Decisions are made by those who show up, as quoted by President Jed Bartlet from “The West Wing.” Voters who take the time to cast ballots make the decisions. Oklahoma has one of the worst voting percentages for eligible voters in the nation, so this means a few who show up are deciding elected officials for us all. Through my time serving as a state representative, I learned the lesson that “the customer is always right” in politics, and those customers are voters. I can recall only a few times when I voted “for my district” instead of my own personal views. I often used my column to educate about policies in advance and why I chose a specific policy side. I now feel fortunate to work in a field - child advocacy - that often does not come down to partisan dissension, but instead a values system of how children should be treated. Each issue the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) promotes is backed by data and case studies showing best practices for how to handle situations covered by the proposed legislation. As we work with lawmakers who represent districts rather than the entire state, we must seek ways to navigate policy for the best interests of children while understanding views of those in both the majority and minority parties for their districts. Again, issues such as childhood trauma (abuse and neglect), hunger (SNAP), and access to medical care (Medicaid) are usually not partisan; sometimes, though, the pathways to solutions diverge into varying political opinions. Public opinion weighs into the conversation; it is up to advocates to educate the “customers” and on a wider scale, the general public, who share their opinions with lawmakers. This education also involves the policymakers themselves as they cannot be an expert on every issue put before them. In contrast, activists want to “storm the castle” and demand rapid change, which is often met by pushback from policymakers. Advocates and activists have their parts to play in the system of government by trying to win over public opinion. I have long subscribed that the solution, while slower, is through systemic change and educating about the impact of policy. Polling, while not popular when by politicos to make decisions, gives them a picture of where the public stands on issues. For example, the website “538” shows President Donald Trump with a +3.4-approval rating currently in the United States in his first month in office. When you look at the national registration, and then correlate that to Oklahoma, this demonstrates why many of our elected officials have aligned their messaging with President Trump. In a recent Newsweek article, the President’s favorability rate in Oklahoma was reported at 63% with 34% unfavorable. If you want to be effective in advocacy, you need to learn how to work in the political environment in which we live. Whether an official is extremely liberal or MAGA Republican, each wants better outcomes for children, and that is why the conversations can occur to find solutions, and that is why the conversations must occur. Do you want to join the conversation? The OICA Child Advocacy Day will be on Tuesday, March 11, at the Oklahoma State Capitol. We not only provide answers for issues facing children, but we also hold a chili cook-off in the parking lot which allows child-serving programs to network with lawmakers and offer solutions. Please join us on that day for fun, great chili, and even better advocacy for children. You can find more details at oica.org/events about how to sign up to cook or be a sponsor and be a part of the solution.

As the first full week of session has ended, the lawmakers at the Oklahoma State Capitol are hard at work with shepherding their legislation through the committee process. The Legislature has implemented a new committee deadline system which has extended the time for hearings by committees; in the House of Representatives, they have established that most bills will be heard by two separate committees. This is an attempt to front-load much of the work to go over the bills and have them in better shape when they move the full House of Representatives for discussion. This idea has a great deal of merit. Lawmakers are also continuing the effort to improve the transparency of the budgetary process. This is something advocates, and every Oklahomans, should applaud as we see similar conversations at the federal level. As the legislation moves forward, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) works with lawmakers to promote ideas, and to stay connected with others who are moving their own agenda items forward. In this column and in subsequent weeks, I will highlight some of the House bills I hope you will also review and encourage lawmakers to support. Rep. Mark Tedford, R-Jenks, has filed legislation to modify the process for awarding child custody to parents going through the court process. OICA worked with him, along with other advocates, to attempt to shorten the long, drawn-out process of costly legal battles in the court system and attempt to establish a more solid opportunity for parents to have 50/50 custody of their children. This arrangement is something social science has shown will most benefit children. House Bill 1082 is currently in Civil Judiciary/Judiciary & Public Safety Oversight awaiting consideration. Rep. Mark Lawson, R-Sapulpa, sat down with advocates to develop a new concept to ensure that children are safe when in custody of the state or housed in other children’s institutions which receive state or federal funding. The Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth would have the ability to investigate complaints, review inspection reports from other government agencies regarding the facility, and interview residents (children) within the facility to ensure that they are safe. This is in direct response to the issues seen with the Tulsa Juvenile Detention Center and that mirrors issues from the 1980s that led to a massive overhaul of the way Oklahoma cares for justice-involved youth. House Bill 1574 is in the Children, Youth & Family Services/Health & Human Services Oversight committees. House Bill 2921 by Rep. Ajay Pittman, D-Oklahoma City, seeks to allow dental therapists to operate in Oklahoma. With the increased need for dental care in our state and a limited number of dentists, this would create and authorize the practice of training these health care providers. They would be able to apply specific care to patients which will help in decreasing issues with dental problems before they escalate. If the bill passes, dental therapists will have to receive university training, and the therapists could be hired under dental practices to work throughout Oklahoma. The bill is in the House Public Health/Health & Human Services Oversight Committees. Finally, some sad news to report: two excellent lawmakers with whom I served passed away last week. Former Reps. Bill Nations, D-Norman, and Ryan Kiesel, D-Seminole, both did exemplary work to make our state better for all Oklahomans. Bill was Ryan’s mentor in the Legislature. Ryan had helped Bill win his first legislative election, and then a few years later, Ryan was elected and joined him. Our state is better for them having served, and I will miss them both. 

Photos from Legislative Learning Lab - Column Follows

As the Oklahoma Legislature begins work, there is a record number of bills presented for consideration over the next four months before the constitutionally required adjournment on the final Friday in May. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) is diligently reading bills to determine which would have a direct impact on the health and well-being of children and their families. Some of the concepts are quite innovative, while others resurrected ideas which did not pass in past Legislatures, the two-year period when lawmakers meet between elections. There likely will be several ideas not filed that will possibly be added to the bills as they work their way through the process. One returning idea for consideration is the proposed creation of a business court system in Oklahoma. Currently, the judicial branch may create such a court, but the newly filed bill would require there be such a court in Oklahoma’s two counties with a population of more than 500,000 residents: Oklahoma and Tulsa counties. This idea has support from Governor Stitt and many people inside and outside the Capitol. This is a good idea to have judges who are well-versed in an area of law rendering rulings for a more just system. With that, I also encourage lawmakers, as they look at the need for this type of court, to consider another area of the law which desperately needs attention: expanded children’s courts in Oklahoma. Children’s courts would be charged with addressing the severe backlog of thousands of family cases. These cases are critical because delays are keeping children away from their families or slowing their placement in a permanent setting that is best for the child. Currently, only four counties have designated judges specifically charged to handle such cases through a juvenile bureau, but more are needed. The federal Court Improvement Program (CIP), created to “promote the continuous quality improvement of court processes and legal representation in child welfare proceedings through ongoing data analysis,” provides federal funding to state and tribal courts to assess their child welfare and judicial practices and develop and implement improvement plans. Other states have models which could easily be replicated in Oklahoma. A children’s court system would reduce numbers of youth lingering in foster homes or awaiting placement with other family members until a court renders a decision. Some of these cases can last well over a year, which is traumatic for the child and impedes business productivity while employees are involved in these cases. This often costs families tens of thousands of dollars. OICA was among the organizations supporting the Family Representation and Advocacy Program. This program, under Oklahoma’s Supreme Court, provides financial incentives for attorneys around the state to take on family law cases. This is important because these cases almost always do not pay well from families, often struggling financially, who want to find a way to bring their children home. This program levels the playing field for families by providing access to experienced family law attorneys. It is important that lawmakers continue to expand this program to see success, but even this will not provide the overall solution needed. The ultimate answer is to have judges across Oklahoma who specialize in family law who can set manageable dockets and have resources to expedite decisions to benefit children involving greater use of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) and Guardian Ad Litems. We encourage policymakers to consider a statewide children’s court system. Not only will this be best for families and their children, but it will also be good for business in Oklahoma. 

When I heard the news of the death of former President Jimmy Carter, I was reminded of a statement he made 10 years ago during his announcement that he was battling brain cancer. He was asked if he would have done anything different in his life. I was surprised by his response. “I wish I’d sent one more helicopter to get the hostages and we would have rescued them, and I would have been re-elected,” Carter said. By the way he responded, you could tell that decision weighed heavily on his heart. I hope that this did not haunt him, but I also know with politicians, due to the nature of their decisions which sometimes impact millions of people, they often struggle with making the best choice for most people with the least harm to those they represent. Former Gov. George Nigh often says that based upon the information that he had at the time, he felt that each decision he made was the correct one in that moment. Now, information can change and provide a different outlook in the future but knowing that you did the best you could with what you had certainly makes it easier to not dwell on those decisions. Every person has some situation which at some degree plagues them, a “what-if” scenario that either is a whisper at the back of their mind or that completely disrupts their life. If it is the latter, let this be a suggestion for considering a conversation with a therapist to discuss how this has impacted you and a way you can move past that tribulation. It is important to seek help for something which causes you to dwell in the past and what might affect your current personal or professional well-being. I am not embarrassed to share that I sometimes visit with a therapist when I feel pressure, and this provides significant relief. I have also found that it helps to visit with people who you have “wronged” in some situation to enable that healing, hopefully on both sides. Facing regret in a healthy way is critical to growth, healing, and hopefully prosperity. I have thought about what my “helicopter moment” might be, and I am fortunate that I cannot point to a major one. I can certainly think of several choices I have made which I wish that I had handled differently, but nothing as significant as President Carter. Personally though, I wish that I had developed a better work/life balance in my earlier years as I am a “workaholic” and have often spent far too much time with my job instead of building a better equilibrium. With that regret, I do balance it with the opportunities to do good that I have been afforded, and, to me, that certainly helps. I provide this bit of advice to those policymakers who are about to start making decisions for the people with their votes: before deciding on legislation, put thought into the consequences and outcomes for all those impacted. Additionally, no vote is worth keeping your elected office. If it goes against what you believe is “right” at your core, you must be able to look at yourself in the mirror long after you leave your position. But also, do not be afraid to grow as a person, as sometimes you learn from others and your views (and vote) might change. Finally, dedicate time to friends and family as it is easy to lose touch with them while serving in an office. Your “helicopter moment” could come at any moment, so do your best with what you have so as to hopefully avoid that regret.

As the 1st Session of the 60th Oklahoma Legislature approaches, there is much work occurring at the State Capitol. Congratulations to Sen. Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle. for being elected the next President Pro Tempore of that body, and to Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow for being elected as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. When the Legislature convenes for the regular session again on Monday, February 3 at noon, lawmakers will begin the process of debating, amending, and passing legislation. The four months of the legislative session will involve advocates from many walks of life and a myriad of interests engaging with policymakers to share ideas on multiple sides of each piece of legislation. The advocates who understand the rules and procedures have a tremendous advantage in this pursuit as they know the deadlines and the rules which are used to operate the process. To help with that, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) created a conference which teaches those who attend the nuances of the process. This Legislative Learning Lab is designed to not only be a deep dive into the process, but also as a way for likeminded advocates to network and build alliances. It is not necessary to be a child advocate to attend, as almost all of the instruction is solely on how the process works. Our team has assembled a powerful slate of speakers and panelists. We will kick things off on Wednesday, January 29 with Dr. Bob Blackburn speaking about the political history of Oklahoma; essentially how we got where we are based on the circumstances which have shaped our state. Following that, I will present a dialogue explaining the structure of and versions of bills heard by the Legislature, along with the overall framework of our current legislature. Over lunch, current legislative leaders, including Speaker Hilbert, Democratic Senate Leader Julia Kirt, Democratic House Leader Cyndi Munson, and a member of the Republican Senate leadership will speak about the 2025 session. We will have a conversation with Cherokee Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr., and Chairman Rocky Barrett with the Citizen Potawatomi Nation about Oklahoma state-tribal relations. We will have a conversation with former Gov. Frank Keating and former Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Chip Keating about the structure of Oklahoma’s Executive Branch. We will finish the first day with a panel conversation with several Capitol reporters who cover state politics. Thursday, January 30 begins with a presentation by Senate Appropriations Chair Chuck Hall; he will discuss the state budget and how the process works for allocating dollars for services. Attendees will hear from lobbyists representing A&A Advocates and the Lepard Group discussing how they work on legislation. We will end the morning by hearing about the committee structure and rules governing both legislative bodies. Over lunch, a panel conversation will give attendees a chance to discuss effective strategies for building coalitions to support or oppose legislation. There will be a presentation on ethics rules governing campaigns and elected officials, and then Justice Noma Gurich will discuss Oklahoma’s Judicial Branch. After this, we will hear about polling, data analytics and the impending use of artificial intelligence in government, presented by former Sen. Kyle Loveless. We will also have a conversation about how Oklahoma’s Attorney General interacts with the legislative process, along with closing remarks of how to effectively engage in citizen lobbying. If you would like to attend, we still have space available. You can register at https://www.oica.org/events and we also will have the option to attend virtually if you are unable to attend one or both days in person. We hope you will join us and learn the strategy of being a stronger advocate.

Some say that deaths occur in “threes,” and for Oklahomans that was truly the case last week with a trio of remarkable individuals who each had an impact on those in their circle of life. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (100), Oklahoma City businessman and philanthropist Gene Rainbolt (95), and Center of Family Love case manager Sister Veronica Higgins (74) each passed, all having left a mark on those who respected them and the lives they impacted through their work. James Earl Carter, Jr. served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. Following his Presidency, Carter continued his humanitarian work with his wife Rosalyn by his side for their 77 years of marriage together. The former First Lady preceded him in death in 2023. He was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his work to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development. Many consider Carter to be the nation’s greatest former President due to his philanthropic work with programs like Habitat for Humanity and efforts to bring peace to parts of the world in turmoil. “I have one life and one chance to make it count for something. I’m free to choose that something. That something—the something that I’ve chosen—is my faith. My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I can, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have, to try to make a difference.” – Jimmy Carter Closer to home, many tributes have been shared about the life of Harry Eugene Rainbolt, the founder of BancFirst. Rainbolt inspired his employees and those around him to recognize the power of philanthropy in impacting the lives of those in need. In 2024, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) created an award named the H.E. “Gene” Rainbolt Corporate Citizen Award to recognize a business which helps give back to children through their volunteerism, inspired by the work which Rainbolt himself championed for children through his bank. “Change the world,” Rainbolt wrote in his own obituary. “Have some fun. Make some money. Give it away. Believing the tragedy of death has to do entirely with what was left undone, mine ended with my having done all I could do, but with so much more needed!” Sister Veronice Higgins of the Carmelite Sisters of St. Therese of the Infant Jesus was a past administrator and principal at the former Villa Teresa School in Oklahoma City. Sister Veronica was a well-recognized presence around state politics, often seen promoting positions dear to her at the State Capitol. Her passion though was the work with the Center of Family Love in Okarche. CFL provides lifetime quality care and empowers individuals to conquer intellectual disabilities, as taken from their Facebook page. They shared that the residents called her “mama,” an endearing name that she cherished. She said that she loved completing her career at CFL because God had called to serve the orphans, the poor, and the needy. “Love incarnate, help us to follow your example of love by welcoming the homeless, comforting the sorrowful- being your light in our dark world.” – Veronica Higgins Each of these remarkable individuals left an indelible mark on those they touched through their charitable work. It is now up to those of us left to continue their work and lift those around us to greater heights. Things often can be overwhelming for those struggling, but it is people like these three who took just a bit of that load off of others and made the trek a little easier, so please pay tribute to each by taking up a cause that will uplift others.

For the week of December 28, 2024

No matter what holiday you are celebrating in December, there are usually gifts involved. With Christmas Day and Hanukkah both falling on December 25, and Kwanzaa starting on December 26, people from all around the world will have reason to exchange gifts with friends and loved ones. I should say most people, as there are many who are without anyone in their lives other than those generous strangers who provide the means to share a bit of joy with those truly in need. Think back over the past and remember that one special item which brought joy to you. I can think of many great things received, even with my family often struggling to make ends meet. One of my friends had a handheld video game, Donkey Kong, and I really wanted one of my own. My parents gave me a gift to open one Christmas morning. It was a video game cartridge of the game that I wanted, but I assumed they did not realize that it was not the item that I wanted and would not work without the Atari console. To surprise me, they brought out the console it would play on following my look of dejection. I was thrilled. It was special to have something like this, a gift I never expected to receive. I was lucky. I had parents willing to make that type of financial sacrifice to see me happy. In fact, I appreciate all they were did to provide opportunities for me, along with people in the community where I grew up who helped me have the chance to take 4-H trips, participate in activities, and be involved in programs which set me on the path to service. With my current job, I often see the tribulations many modern-day youths face. Far too many do not have family members who provide a safe and loving home for their children. When this happens, the state must find a suitable place for children to remain until problems are resolved and reunification can happen, or adoption when no other option is left. According to the state-run website okfosters.org, there are currently 5,824 children currently in the custody of the state as foster children, with 350 waiting to enter the system. Oklahoma Human Services estimates that there are 736 families needed to serve as foster or bridge parents for youth at this moment. At one point, Oklahoma ranked ninth in the nation for grandparents raising their own children’s children. Much of that number is contributed to incarceration rates for single parents or sometimes even both parents. Other family members are often called upon to take in youngsters when something happens which requires the children to be taken from their mothers and fathers so as to avoid foster care. These family members often do not receive financial support similar to what foster parents receive from the state to care for children due to budget constraints. Many of these children will be fortunate to eventually return to their biological parents, but they need a safe, loving environment until that occurs. If you are able and have the means, please consider giving that special gift to a child who is enduring the most traumatic experience of their young life: being a foster parent. Oklahoma is in desperate need of those who could open their home to a child in need and make that difference to them. If you are moved to do so, please call 1-800-376-9729 to learn more. Please also share this thought with friends, your church, and others so together, we can ensure each of these children has the brightest of holidays possible.