Quotes of the Day

“Is that ideal? I don’t think it’s ideal. I think it’s long overdue. And it is with regret that we have not been able to do that sooner.”

– State Superintendent of Schools Joy Hofmeister, on State Question 779, the proposed penny sales tax increase to be used in part to give teachers a raise (Source). Our statement on SQ779 is available here. You can learn more about State Questions on the ballot in  November here.

“This is an emerging technology that raises concerns about property rights, privacy and more, but there is also the potential for economic development and other positives. It’s important for us to take a comprehensive look at the issues, current regulations and policy, and determine what may need to be done at the state level to better address the potential for problems without stifling the ability to take advantage of those positives.”

– Sen. Frank Simpson (R-Springer), on an interim study on drones held Wednesday (Source)

“Pay can be a factor. The agency is not always able to compete with private-sector salaries.”

-Clint Castleberry, manager of the state Corrections Department’s Medical Services Division, explaining the lack of applicants for medical positions at Oklahoma prisons. A report by The Oklahoman found that over one third of DOC doctors have been sanctioned at some point in their medical careers (Source)

“We are known for our amazing NBA team. We are Oklahoma strong when tragedy strikes during tornado season. And…we are No. 2 in mental illness and 49th in funding. Ouch. That is a sad commentary for such a great state known for its big heart.”

-Cathy Costello, mental health advocate whose husband, the late Oklahoma Labor Commissioner Mark Costello, was killed by their son who struggled with mental illness (Source)

“We’ve seen the other side, and it’s not pretty.”

-Tulsa City Councilor Jack Henderson, citing the legacy of the 1921 Tulsa race riot as a reason for the peaceful response to the police shooting of Terence Crutcher (Source)

“It is a crisis and we have got to solve it.”

– State Superintendent of Schools Joy Hofmeister, on news that this year’s emergency teaching certifications is outpacing last year’s illustrating the state’s ongoing teacher shortage (Source)

“One of our greatest rights as a citizen is our right to vote. However you look at it, term limits take away your right to vote. If, as a citizen, you dislike an elected official, it is not only your right but your obligation to become involved in the process and replace that official. It is not the job of the government to limit or determine who I can or cannot vote for. In Oklahoma, term limits have created a Legislature void of historical knowledge. With these limitations, goals have become short-term.”

-An Oklahoma lobbyist with 25 years of experience, speaking anonymously to NonDoc (Source)

“Equal justice under law is a phrase etched on the façade of the U.S. Supreme Court Building. That is a promise we have not kept. But we can do better, and we will do better.”

-David Riggs, an attorney and former legislator who chairs the Oklahoma Access to Justice Commission, which found that the lack of civil representation for low-income Oklahomans is a crisis that is “shocking in its depth and breadth” (Source).

“I’m pushing for not only a march or a meeting, I’m pushing for a seat at the table where we can affect change in the policies and the culture of the police versus the community.”

-Rodney Goss, a pastor at the Morning Star Baptist Church in north Tulsa, speaking about the African-American community’s response to the police shooting of Terence Crutcher (Source).

“We changed our focus to gear it toward (the veteran population). They have been phenomenal. They have a great work ethic. They want to be left alone. They just want a nice, quiet place to live. We’ve had nothing but success with them.”

-Leon Riggs, property manager for one of the 40 nonprofits in Oklahoma City participating in a federal program that aims to end veteran homelessness by the end of 2016 (Source).