The Express-Star (Chickasha, Okla.), Ed. 1 Thursday, May 13, 2021 Page: 4 of 24
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4A
Opinion
Thursday, May 13, 2021
#TheGoodStuff: Find your fit
A
2
r
Staying safe during storm season
7
a
2
merit, safe room
State budget and redistricting are issues to watch
Joe Dorman
nai district lines look like Oklahoma Institute for
Child Advocacy CEO
most anticipated coming out reality is there is still
Earned Income Tax Credit
tions on the budget will be
finalized soon. A troubling
no
the
Jim Cowan
Chickasha
Economic
Development
Council Director
that so many of our busi-
ness leaders of today came
through Chickasha schools.
It also fun to think about
or an
aw ay
of a pandemic year. Tax col-
lections from the various
As the Oklahoma legisla-
tive session winds down for
the year, there are still some
policy bills being consid-
ered in conference commit-
tees, and a few remaining
that need some other form of
action, including some poli-
cies important to the Okla-
homa Institute for Child
Advocacy (OICA).
The two items receiving
the most discussion are: 1)
what will the state budget
look like for important pro-
grams; and 2) what will the
legislative and congressio-
based upon the recent Cen-
sus count.
The good news is the bud-
get outlook is far better than
62
/-v
from windows. If you
are driving in or near
the path of a storm, do
not attempt to outrun
it in a vehicle and do
n. as
9 gana
taw Uu: 4 jkx u(md
2027
our young people. They are
our future business leaders
that are full of energy and
ideas of what they want
Chickasha to look like. As
I see social media posts
from the business leaders
that were at the Career
Expo mentioning they were
at their Alma Mater, it
makes we wonder what stu-
dents will be there 10-15
years from now trying to
hire those students. I saw
the future of Chickasha
today, saw our future busi-
ness leaders and couldn’t
help but wonder which one
of those students will be
telling us about #TheGood-
Stuff in the future?
luLSULLNL
TOM COLE
I, 09
5
N-
/0.
through some growing They have persevered
pains, but they seemed to through Covid. virtual
have some momentum now. learning, postponed activi-
indication whether
homa Weather Alert interior room
ties and completely new
ways of learning. I think
we need to be proud of
these graduating seniors.
Some will go on to a
University, others to CVT,
some to the military, others
will immediately enter the
workforce. No matter what
path they take as they put
their high school years
behind them. I hope they
keep Chickasha in mind.
We need our young people!
We need some to stay and
others to come back after
they experience life out-
side of Chickasha, but we
definitely need them.
We need to continue to
build a city that embraces
in your area, seek
shelter in your base-
A.l 1
dehe
•D l
MSnskdi
dents will be Chickasha’s ,
business leaders of the j
future.
Strong schools are the
backbone of a vibrant corn
munity and one of the key
components of economic
development. Watching the
students and facility inter
act with our business lead-
ers. it's easy to be optimis-
tic about the future. I real
ize our schools have gone
your community’s
dedicated emergency
management team. To
receive real time alerts
from the National
Weather Service, safe-
ty tips and help find-
ing safety shelters and
disaster recovery cen-
ters, download the
mobile app available
from the Federal
Emergency Manage-
ment Agency (FEM A):
fema.gov/mobile-app.
If you or a loved one
is deaf or hard-of-
hearing. there are
unique alerts avail-
able through the Okla-
The Chickasha Chamber
and EDC co-hosted a career
expo at the Chickasha High
School this week. Busi-
nesses from all over Chick-
asha set up tables with
employment information to
help the Juniors and Seniors
consider different career
opportunities. I enjoyed
watching the students as
they talked to the many
diverse companies, trying
to understand what each
company does. I also
enjoyed watching the
employers, many of them
not that far removed from
their time at Chickasha
High School. It’s pretty
exciting when you notice
Remote Notification
(OK-WARN). This
service provides noti-
fications of weather
hazards and emergen-
able templates for
building an emergency
plan. I highly recom-
mend visiting: Ready,
gov/plan. Your house-
hold's response strate-
gy should always
include a physical
communications plan
with contact informa-
tion and meeting plac-
es. In these circum-
stances, building a kit
with food, water and
vital supplies is criti-
cally important. For
downloadable check-
lists and recommend-
ed items to put a your
kit. visit Reauy.gov/
kit. At a minimum, a
supply kit sho Id
include water, non-
perishable food, a first
nomic report at https://www.
ok.gov/treasurer/documents/
Apr-21-GRT-OER.pdf
The other point the policy-
makers must decide is redis-
tricting. Oklahoma has
unique history with redis-
tricling, according to a
report by the Oklahoma
House of Representatives.
In 1962, the U.S. Supreme
Court determined state leg-
islative districting must
reflect the concept of one-
person-one-vote in Baker v.
Carr. All citizens, regardless
of where they reside in a
state, are entitled to equal
legislative representation.
The U.S. District Court
for Western Oklahoma
found in Reynolds v. State
Election Board that the
Oklahoma Legislature failed
to follow the law to redis-
trict itself within the guide-
lines of substantial numeri-
cal equality. So, in 1964, the
U.S. District Court redis-
tricted both the Oklahoma
Senate and the Oklahoma
House of Representatives on
a population basis.
Soon after, the Legislature
economic activities which (E1TC) refundability will be
generate revenue showed a part of the final bill to
Gross Receipts to the Trea- ensure working families get
sury jumped by more than the full benefit of this impor-
38 percent in April. Even tant tax cut.
more encouraging, ail major We will keep you informed
revenue streams showed at in this column and on our
least double-digit growth. social media as progress is
We expect the negotia- made. You can read the eco-
aid kit, flashlights and
spare batteries. These
items can be indis-
pensable during and in
the aftermath of a
storm.
Finally, if a storm
hits and your property
sustains damage, it is
important to report it.
This helps our state
understand the extent
of damage from a
storm or tornado, and
it also allows you to
potentially receive
services and assis-
tance. If you had dam-
age to your property
during storms in recent
weeks, or if you have
damage caused by
future storms, be sure
to report it. Steps to
H
4
V
how many of those stu-
do so can be found at
www.damage.ok.gov.
In Oklahoma, it’s
not a matter of "if" but
“when" we will face
tornados or severe
weather and being pre-
pared could mean the
difference in life or
death. While we can-
not control or predict
the mood of the weath-
er, we can at least
ensure our response to
its potential severity
when we have a plan
in place. Indeed, it is
critical to be prepared
and collectively work
in keeping our com-
munities safe in the
event of intense
storms.
_______-r-
$ «. . mo
L vAA
VE
passed and the people adopt- ers worked with staff
ed Article V. Sections 11A assigned to assist with draw-
through I IE of the Oklaho- ing lines tentatively to com-
ma Constitution. This ply with Oklahoma law,
requires the Oklahoma Leg- with hopes that numbers
islature to develop and enact align well with what is pro-
redistricting plans for the vided by the US Census
Oklahoma House of Repre- Bureau.
sentatives and Senate "with- Population estimates from
in 90 legislative days after the 2015-2019 five-year
the convening of the first American Community Sur-
regular session of the Legis- vey were the basis for the
lature following each Fed- initial numbers. The Legis-
eral Decennial Census.” lature will likely pass these
If the Legislature fails to maps and then return in a
do so by sine die adjourn- special session later this
ment (on the final Friday of summer should alterations
May), the task falls to the to the plan need to be made.
Bipartisan Commission on if you would like to learn
Legislative Apportionment. more about the redistricting
This commission is com- process, go to https://www.
posed of seven members: okhouse.gov/Publications/
two Republicans and two Redistricting.aspx and
Democrats appointed by the https://oksenate.gov/redis-
Governor; the President Pro tricting to look at the pro-
Tempore of the Senate; the posed maps.
Speaker of the House; and Soon, the discussion will
the Lieutenant Governor begin on the interim studies
serving as the nonvoting the Legislature will conduct,
chair. Next week, this column will
Census numbers for the cover that, as well provide a
states were delayed due to way for you to have input
the pandemic, which slowed into what lawmakers exam-
the process. State lawmak- ine before the 2022 session.
Late spring in Okla-
homa often means the
possibility of severe
storms and tornados,
particularly in the
month of May. Unfor-
tunately. in recent
weeks, some commu-
nities have already
seen dangerous weath-
er patterns that result-
ed in property dam-
age. As we move
through the coming
weeks, we certainly
hope and pray that our
communities will be
spared from the wrath
of severe weather.
Regardless, it is criti-
cal to have an emer-
gency response plan
and build readiness
kits for staying safe if
storms strike.
The first step in pre-
paredness is to be
alert and know when a
dangerous storm could
hit. Whether you are
at home, at work or on
the road, always be
aware of where and
when to take shelter in
case of an emergency.
Heed the warnings
and direction issued
by storm trackers at
the National Weather
Service, by local
meteorologists and
cies to Oklahomans not hide under an
via pager, e-mail or overpass or a bridge,
cell phone. To sign up Find a low, flat loca-
for these life-saving tion and cover your
alerts. visit the head and neck with
following:oklahoma. your arms. If you have
gov/oem/programs- a blanket orcoat avail-
and-services/ok-warn. able, wrap yourself
html. up.
Next, it is important Creating a plan and
to know what to do having a kit can help
when a tornado or you and your family
severe storm hits. If weather the storm For
you are at home dur- important resources,
ing a tornado warning helpful tips and print-
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The Express-Star (Chickasha, Okla.), Ed. 1 Thursday, May 13, 2021, newspaper, May 13, 2021; Chickasha, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc2036096/m1/4/?q=virtual+music+rare+book: accessed June 10, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.