2021 State Budget Summit & Advocate Training

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Information on Previous State Budget Summits

About this event

As the 2021 Legislative session approaches, Oklahoma Policy Institute’s State Budget Summit will be a must for Oklahomans who want to be better informed and more actively engaged on state budget issues. The State Budget Summit will be held online from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Jan. 26. The event will feature state and national speakers and panelists to provide insights into the upcoming state budget and how the state can better align its budget to meet the needs of all Oklahomans. 

The following day on Jan. 27, OK Policy will host advocate training sessions to provide tools and resources for advocates wanting to work towards a fairer, inclusive state. 

Both events will be held online. Register for one or both days. The events are free, but sponsorships or donations are available to defray costs.  

Video and Presentation Slides

Day 1 – January 26, 2021

Keynote Speaker

wilson-headshot-650x867-1-300x400Valerie Rawlston Wilson

Valerie Rawlston Wilson is director of the Economic Policy Institute’s Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy (PREE), a nationally recognized source for expert reports and policy analyses on the economic condition of America’s people of color. Prior to joining EPI, Wilson was an economist and vice president of research at the National Urban League Washington Bureau, where she was responsible for planning and directing the bureau’s research agenda. She has written extensively on various issues impacting economic inequality in the United States—including employment and training, income and wealth disparities, access to higher education, and social insurance—and has also appeared in print, television, and radio media. In 2010, through the State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs, she was selected to deliver the keynote address at an event on Minority Economic Empowerment at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway. In 2011, Wilson served on a National Academies Panel on Measuring and Collecting Pay Information from U.S. Employers by Gender, Race, and National Origin.

Education Ph.D., Economics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

 

Schedule

Day 1 – January 26th, 2021

9:00 – 9:05:  WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS:
Ahniwake Rose, Executive Director, Oklahoma Policy Institute

9:05 – 9:50: OVERVIEW PRESENTATION: “With great challenges come great opportunities”
Paul Shinn, Senior Budget and Tax Policy Analyst, Oklahoma Policy Institute
The budget crisis is real. How will Oklahoma respond? We’ll talk through the state’s options for navigating the crises we face and building a stronger state in the process.

9:50: BREAK

10:00 – 11:10: PANEL DISCUSSION: “Where do we go from here?”
State leaders will discuss budget and economic policy priorities for the coming legislative session and laying the groundwork for long-term economic growth. 

11:10: BREAK

11:15: KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: 
Dr. Valerie Wilson, director of the Economic Policy Institute’s Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy (PREE)

Day 2 – January 27th, 2021

9:00 – 9:10: WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS:
Angela Monson, Outreach and Legislative Director, Oklahoma Policy Institute;
Kyle Lawson, Senior Regional Organizer, Together Oklahoma

9:10 – 9:25: OVERVIEW PRESENTATION: “Finding Voice in Your Story”
Ahniwake Rose, Executive Director, Oklahoma Policy Institute

9:25 – 9:30: Breakout sessions are a chance for a more in-depth look at key issues led by our staff or outside experts. Some of these will be policy-oriented, on subjects like advocacy training, how to lobby as a citizen; others more practical – grassroots advocacy, direct lobbying, and running for office.

9:30 – 11:50: Breakout Sessions

Breakout #1: Advocacy 101 – Basic Advocacy Training

  • Legislative Process
  • Leadership
  • Committee Structure
  • How a Bill Becomes Law
  • The Role of the Executive Branch

    Moderator: Miguel Rios, Oklahoma Policy Institute
    Panelists: Kyle Lawson, Together Oklahoma; Lani Habrock, CAIR Oklahoma; Allie Shinn, Freedom Oklahoma; Alison Black, Oklahoma Council for Indian Education

Breakout #2: Getting My Legislator to Do the Right Thing – Being a Citizen Lobbyist

  • Contacting My Legislator – How to Get Their Attention
  • Delivering My Message – What Do I Say
  • Figuring Out What Buttons to Push – Putting On The Pressure
  • The Follow Up – There Is Always Another Step

    Moderator: Nicole Poindexter, Oklahoma Policy Institute
    Panelists: Jim Dunlap, Jim Dunlap Consultants; Bailey Perkins, Community Foodbank of Eastern Oklahoma; Dawn Watson, DW Strategies

Breakout #3: We Can’t Do It Alone – Building an Effective Coalition

  • Establishing the Goal
  • Identifying and Recruiting Members
  • Sorting Out the Tasks
  • Managing the Work
  • Building and Maintaining Relationships

    Speaker: Roxanne Logan, Together Oklahoma
    Panelists: Angela Monson, Oklahoma Policy Institute; Laura Akers, Grace Center of Southern Oklahoma

Breakout #4: Developing A Campaign – It Takes More Than a Call or a Visit

  • Do We Really Need a Campaign?
  • The Nuts and Bolts of a Campaign
  • Activism vs. Advocacy
  • The Dollars and Sense of a Campaign

    Speaker: Jacobi Crowley, Together Oklahoma
    Panelists: Sheri Dickerson, Black Lives Matter; Amber England, 802 Campaign Organizer; A.C. Facci,  Advocacy and Policy Consultant

Each breakout session begins at 9:30 am, 10:20 am, and 11:05 am. Guests may participate in three of four breakout sessions available.

11:50 – 12:00 Closing Remarks