If silence worked, things would already be better. Change happens because people speak up — again and again — even when it feels like no one is listening. Read this week’s Policy Matters. 🔗 Link in comments #Oklahoma #OKPolicy #OKLeg #Democracy #CivicEngagement #SpeakOut

Most decisions are made with input from just a handful of people. That’s it. Advocacy training teaches you how to be one of them — without burning out or embarrassing yourself. So if you want to stop doom-scrolling and start doing, register today for an advocacy training in your community!

Red tape is not neutral. H.R. 1 would add barriers to coverage that lead to delayed care, higher costs, and increased strain on Oklahoma hospitals — especially in rural areas. #OKPolicy #Oklahoma #Medicaid #SoonerCare #HealthCare #OneBigBeautifulBill #HR1

What the pretrial process could look like under SB 1381: a judge hearing within 48 hours (72 on weekends), risk-based assessments, and fewer people jailed simply for being poor. #Oklahoma #OKPolicy #CriminalJustice #PretrialReform #OKLeg #CapitolUpdate

Since when did meeting basic needs become controversial? Our latest Policy Matters column looks at why investing in people — housing, health care, education, food — shouldn’t be up for debate. #Oklahoma #OKPolicy #Education #Housing #HealthCare #Community #Poverty #SocialSupport

#CapitolUpdate: Oklahoma’s teacher shortage demands real attention. Two new bills focus on recruiting educators and supporting districts that develop their own teachers. It’s a start — and the state needs more solutions like these if we expect long-term improvement. #oklaed #teachershortage

There’s a lot of talk about Thanksgiving being “cheaper this year,” but that only works if you ignore what’s actually in the basket. We deserve transparency about costs, not headline spin. #Thanksgiving #Oklahoma #OKPolicy

Work requirements don’t boost employment — they boost bureaucracy. People get caught in system errors, verification failures, and deadlines that working families can’t meet. When coverage is on the line, red tape has real consequences. #Oklahoma #Medicaid #SoonerCare #WorkRequirements

Tribal sovereignty isn’t a racial concept — it’s a governmental one. Oklahoma’s 39 Tribal nations are sovereign governments with legal powers that long predate statehood. 🏛️✨ Understanding that isn’t political correctness; it’s accuracy. #TribalNations #Oklahoma #TribalSovereignty #Sovereignty

One missed paycheck shouldn’t be enough to push a family into crisis — but for thousands of Oklahomans, it is. The shutdown made clear just how fragile our economy really is. Read more in the latest Policy Matters column (Link in comments) #GovernmentShutdown #Oklahoma #SNAP #SoonerCare #Medicaid

The biggest myth about homelessness is that it’s mostly about personal failure. But when we focus only on individual struggles, we ignore the systems that make housing unaffordable in the first place. #Homelessness #Oklahoma #Housing #MentalHealth

“Seasonal democracy” isn’t cutting it. 🗓️ Public input can’t just happen once a year — Oklahomans deserve a voice in decisions all the time. 👥 Real listening = better laws = stronger trust. #Oklahoma #OKPolicy #OKLeg #OKPolitics #Democracy #InterimStudies #CivicParticipation

Taxpayers shouldn’t have to subsidize poverty wages. Corporations with record profits can afford to pay workers fairly — and raising the wage helps everyone. #RaiseTheWageOK #SQ832 #OKPolicy #Oklahoma #MinimumWage #EconomicJustice

🚨 HELP WANTED: Real leadership from Oklahoma’s congressional delegation. Shutdowns don’t show strength — they show failure. Oklahoma deserves leaders who put people over politics. #Oklahoma #OklahomaPolitics #GovernmentShutdown #OKPolicy #ResponsibleGovernment #HelpWanted

The “Big Beautiful Bill” is burying families in red tape — forcing Oklahomans to prove, over and over, that they still deserve the care they already qualify for. We deserve a system that values care over paperwork. 💬 Read more — link below #OKPolicy #SoonerCare #Medicaid #HR1 #BigBeautifulBill

💊 Oklahoma’s diagnosis is clear: chronic underinvestment, low wages, and unaffordable housing. We know the cure — living wages, child care support, affordable housing, and fair taxes. It’s time our leaders stop refilling the wrong prescription. #okpolicy #Oklahoma #poverty #economicjustice

Ryan Walters was a test. 📉 Oklahoma’s leaders flunked. Accountability means speaking up before the damage is done — not waiting until our schools and kids pay the price. #OKPolicy #Oklahoma #RyanWalters #Education

On Indigenous Peoples Day, we recognize that when tribal nations and the state come together, every community thrives. 🌎✨ #IndigenousPeoplesDay #okpolicy

🌎 Tribal Nations = sovereign governments, not racial groups. ⚖️ Blurring race & political status is harmful. On #IndigenousPeoplesDay, let’s choose unity & shared responsibility. #TribalSovereignty #Oklahoma #OKPolicy #OklahomaPolitics #GovernorStitt

Ryan Walters went from teacher to the state’s most polarizing education official — and now he’s stepping down. Could this be the launchpad for a run for governor? Read the latest Capitol Update from Steve Lewis at OK Policy. Link in comments #Oklahoma #RyanWalters #EducationPolicy #OKPolicy

Specialist care is slipping out of reach in Oklahoma. Policies are driving doctors out, leaving families to travel hours for treatment of chronic conditions like rheumatic disease. Patients deserve care close to home. 💙 #oklahoma #healthcare #healthpolicy #rheumaticdiseaseawareness #okpolicy

Immigrants are powering Oklahoma. They deserve wages that reflect their hard work. SQ 832 raises the minimum wage to ensure fairness for ALL workers. Because Oklahoma runs on immigrants, and fairness runs on fair wages. #Oklahoma #Immigration #MinimumWage #OKPolicy #EconomicJustice #SQ832

The governor’s "Operation SAFE" plan to clear homeless camps is political theater, not policy.

🏠 Housing First → reduces homelessness, saves money, restores dignity. ⛓ Forced confinement → worsens mental health, increases suicide risk, drives people away from help. This isn’t a tough call.

🚜 Bulldozers won’t solve homelessness. Gov. Stitt’s “Project SAFE” may get attention online, but it ignores the human cost and deeper failures driving Oklahoma’s homelessness crisis. What we really need: affordable housing, health care, and support services. #Oklahoma #Homelessness #Housing

Oklahoma’s budget isn’t just about balancing numbers — it’s a reflection of our values That’s why keeping up with the budget is so important: it shows where our leaders are investing in people — and where they aren’t #Oklahoma #OklahomaBudget #OKPolicy #StateBudget #PublicPolicy #OKLeg

⚠️ SB 1027 is a direct attack on initiative petitions — the process that lets Oklahomans take issues straight to the ballot. Our constitution reserves that power to the people, not legislators. Now the State Supreme Court must decide if democracy still means what it says. #Oklahoma #OKPolicy #SB1027

Oklahoma claims “Work Conquers All” 💪🏽 — but our policies tell a different story Minimum wage stuck at $7.25/hr Farmworkers & tipped workers left out Families juggling multiple jobs still can’t make ends meet This Labor Day, we should ask whether our state values work — or just the motto #LaborDay

The minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 since 2009 — but the cost of living hasn’t. 📉📈 If wages had kept pace with inflation, the minimum wage would be over $10 today. Families can’t survive on a wage that’s frozen in time while prices rise. #Oklahoma #MinimumWage #CPI #OKPolicy

📊 $20.98/hour needed for a 2-bedroom in Oklahoma. 💼 Most jobs don’t come close. 🏠 We can do better. #Oklahoma #OklahomaHousing #Housing #HousingPolicy #OKPolicy #OklahomaPolicy #OKLeg #MinimumWage

OK Policy is hiring TWO new team members! 🌟 Tribal-State Policy Analyst 🌟 Development Associate 📍 Hybrid/remote eligible in OK 💵 Competitive salaries + benefits #Oklahoma #OklahomaJobs #OklahomaHiring #OKCJobs #TulsaJobs Apply today ⬇️

📚 Classrooms should teach facts, not politics. New social studies standards will erase the truth about the 2020 election and replace it with partisan spin. When we rewrite history to fit an agenda, we fail our students; Oklahoma kids deserve honest history and nothing less. #Oklahoma #Education

On the surface, Oklahoma’s budget looks solid — we have a surplus, and some leaders want more tax cuts. But like an iceberg, the real danger is what’s hidden below: decades of unmet needs in schools, health care, public safety, and infrastructure. #Oklahoma #OKLeg #FiscalPolicy #TaxCuts

Since SQ780/781 passed: ✅ 47% drop in new prison sentences ✅ Property crime down 30%+ in metro & rural areas ✅ Stronger treatment court programs Justice reform works when we invest in people. #JusticeReform #CriminalJusticeReform #OKPolicy #SQ781 #SQ780 #OklahomaPolicy #Oklahoma

Oklahoma: if you don’t tell ‘em what’s broken, they’ll pretend it’s fine. Our Legislative Priority Survey is your chance to call it like it is — from housing to health care to the democratic process. Take it now 👉 togetherok.org/survey #Oklahoma #OKPolicy #OklahomaPolitics

There’s nothing wrong with federal support. But we can’t keep pretending Oklahoma is operating on homegrown dollars alone. This level of funding dependence should be part of every budget conversation — especially when state leaders push tax cuts. #Oklahoma #StateBudget #FiscalPolicy

Not all public servants lead with heart—but George Nigh did. His legacy isn’t just about policy. It’s about people. 🕊️ Rest well, Governor. Read our full Capitol Update: okpolicy.org/george-nighs... #oklahoma #oklahomagovernor #georgenigh #oklahomapolitics #oklahomahistory #okleg #okpolicy

📱 We’ve been texting the Oklahoma Legislature about raising the minimum wage since 2010. They’ve left us on read for 15 years. Meanwhile: 📈 Groceries up 🏠 Rent up 📉 Real wages down SQ 832 lets voters do what lawmakers won’t — raise the wage and restore dignity. #SQ832 #Oklahoma #OKPolicy

NEW: 🚑 Behavioral health crises don’t need a badge and gun. OKC’s Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) program shows what works: care over criminalization. But rural Oklahomans? Still waiting. 👉 Lawmakers must fund STATEWIDE solutions. #OklahomaHealth #okleg

Oklahoma saw improvements across a number of areas in the 2025 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, including the percentage of children living in high poverty areas and the number of children who are uninsured. To learn more, check out the work of our Oklahoma KIDS COUNT® partner @okpolicy.bsky.social.

#PolicyMatters: Oklahoma ranks 43rd in children’s health. Our rural hospitals are shuttering. Mental health services are stretched thin. If state leaders are serious about health, they need to prove it with policies and budgets — not slogans. #MakeOKHealthy #MakeOKHealthyForReal #PublicHealth

Oklahoma’s child abuse statute includes charges for enabling abuse or “failure to protect.” These cases often involve difficult circumstances where a parent or guardian may not have directly harmed the child, but is charged for not preventing the harm. #OklahomaCriminalJustice #FailureToProtect

Congress just passed a budget that racks up costs for everyone EXCEPT the wealthy. When billionaires get tax breaks, someone else has to pay the bill — and it’s everyday Oklahomans footing the cost through cuts to health care, food, and education. That’s not fiscal responsibility.

Today’s vote for the “Big Beautiful Bill” is a shameful choice to help the ultra-rich while hurting the rest of us. 🍽️ Cuts food for children 🏥 Slashes health care 💸 Gives massive tax breaks to the wealthy This is not what Oklahomans need. #BigBeautifulBill #HR1 #OKPolicy

#PolicyMatters: 🇺🇸 What does patriotism really look like? It's not just fireworks and flag-waving. And it doesn’t belong to one party or worldview. True patriotism is about loving your country enough to ask hard questions. Not because you hate your country, but because you believe in its potential.

#CapitolUpdate: 🏛️ Are Oklahoma's new business courts unconstitutional? A new lawsuit says SB 632 violates: ✔️ Judicial election rules ✔️ Access to courts ✔️ Uniform law requirements It’s headed to the OK Supreme Court. #BusinessCourts #OKSupremeCourt #OKLeg #OklahomaJustice

The Senate tax plan would make regular Americans pay more for the wealthy to receive massive tax cuts. While the richest 1% of Americans get an average tax cut of $65,000, funding for Medicaid, food assistance and rural hospitals will get cut. itep.org/analysis-of-...

So what's next after the #NoKings protests swept across the country, including more than 10 rallies in Oklahoma? You marched. You showed up. You made a statement. Now comes the part that doesn’t trend — turning action into real, lasting political change. #PolicyMatters

“We’re all going to die.” - An actual Congressperson’s response to concerns about #Medicaid cuts. Congress isn’t fighting a health care crisis — they’re creating one. What it means for Oklahoma families:

The data is clear: Oklahoma is one of the worst states in the country when it comes to child well-being. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. #KIDSCOUNT @annieecaseyfdn.bsky.social