Quotes of the Day

We wouldn’t practice any differently if we had full autonomy. Nothing that we did here would be different, other than we wouldn’t have to jump through extra hoops to get the same amount of care … The sooner we get to where New Mexico is, the better.

-Toni Pratt-Reid, the first nurse practitioner in Oklahoma to open a private practice, on an Oklahoma law that requires nurse practitioners to be supervised by (and pay subsidies to) a physician (Source: http://bit.ly/1ch7kh9)

At the Jesus House in Oklahoma City, scores of people turned out Monday in the biting cold for a turkey and a sack of groceries to help them through this Thanksgiving. We’ll see similar displays at shelters and food pantries across the state this holiday season.  Indeed, we see them year-round in Oklahoma because so many of our residents are “food insecure” — that is, there’s no guarantee they’ll eat three meals every day. Simply put, they are hungry.

-The Oklahoman Editorial Board (Source: http://bit.ly/1eAgV2Q)

These are pretty substantial numbers we’re dealing with, and an important part of greenhouse gas emissions. Our study shows that there could be large greenhouse gas emissions in places in the country where we may not necessarily have accounted for them.

-Scot M. Miller, a researcher at Harvard University, who co-authored a study finding that methane emissions in oil and gas producing areas of Texas and Oklahoma were 2.7 times greater than previous estimates (Source: http://nyti.ms/1ewXkAA)

Almost across the board, Oklahoma’s health statistics are bad — disturbingly, alarmingly bad. It’s no secret that there’s a tie between overall poor physical health and issues with substance abuse and mental health. If Oklahoma is ever to turn its health statistics around, it must address all types of health.

-The Oklahoman Editorial Board (Source: http://bit.ly/1etVaBD)

After some tough times in recent years and some significant sacrifices on the part of public employees, the Oklahoma pension system is finally in order.  The state would be ill-advised to backtrack on this positive momentum by shifting its basic pension plan design. Why take this moment when Oklahoma finally has its pension house in order, to roll the dice with a radically new pension design?

Ross Eisenbrey, Vice President of the Economic Policy Institute

The state Department of Corrections says about half of those incarcerated in Oklahoma’s prison system have a history of, or are currently exhibiting, some form of mental illness. Those problems often stem from long-term substance abuse. The two problems can go hand in hand. And when left untreated, those who suffer from these diseases can wind up in a revolving door at local jails.

-The Oklahoman Editorial Board (Source: http://bit.ly/1cHIyVv)

Salary matters, and we need to start dispelling the myth we don’t need to be competitive on salaries.

-Consultant Neville Kenning, who told a House committee that state employee salaries trail market salaries by an average of more than 20 percent (Source: http://bit.ly/1aG7uNB)

If there were insurance, I think there would be enough professionals. The problem is so many people in Oklahoma are either not insured or underinsured. Unfortunately, even therapy goes where the money is.

-Philip Hyde, a clinical psychologist in Oklahoma City, speaking about the shortage of mental health professionals in Oklahoma (Source: http://bit.ly/17IvMbN)

According to the tax commission’s decision, same-sex couples who are deemed married under federal law cannot file using a married status; instead, they must create a phony federal return that uses a single status designation, and file that with their Oklahoma tax return. In essence, the tax commission is requiring a taxpayer to submit a false federal document with their state return, an act that is normally considered a crime.

-Michelle Cantrell, a tax specialist residing in Tulsa (Source: http://bit.ly/17FIBDN)

[T]he difference between an A and a B is half a question. The difference between an A and an F is less than the difference than between an A and a D. Students who are in F schools have higher achievement in reading on average than students who are in D schools.

Curt Adams, a senior research scientist at the Oklahoma Center for Education Policy at the University of Oklahoma, on flaws in the state’s A-F school evaluation system