OK-SAFE Citizen Involvement Training Class – 5/18/13 in Guthrie, OK

OK-SAFE, Inc. –  Mark your calendar for another OK-SAFE Citizen Involvement in the Legislative Process Training class.

Next Class – Guthrie, OK

Date: Saturday, May 18, 2013
Time: 9 am to 1 pm
Location: Zion Lutheran Church, 424, E. Warner, Guthrie, OK
Hosts: Arthur and Sheila Briesch
Hosts have asked that attendees email them at heartlandmech@aol.com to reserve a seat at this presentation.

OK-SAFE’s training classes are in-depth, un-sissified working sessions.

Classes are broken up into three parts, starting with the basics for beginners, moving on to how and when to lobby, then to the more advanced subjects of how to read a bill with understanding, understanding political doublespeak, on to who and what is influencing legislation in Oklahoma.

Attendees will come out of this class better informed, more confident in their ability to communicate with elected officials, better able to track and follow legislation, and more informed about the potential impact proposed legislation could have on this state.

These training classes are free and open to the public.  Handouts will be provided; please bring your own notebook computers. A small donation may be asked to offset expenses.

If your group or organization would like to schedule addition training classes please contact OK-SAFE at oksafe@windstream.net.

Hope to see you there.

Health Care Reform Law/Exchanges Meetings – OKC and Tulsa

OK-SAFE, Inc. – The third meeting of the joint legislative committee to examine the effects of the federal health care reform law (Affordable Care Act, aka “ObamaCare”, etc.) on Oklahoma will be held in the Senate Chambers at the Capitol on Wednesday, October 26, 2011.

The meeting will run from 9 am to approx. 4 pm and should be available for viewing online.

The third meeting features speakers addressing the impact on Indian Health; status of lawsuits, and the ballot question opposing the mandate; federal vs. state exchanges; constitutional issues; what other states are doing.

Every Oklahoman with concerns about the implementation of health insurance exchanges (now “marketplaces”), electronic health records (EHRs) being shared everywhere, or infringements on your medical privacy needs to attend these meetings.

Committee co-chairs are Sen. Gary Stanislawski and Rep. Glen Mulready.

Contact Senator Gary Stanislawski’s or Rep. Glen Mulready’s office to be notified of meetings.

Sen. Stanislawski: 405-521-5624
Rep. Mulready: 405-557-7340

The agenda for the third meeting in OKC is below, including the names of the joint committee members. This meeting will be held in the Senate Chambers and audio/visual should be available online.

[NOTE: The fourth meeting, scheduled for Thursday, November 3rd, 2011, will be held at the Tulsa Technology Center, Riverside Campus. Amanda Teegarden, Executive Director of OK-SAFE, Inc., is one of the scheduled presenters on that date, addressing the technology, security & privacy concerns associated with the implementation of health care reform. The fifth, and last, meeting will be in OKC on Nov. 15, 2011.]

_______________________________________________________________

MEETING NOTICE

JOINT COMMITTEE ON FEDERAL HEALTH CARE LAW

SUBJECT: Third Meeting

MEETING DATE: Wednesday, October 26, 2011

MEETING TIME: 9:00 A.M. – 4:00 pm (approx. end time)

LOCATION: Senate Chamber, State Capitol Building
__________________________________________________________

Agenda:

1. 9:00 – 10:00 – Affordable Care Act impact on Indian Health – Jefferson Keel, Lt. Governor, Chickasaw Nation

2. 10:00 – 10:45 – Status of PPACA lawsuits, what the ballot question did for Oklahoma – Pat Wyrick, Oklahoma Solicitor General

3. 10:45 – 11:30 – Comparison of Federal vs. State based Exchanges – David Blatt, Director of Oklahoma Policy Institute

4. 1:00 – 1:45 – Constitutional issues – Andy Spiropoulos, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for the Study of State Constitutional Law and Government, OCU School of Law

5. 1:45 – 3:00 – What other States are doing – Laura Tobler, Health Programs Director, Martha Salazar, Policy Associate, NCSL

6. Other Business

Committee Members:
Senate Appointees: House Appointees:

Senator Gary Stanislawski, Co-Chair Rep. Glen Mulready, Co-Chair

Senator Cliff Aldridge Rep. Doug Cox

Senator Bill Brown Rep. Randy Grau

Senator Sean Burrage Rep. Danny Morgan

Senator Brian Crain Rep. Jeannie McDaniel

Senator John Sparks Rep. Jason Nelson
_________________________________________________________

To call these legislators, see their contact information here. Click on Legislators link, then Senate of House members pages.

There OK legislature has created a website detailing these meetings: http://www.okhealthcare.info – check for meeting details, including presentations.

NOTE: The second meeting took place on October 5, 2011 at the Tulsa Technology Center, Riverside Campus, and featured speakers from the OK Insurance Dept., providers, and insurance underwriters. One presenter, Janet Trautwein, of NAHU, hinted at the development of the federal data hub. Video of this event is here.

Psalm 118: 8,9 – “It is better to take refuge in the LORD, than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD, than to trust in princes.”

UPDATE to Action Alert – 1st Healthcare/Exchange Meeting will be aired 9/14/11

OK-SAFE, Inc.

Update to the OK-SAFE Action Alert that went out this morning – it now appears that the first meeting of the joint committee to examine the effects of healthcare reform/exchanges, scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2011 will be aired live and viewable  online via the Oklahoma House of Representatives website.  The meeting begins at 9 am and runs until 4 pm.  See prior OK-SAFE post for the agenda.

To view online go to http://www.oklegislature.gov/, click House Video – Live on the House Floor.

This information is being provided for those not able to attend this important meeting in person.

If you would like to contact your OK legislators about this subject, go to the OK Legislature home page, then click on Legislators to find their contact information.

The phone number for the House and Senate switchboards are:

• OK House of Representatives:  800-522-8502,  or 405-521-2711
• OK Senate:    800-865-6490,  or 405-524-0126

 

OK-SAFE Training Sessions – Tulsa

The Oklahoma Legislative Session begins on Monday, February 7, 2011, runs for 16 weeks, and ends on May 27, 2011.

Building on last year’s citizen training, OK-SAFE will be conducting 2 training sessions entitled Citizen Involvement in the Legislative Process. (NOTE: The OKC session was conducted 1/15/2011.)

These meetings are subject-specific, and graduated by level of ability and interest. 

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own computers, note-taking material, and refreshments as these are working meetings.

• Date: Saturday, January 22, 2011
• Time: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm
• Location: The HQ Building, 1008-B N. Hickory Ave., Broken Arrow, OK.    

Preliminary Agenda is detailed below.

1st Hour –

• Introductory – The Basics. 1) Overview of the OK Legislative Process; 2) Identifying your legislator; 3) Contact information and lists; 4) Writing emails; 5) Making the OK Legislature and OSCN websites your home pages.

2nd Hour – 

• Intermediate -Building on Hour 1. 1) The legislative process, including interim studies, introduced bills;  bill committee assignments; 2) The committee process; when to advocate for a bill; 3) Creating group email lists for House and Senate committees; 4) Understanding the role of Speaker/ Pro-Temp, Floor Leader, and Whips.  

3rd Hour –

• Advanced – Taking off the Rose-Colored Glasses. 1) How to read a bill with understand; which OK titles of law to examine; 2) Understanding political doublespeak, i.e, smaller, smarter government, small business, advanced, quality job, knowledge-based economy; 3) The Quality Jobs Program Act; PrimeWIN; OSU-UML, the ‘contract verifier’ for OK; 4) Tax incentives/earmarks; who is benefiting from the passage of legislation.

These meetings are free and open to the public; however, we are asking for a small donation to cover the cost of printed material and room rental. 

Psalm 118: 8,9 – “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man; It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.”