Quotes of the Day

“There was a lot of legislation that actually puts us on a much stabler footing and more sound, balanced budget. We do have economic growth, which is always good, also, but the majority of it, yes, was by legislative action.”

-House Appropriations Chair Kevin Wallace, R-Wellston, pointing out that much of Oklahoma’s projected revenue growth next year would not exist without recent tax increases [Source: Enid News & Eagle]

“This is squarely directed at the poorest families in Oklahoma. They rarely say the word ‘parents,’ but that’s who we’re talking about here. We’re talking about families who are homeless, who are near homeless, who are in a great deal of turmoil already.”

-Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown Center for Children and Families, speaking about the Oklahomans who are threatened with losing their health care under Oklahoma’s proposed Medicaid work reporting rules [Source: Journal Record]

“We want fewer people in prison, but we still have a problem of people coming out of prison and not having the opportunity to rebuild their lives.”

-Sen. George Young, D-Oklahoma City, who has authored a bill that would create a pilot program to offer inmates post-release education and rehabilitation services. [Source: NewsOK]

“I would not be at all surprised to see (Medicaid expansion) on the ballot in the near future. There’s always been a bit of a gulf when it comes to the popularity of Medicaid expansion within the Legislature and its popularity with state residents. Even when the Affordable Care Act was polling badly, the Medicaid expansion part polled pretty well.”

-Carly Putnam, Policy Director at the Oklahoma Policy Institute [Source: NewsOK]

“You’re very much dependent on the state to be able to maintain a livelihood. If we’re going to grow an economy, health care and education – we’ve just got to get it right.”

-Dr. Dwight Sublett, incoming president of Oklahoma’s Academy of Pediatrics, speaking about the importance of increasing Medicaid provider reimbursement rates to continue health services in rural Oklahoma [Source: Journal Record]

“Our state’s elected leaders have repeatedly described the raise as only the first step in much-needed education investment, and this new report reinforces why we must stay the course of improving support for public education. Surrounding states are continuing to devote more resources to education, and we’re playing catch-up.”

-Shawn Hime, executive director of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association, on a report showing that Oklahoma remains about $1,121 behind that regional per-student spending [Source: Tulsa World]

“In the midst of the downtown Oklahoma City progress and success, the fading 13-story, 27-year-old structure stands as a testament of our failure. And each year we don’t do something about it, it becomes even more unseemly and the cost of replacing it increases.”

-Journal Record columnist Joe Hight, writing about the Oklahoma County Jail [Source: Journal Record]

“I don’t think it’s an accident they proliferate in low socio-economic and African American communities. That proliferation makes it more difficult for the full-service, healthy stores to set up shop, and operate successfully.”

-Tulsa City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper, speaking about her efforts to limit the growth of dollar stores and bring a healthy grocery store to north Tulsa [Source: Institute for Local Self-Reliance]

“I said, ‘This insurance won’t kick in until next year.’ She said, ‘Well, then I’m going to have a broken arm until next year, because I can’t afford it.’ That’s what I’m trying to avoid.”

-Andrea Chica-Rodriguez, a health insurance navigator at the Latino Community Development Agency, on why she is urging people to sign up for insurance on healthcare.gov before the open enrollment deadline of Dec. 15. [Source: NewsOK]

“That needs to be something that’s regularly done so we won’t have a huge deal every 10 or 20 years.”

-Sen. J.J. Dossett, D-Owasso, calling on the Legislature to implement long-term pay increase plans for teachers. [Source: Journal Record]