Quotes of the Day

“His position was ‘If I can’t evict them lawfully, I’ll just turn off their water.'”

-Eric Hallett, an attorney and coordinator of housing advocacy for Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, describing a Woodward County landlord’s actions after being unable to evict a tenant lawfully [Tulsa World]

“I’ve always said we bank the unbankable… If something came up, say they had a doctor’s bill or they broke an arm and had to go to the emergency room, they couldn’t go to their bank and say, ‘Hey, look, I get paid on the first, but I need 250 bucks right now because this emergency came up.’ Banks don’t do those type of loans.”

-Phillip Church, president of the Oklahoma Pawnbrokers Association [Tulsa World]

“We’re required to be there to keep everybody fed, and we’re taking big risks that others don’t have to take. People are in their masks and gloves and they’re in and out of the store while we’re there for eight, 10 or 12 hours.”

-Dusty Gearhard, meat counter manager at an Edmond Homeland store [Journal Record] 

“We take our responsibility very, very seriously to make sure we are representing the people of Oklahoma, and I believe this week that when we have had almost 100 percent of Democrats and Republicans saying this is the path we want to go forward (…) I believe that the executive branch, (Budget Secretary Mike) Mazzei, needs to be working with us as well. So are there concerns there? Yes.”

-Senate Appropriations and Budget Chairman Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, speaking about budget dispute with Gov. Stitt [NonDoc] 

“The Legislature will not authorize cuts to core services during a pandemic. The public needs its services right now (and) the state’s reserves, which exist for emergencies just like this, are sufficient for services to continue uninterrupted.”

-House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka [The Journal Record]

“We are seeing new clients, new households who have not dealt with needing food assistance in the past. We’re seeing anywhere from 25 to 35 percent new clients coming to our partner agencies.”

-Cathy Nestlen, Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma [The Oklahoman]

“That’s completely up to (the Governor) as to whether he signs or vetoes those bills. We thought it was important not to harm education, health care or roads and bridges. Ultimately, that power resides in the governor’s office to sign or veto those bills.”

-Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-OKC, speaking about the bipartisan budget bills passed during Monday’s special session [NonDoc] 

“After this, the landscape of our industry (child care) could look drastically different. And that could be another crisis. Parents will need to go to work, and there will not be enough child care to provide to these families.”

-Cindy Alonso, owner of Happy Campers Academy day care in Tulsa [KTUL]

“When Oklahomans are no longer in collective survival mode, perhaps we can then more closely consider the governor’s Medicaid expansion proposal.”

-Dr. John Schumann, physician and OK Policy board member, urging Gov. Stitt to withdraw his health care proposal while Oklahomans are grappling with the pandemic [Tulsa World Op-Ed]

“You’re coming down to semantics, really. When you read the ‘shelter in place’ (orders) from some other governors — New York for one, California for another — can you get out to go to the pharmacy? Yes. Can you get out to go to the grocery store? Yes. Can you get out to exercise? Yes. Can you get out to go to work if you’re in an essential business? In practicality, it’s exactly the same orders we have. At the end of the day, it comes down to personal responsibility.”

-Gov. Kevin Stitt responding to criticism of his “Safer at Home” order [Tulsa World]