

“Strangely enough, the Guthrie building is in much better shape than this one. It has been preserved and it looks a lot better than our actual Capitol.”

-John Estus, spokesman for the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, speaking about Oklahoma’s original state Capitol building in Guthrie. Engineers will rappel down the sides of the current state Capitol next week to inspect the crumbling limestone facade (Source: http://bit.ly/1t3uOMP).

“[Secure the border] is very easy to say. It’s very, very difficult to do.”

-U.S. Representative James Lankford, who said that “flippant” calls to secure the U.S. border weren’t enough after he participated in a delegation to Central American countries where extreme poverty and violence are causing numerous children to flee to the United States (Source: http://bit.ly/1CpT82f).

“What is discussed in that letter is unconstitutional. It’s pre-judging cases and you just can’t do that. … Our next step is to go to the Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals … and ask them to address that letter. If we have a judge who has pre-determined what a fine should be in a case, then my agency doesn’t want that judge on the case.”

-Joe Robertson, executive director of the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System, speaking about a Muskogee County judge who ordered a minimum $1,000 fine in all felony cases to help fund the courts’ budget (Source: http://bit.ly/1CmjCld)

“Common Core, and education reform in general, has become highly politicized, and our students are the ones suffering from the fallout. We must put aside our differences and work to craft the best standards in the nation and ensure every student in Oklahoma has access to a quality education. Hopefully, the loss of our waiver will be the catalyst for change that is desperately needed in our state.”

— Jennifer Monies, Oklahoma Educated Workforce Initiative executive director

The stories shared that weekend reflected the reality that only about half of Oklahomans have dental insurance benefits. The other half must pay out-of-pocket or forgo regular care. In many cases, uninsured individuals suffer through dental pain for weeks, even months, before a free dental clinic might come to town.

-Delta Dental CEO John Gladden, describing a weekend free clinic that attracted more than 1,100 Oklahomans (Source: http://bit.ly/1tZGMbc)

“We know that what we’re doing now is good for students and that we’re turning out students that are ready for college or career and we’re going to let the craziness keep happening at the Capitol. We’re not going to let politics drive what we’re doing here.”

– Stillwater Superintendent Ann Caine, speaking about her district’s decision to continue teaching according to Common Core standards rather than revert back to previous standards after Common Core was overturned in Oklahoma this spring (Source: http://bit.ly/1qg8lMO)

“If something does happen then I’ll have video proof of it or documentation.”

– Police Chief Conny Clay, speaking in favor of body cams worn by worn Choctaw police officers while on duty. Advocates say the cameras increase accountability and security for both officers and the public (Source: http://bit.ly/1tOCza8)

“Our Hispanic population, as of last year, is the largest racial and ethnic population across the district. So a lot of those families need that support in Spanish and we haven’t been able to find as much staff as we need. We’ve got a lot, but we need more.”

– Laura Grisso, the Title 3 Director for Tulsa Public Schools. Nearly one in three TPS students speak Spanish at home, prompting need for more bilingual resources in schools (Source: http://bit.ly/1l73X3z)

“Most of my officers feel (corrections officials) are willing to sacrifice the officer’s safety to save a little bit of money.”

– Sean Wallace, head of the Oklahoma Corrections Professionals, discussing a memo issued by the Corrections Department recommending closing prison towers in six state prisons. The towers are typically manned by a correctional officer with a rifle and provide surveillance and support for correctional staff (Source: http://bit.ly/1kZDQvj)