Quotes of the Day

If Mr. Pruitt’s lawsuit were to prevail, all he would achieve is making health care unaffordable to over 300,000 Oklahomans. … The reality of a legal victory is a terrible loss for the low-income people of Oklahoma, whose taxes pay the attorney general’s salary.

-Congresswoman Jackie Speier, on Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt’s lawsuit attempting to block the federal government from offering tax credits to low-income Oklahomans to assist with the cost of insurance (Source: http://bit.ly/16lXU10)

If state officials put as much energy into educating the public about the [Affordable Care Act] as they do into denouncing it, folks might understand the law.

Rev. Jonalu Johnstone, program minister for OKC’s First Unitarian Church (Source: http://bit.ly/16D7Gtv)

The citizens mandated our state to offer health care access to low-income, working Oklahomans back in 2004. Not only did they support the program, but they also supported increasing tobacco taxes to pay for it. We need to obey the will of the people and develop a state plan to provide for health care access after we lose Insure Oklahoma.

-Rep. Doug Cox, R-Grove (Source: http://bit.ly/16yRAB0)

I have actually transformed a closet where we house our anthropologist. I actually have her in a closet. There’s literally no place for me to put people.

-Amy Elliott, chief administrative officer for the state Medical Examiner’s Office, which continues to struggle with inadequate funding and out-of-date facilities. The office has a backlog of more than 1,300 cases, with Oklahomans left waiting months or years to find out the reasons for the death of loved ones. (Source: http://bit.ly/16uhPbK)

Somewhere in all the talk about being open for business and all the policy discussions about health care and tax incentives and education reform, the desire to fight poverty and help the least fortunate of society has, somehow, been pushed aside.

-M. Scott Carter, writing in the Journal Record (Source: http://bit.ly/16ilGZu)

There are thousands in the Tulsa area who have difficulty getting to and from work places. Crucially, directly affected folks have no other assured access to the workplace.”

-Tulsa city planner Dawn Warrick, on a proposed Bus Rapid Transit initiative that voters may consider in November (http://bit.ly/16drseS)

While the overall appropriation to corrections has increased 32% over the last 10-years, our violent crime rate continues to increase. 36 other states have experienced a decrease in their violent crime rate while in Oklahoma, ours remains high. In fact, it is increasing.

-Former House Speaker Kris Steele, who criticized Governor Fallin for refusing to implement reforms to Oklahoma’s criminal justice system (Source: http://bit.ly/168HUgi)

They may have a hard time convincing Oklahomans of the urgency of fixing a problem they created … at significant expense to the taxpayer rather than taking the time and putting it on the agenda for next year if it needs to be addressed.

-Oklahoma Policy Institute Director David Blatt, on talk of convening a special session to pass legislation supported by business interests to restrict civil lawsuits, after a previous attempt was thrown out by the Oklahoma Supreme Court (Source: http://bit.ly/1620Dwd).

It would be a third or a quarter of my monthly income just to have insurance. It’s almost like a luxury item.

-Cassie Clark, who works part-time as an administrative assistant at an Oklahoma City dance and fitness studio. Clark is among Oklahomans making below the poverty line who could fall into a “coverage crater” where they are ineligible for help to purchase insurance because Oklahoma has not accepted federal health care funds (Source: http://bit.ly/160jMfT).

If enough people say this is a direction we should go, I think that’s what it takes. How many people it will take calling? I honestly don’t know.

-Rep. Arthur Hulbert, R-Fort Gibson, who said it will take public pressure to convince lawmakers to accept federal funds to save Insure Oklahoma and help the uninsured (Source: http://bit.ly/15R8k8A)