First time at the state Capitol?

Tomorrow is will be the first event of Oklahoma's 56th Legislature, and for many of the folks attending our Hall & Oaths event, it will be their very first time to ever visit the state Capitol. Which, by the way, is terrific. When Let's Fix This started in the spring of 2016, it was the first time most of us had ever gone to the Capitol, at least for something other than a tour. Personally, I wasn't sure where to park or walk or where to find the restrooms, much less my Senator's office. 

And so, here's your quick guide to visiting the Oklahoma State Capitol!

Where do I park?

There are two lots: one to the south of the building and another lot to the east, just across Lincoln Blvd. To get to the east lot, take the 21st Street exit from Lincoln and then the entrance will be on your left. You can see on this map that both lots are roughly the same size.

Where do I enter the Capitol? 

If you park in the south lot (#1 on the map), just walk through the parking lot to the building.  If you park in the east lot (#2 on the map), you'll have to cross Lincoln Blvd. Ordinarily you could take the tunnel and go underneath the road, however, it's currently closed due to construction. 

Looking at the south side of the building, you will immediately notice that the south steps are currently barricaded due to the potential of falling rock (yes, seriously). Just to the right of the steps is a sidewalk that leads up to the entrance. There are some signs; it's really not too difficult. There are two other entrances to the building, but I think most visitors enter this way, so we'll stick with that. 

Once you're inside you will immediately go through security, so leave your weapons at home, lest they be confiscated and sold at public auction. 

Where do I go?

Depends what you want to do...so, let's consult the floor plans of the state Capitol and get the basic breakdown:

• Basement: State Auditor, Ethics, and Election Board, and the snack bar (but it's currently closed). The entrance to the tunnel is down here, too, but it is also closed due to construction.
• 1st Floor: Various state offices
• 2nd Floor: Supreme Court, Governor, Treasurer, some House Representatives' offices, and a few other things. Nice art.
• 3rd Floor: More House Representatives' offices, Senate admin offices.
• 4th Floor: More House Reps' offices, Senators' offices, plus both Chambers. This is the main hub where most of the action takes place.
• 5th Floor: More House Reps' office (including all Democrats, except for Munson), more Senators' offices, and the Gallery seating for both chambers. (That's where us regular folks get to sit and watch the proceedings).

You'll note that all House-related stuff is on the west side of the building and all Senate-related stuff is all on the east side. That's actually pretty convenient. Also, note that the restrooms are in the same place on every floor, always at the north end of the building. Also convenient. Offices have not yet been moved around so if your Legislator is new on the House side, you will need to look for them personally as you won't find an office with their name on it.

Each floor definitely has it's own unique "feel." I don't know how to explain it, but you'll understand once you walk around a little. Offices are assigned based on position and seniority; consequently, they greatly vary in size. 

Okay, but where do I go tomorrow?

4th floor rotunda. We'll have smiling volunteers standing around to help guide you. But remember, if you're running late and are just going to try to grab a seat in the gallery, the entrance for those are on the 5th floor.

How do I find my legislator's office?

First, find out who your legislators are. Get to know their face so you'll recognize them when you see them. (Caveat: the newly-elected legislators haven't even sworn in yet, much less had headshots, so they're not yet in the directory. If your district has a new rep, you may need to look at NewsOK's Election Results to find them.)

Now, I know this sounds weird, but to find offices I actually use a free app put out by the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives. It's available for both iOS and Android and it's incredibly helpful. (Caveat: like the OKLeg website, the app hasn't yet been updated to reflect the election. Check back in a few weeks.) Also, as I said earlier, offices have not yet been moved around so if your Legislator is new you will need to look for them personally as you won't find an office with their name on it.

Okay, I found them, now what do I say to them? 

That, my friend, is up to you. Legislators rely on us constituents to to keep them informed and educated about how legislation affects our lives. That's really why I started Let's Fix This in the first place - I realized that most of us just complain on Facebook and Twitter but never actually communicate with our elected officials, and I wanted to change that. And what I've learned from them is that they want to get to know us and hear our personal stories so that they can more effectively represent us at the Capitol.

If you need a help articulating what you want to say, try writing it down. We have a handout called A Letter to My Legislator for that very purpose. You can write down your message, take it with you to be used as a script when talking to your representative or senator, and then leave it with them so that they can refer to it later. Feel free to print the form yourself; we'll have plenty of of copies of it with us at the Capitol as well.

What if I'm not sure what to ask them to do about my issue?

That's okay, we don't expect you to have to have all the answers! If you're not sure, I encourage you to ask your legislators what they plan to do about the issues. They may not have a solution (or not one you agree with), and that's why these conversations are so important - we are highlighting to them what issues are most important to us, their constituents.

I also encourage you to talk to other people attending the event with you. Remember, we're all in this together, and I love learning from other people about what ideas they have and what resources are out there.

Anything else I need to know?

Yes! You need to know that every conversation, every email, every phone call really does matter, especially on the state and local level. Sometimes all it takes is 5 or 6 phone calls from constituents to kill a bill. Your legislators are paid to represent you...well, you and all your neighbors. But chances are your neighbors aren't talking to their legislators, either, so you already have an advantage. (But seriously, invite your neighbors to our next Capitol Day. You'll be glad you did!) 

Can't wait to meet all of you tomorrow!

Press Release: Non-Partisan Group Hosts ‘Hall and Oaths’ Event at State Capitol

Non-Partisan Group Hosts ‘Hall and Oaths’ Event at State Capitol

Citizens encouraged to attend, welcome new legislators, meet representatives

OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 13, 2016) — Let’s Fix This, a non-partisan group focused on encouraging participation in the legislative process, is hosting a “Hall and Oaths” event on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at the Oklahoma State Capitol.

The event will be held during the swearing-in ceremonies of new Oklahoma State legislators, and is meant to encourage comfort with the legislative process. It also will provide an opportunity for every day citizens to meet with their representatives.

Andy Moore, executive director of Let’s Fix This, said it’s great way to welcome new legislators to the job.

“This is the perfect time for citizens to show their representatives that they aren't just some nameless voter – that they are a person with a story and that they have opinions legislators should consider,” Moore said. “The goal of the event is simply to introduce ourselves to our legislators and let them know that we're here, we're interested, and we're going to be involved this session.”

All citizens – Republicans and Democrats alike – are encouraged to meet at the State Capitol Building, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 16 in the 4th floor rotunda.

“This is a great chance to meet others who are interested in what’s happening at our legislature. Our members will be there to help others meet their legislators and find their way around,” said Moore. “If you're worried or nervous, take heart - this will be a new experience for all of us. Remember - we're all in this together!”

The Let’s Fix This organization began last legislative session with a simple idea from Moore that if enough people felt encouraged to visit with their legislators, some positive changes could occur. After creating a Facebook event one evening and inviting his friends, Moore witnessed interest in the event skyrocket to nearly 600 people.

Moore stressed that Hall and Oaths will be the first of several events from the group.

“Let’s Fix This is just a group of regular folks who’ve come together to help introduce others to the legislative process and help them find comfort in speaking to their representatives about issues that matter,” said Moore. “We’re looking forward to hosting several events throughout the legislative session to make sure the voices of the public are heard.”

For more information on the Hall and Oats event, visit the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/LetsFixThisOK/?fref=ts

To learn more about Let’s Fix It, check out the website at https://www.letsfixthisok.org/

Vote local, With the deadline to register to vote looming, locals call on untapped voters to plan to visit the ballot box. (Oklahoma Gazette)

October 5, 2016

By Laura Eastes

Andy Moore is full of ideas for improving voter turnout in Oklahoma, the state the U.S. Census Bureau ranked 49th in voter turnout during the last major election.

As a millennial (those born after 1980), Moore doesn’t buy arguments like votes don’t count or voting wouldn’t bring change. As the founder of Let’s Fix This, a nonpartisan movement that drove hundreds of citizens to the state Capitol advocating a myriad of issues, Moore has witnessed firsthand the impact of citizen involvement on democracy.

“It’s like drops of water in the ocean,” Moore said. “You feel a drop, it feels insignificant. If there is a wave, it makes a difference. We have an untouched ocean of voters who don’t vote.”

Five months after Let’s Fix This was first mentioned on social media, Moore is taking the organization from grassroots movement to nonprofit status. As a nonprofit, increasing voter engagement, along with establishing events to bring everyday folks to the Capitol, will be a major mission.

When it comes to voting, Moore believes many registered millennials would cast a ballot come Election Day, but they’re sometimes too busy or forget to visit their polling station. He recommends millennial voters organize their friends or coworkers together for group voting. It could be as easy as meeting a friend before work at a polling station and casting ballots together or facilitating an office lunch event that includes stopping at area polling stations.

Another option is stopping by the county election office for early voting the Thursday, Friday and Saturday before the election.

“Make voting a fun thing you do with your friends, and be proud,” Moore said.

Some of his other proposals include advocacy efforts around absentee ballots and posting reminders sharing registration tips and the elections date near campaign signs.

Voting trends

Across the nation, voting advocates have been developing and pushing for new ways to get Americans to the polls this November. Many argue it’s a needed effort, with voter turnouts in the 2014 midterm election hitting the lowest point since the 1940s, according to United States Election Project.

Locally and nationally, lower turnout rates are most prevalent among young voters. Turnout rates increase among older age groups.

Like other states, Oklahoma struggled to attract voters to the polls. The U.S. Census Bureau reported 34.2 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in 2014. Oklahoma’s midterm election ballot featured a governor’s race and contests for state and federal legislators.

Typically, presidential elections lead to higher voter numbers. While voter turnout always matters no matter the election, in a close presidential election, it can prove decisive. Political analysts are split on predicting November turnout. The 2016 presidential election holds high levels of interest among the public, which could signal higher turnout. However, the top two candidates running collect high disapproval ratings, which could hint little interest in voting.

Peer pressure

Oklahoma City resident David Glover, a longtime voting advocate, has wanted to see an uptick in voter turnout in the Sooner State for years. After reviewing numerous voter studies and research, Glover concluded there was a single tool greater than simply encouraging participation: shaming people into voting.

Glover formed his opinion based on a 2008 Michigan study that concluded inducing feelings of shame against a person who doesn’t vote had a much greater impact on their likelihood of visiting the polls. Instead of mail pieces, which were used in the study, Glover built a website after collecting public data on registered voters and how often ballots were cast.

“All I wanted to do was one thing: try to encourage people to reset their civic engagement grade to A+ several times [a] year,” Glover said.

BadVoter.org, an online site that exposes the frequency at which Oklahomans vote, went live in 2014. With the simple site, anyone with access to the Internet can see how long it has been since someone last voted. Those who haven’t cast ballots in a 12-month period are deemed “bad voters.”

“If people know that other people can know how frequently or infrequently other people vote, they usually increase the amount of time they vote,” Glover said. “Most people don’t realize their frequency of voting and their voting record is public. How someone voted is still a secret, but if someone voted is public.”

Part of BadVoter.org’s effect is visitors’ ability to post a registered voter’s great, good or bad voting record onto social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. In this day and age, social media presences are a big part of everyday life, and a damaging voter record can bring someone to the polls to avoid online taunting, explained Glover.

BadVoter.org sees a surge in visitors on and around elections, like the March 1 Super Tuesday and the June primary. Most visitors spend an average of three minutes on the site for a total of eight searches. Glover believes most people type their name first, followed by close friends and relatives.

Those shamed into voting will find resources for registering to vote and requesting an absentee ballot, which Glover sees as the best way to avoid missing an election. Absentee ballots are sent in advance of elections and give voters the chance to review candidates, research state questions and prepare to vote. Voters can send back their absentee ballot or choose to vote at their polling station.

Issues education

Oklahoma voters will see seven state questions on the ballot. Those questions include education, criminal justice reform, capitol punishment and farming, all arguably big issues in the Sooner State. League of Women Voters of Oklahoma, a nonpartisan political organization that pushes for informed and active citizens, approaches the general election with voter education efforts.

League of Women Voters members have trained other groups in hosting voter registration drives and have hosted their own in areas like Tulsa and Stillwater. Recently, the Norman chapter held a forum covering the state questions with speakers for and against the measures. Through a partnership with the Kirkpatrick Foundation and a number of other organizations, the league supported the 2016 Oklahoma Voter Guide, which began distribution this month.

“There is a lot of focus on the presidential election this year, but it’s the candidates and the issues that are farther down on your ballot that often make the biggest difference in your life,” said Shelia Swearingen, president of League of Women Voters of Oklahoma. “Those legislators will be making decisions directly affecting the lives of Oklahomans. There are seven state questions on the ballot, and whatever comes of those will have a direct and immediate effect.”

Last call

The deadline to register to vote and update registration is Oct. 14. In January, Oklahoma State Election Board reported there were 1.9 million registered voters in the state. A year earlier, the board counted 2.03 million.

It’s hard to predict the voter turnout in Oklahoma. March 1, Democrat Bernie Sanders and Republican Ted Cruz scored presidential primary victories in Oklahoma, but neither went on to win their parties.

With millennials now surpassing baby boomers, who cast substantially more ballots than younger people as the nation’s largest living generation, some wonder if voter turnout will ever rise.

“People who get out to vote are my age,” said Swearingen, a baby boomer. “We are making the decisions for millennials. … I am ready for the millennials to show us what they are made of, get out there and vote.”

Moore would like to see the Oklahoma Standard applied to voting and citizen involvement in politics. Oklahomans should have the interests of children, veterans, the elderly, teachers, the disabled and many more in mind when they cast ballots.

“Our duty in society is taking care of each other,” Moore said. “Oklahomans are great about that when there is a big crisis. …We’ve got to pull together and say, ‘How can we help each other, and how can we get the people in charge to help us?’”

http://okgazette.com/2016/10/05/registration-deadline-is-looming/

Oklahoma Education Advocates Marching To Capitol Again To Talk Budget Concerns (KGOU)

May 26, 2016

By Emily Wendler

Parents, students, and educators are rallying at the state Capitol Wednesday because of dissatisfaction with Oklahoma’s $6.8 billion budget deal. They want to see more money go to education.

The group Let’s Fix This has been planning the demonstration at the statehouse for weeks. Its original intention was to protest cuts to education. But since lawmakers revealed their budget proposal Tuesday, their plan changed.

“I think there’s a lot of us that was to have face-to-face conversations with our legislators about what’s proposed, what’s been done, and what hasn’t been done,” said the even’t sorganizer, Andy Moore.

Moore wants to see more funding go to education because cuts from last year’s revenue failures were not restored in the budget the Senate passed Wednesday. Allocations to the State Department of Education were 2.34 percent less than the original appropriation in Fiscal Year 2016, although they’re almost 1 percent higher than the revised mid-year budget after two revenue failures.

Moore says there are several revenue-boosting measures lawmakers still need to consider. He’s encouraging participants to bring apples to their Representatives as a symbolic gesture for each teacher lost to budget cuts.

http://kgou.org/post/oklahoma-education-advocates-marching-capitol-again-talk-budget-concerns

Capitol protesters urge lawmakers to reject budget, better fund schools (KOCO)

May 26, 2016

By Crystal Price

OKLAHOMA CITY — More than 100 parents, students, and educators marched from Douglass High School to the state Capitol on Thursday morning.

The group urged lawmakers to scrap the proposed budget and come up with a better plan to fund schools.

Families from all over the state met at Douglass High School on Thursday to begin the walk.

After making posters and saying a quick prayer, the group began its journey on Northeast 8th Street toward the Capitol.

“The budget the Senate passed yesterday is one that shifts the burden of cuts from public education to higher education, and these are institutions that go hand in hand,” said Kara Joy McKee, an outreach and advocacy specialist for the Oklahoma Policy Institute.

In addition to cuts to higher education, parents said the proposal does not call for additional funding for common education.

Anna King said the school that her niece attends has cut almost a dozen teachers and an assistant principal this year.

“I made a poster that says, ‘I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired,’” King said. “Our legislators need to know that they need to put our kids first.”

Paula Lewis, OKCPS board member for District 4, said that even though the state budget proposal doesn’t call for any more cuts to common education, it’s unknown if the more than 200 teaching positions that have been cut will be saved.

“I haven’t seen anything come through our district that says we’ve got some more money back,” Lewis said. “As far as I know, we’re still at a $30 million loss in the city of Oklahoma City.”

After the walk, the group met in the rotunda and held a rally inside the Capitol.

http://www.koco.com/article/capitol-protesters-urge-lawmakers-to-reject-budget-better-fund-schools/4309944