The City Sentinel

Benefit Concert and Art Auction to Aid Tornado Recovery Effort June 21. Concert Features Leona Mitchell, David Robinson, Thomas Studebaker and Jeffery Wells

Staff Report — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:01:35 +0000

staff report

Westminster Presbyterian Church hosts, Faith Hope Love, a musical event and art auction to benefit Oklahoma tornado victims and recovery efforts. Join us for an amazing evening of music and art on Friday, June 21 at 8:00 pm in the Westminster Sanctuary, located at 4400 North Shartel in Oklahoma City.

Featured musicians include Leona Mitchell, David Robinson, Thomas Studebaker, Jeffrey Wells and the Westminster Pipe Band. Several area choirs will sing together with full orchestra, performing various arias by Puccini, Bizet and more. Bagpipes will join choir and orchestra to perform Highland Cathedral and Amazing Grace. Brad Ferguson of KCSC radio, will host this event.

The art auction will begin at 7:30 pm in the Westminster Garden Court and will conclude 30 minutes after the concert is released. Bids may be placed or art may be purchased at the “Buy it Now” price.

Suggested donation is $25 with a goal of $50,000 to be given to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, who is working in Oklahoma to assist in the tornado recovery efforts.

Westminster Presbyterian Church, located in NW Oklahoma City, a member of the Presbyterian Church USA, is a welcoming community of believers who are committed to worship as God’s people, forgiven through grace, growing in faith, love and knowledge to serve in Christ’s name.
Westminster invites you to attend worship help each Sunday at 8:30, 9:30 and 11:00 am. You may also watch our weekly sermon broadcast each Sunday at 10:30 am on KWTV Channel 9 in Oklahoma City or online at wpcokc.org.

For more information, please contact Sarah Adams-Cornell at 405.820.2928 or email at
sarahadams-cornell@wpcokc.org.

OETA-The Oklahoma Network has been nominated for 11 Heartland Chapter Emmy Awards

Special to the Paper — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:30:04 +0000

Special to The City Sentinel

OETA-The Oklahoma Network has been nominated for 11 Heartland Chapter Emmy Awards, including in the category of Community Service, said Communications Director Ashley Barcum.

Nominations include a record four going to OETA’s arts and culture series GALLERY, two for OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT, two for documentary series STATELINE, one for OETA’s news and public affairs series OKLAHOMA FORUM, and one for OETA’s interview series ON THE RECORD.

In addition, OETA’s Lessons from the Dust Bowl outreach project was nominated for Community Service. The statewide project engaged thousands of Oklahomans across the state around the issue of conservation.

Winners will be announced at simultaneous ceremonies in Denver and Oklahoma City on July 13. OETA will feature the nominated content online through its website at www.oeta.tv and social platforms in the weeks leading up to July 13. View the complete list of nominations at www.emmyawards.tv.

Descriptions of the stories nominated:

#12A Politics/Government Story
“Political Cartoonist”, as reported on Oklahoma News Report
“If a picture is worth a thousand words, political cartoonist Bruce Plante has drawn a veritable dictionary on the political landscape. Having produced thousands of cartoons, Plante works as one of the last political cartoonists in the nation. Our Lis Exon joins Plante in his studio to observe his creativity in action at the Tulsa World.”

#22 Politics/ Government Program/Special
“Oklahoma Forum: Republican Convention”
A roundtable discussion of the 2012 Republican National Convention and this fall’s presidential election campaign with: Pat McGuigan, Editor, CapitolBeatOK.com and The City Sentinel’s Associate Publisher; Ben Odom, former Vice-Chair, Oklahoma Democratic Party; Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre, D-Tulsa and Larry Stein, Radio Host and Political Commentator

#26A Documentary – Cultural
“Gallery: Deep Roots”
Profile of David Phelps, an award-winning, internationally collected sculptor exploring the deep connections between humanity and the notion of place and landscape, an Oklahoma artist whose artistic roots run deep.

#27 Historic/Cultural Program Feature/Segment
Gallery – “Inclusion in Art”
Oklahoma-born Nathan Lee’s talents bloomed in the hip hop culture on the streets of New York City. Now he’s back home and doing all he can to add color to Oklahoma’s creative tableau. He is also an African American artist who has a lot of brushes in the palette. Besides his own creative works, Lee runs an outreach program for minority artists and he mentors talented teens. This former rapper teaches us why sometimes our biggest obstacles to “Inclusion in Art” can be our own fears.

“Deep Deuce: Yesterday & Today”, as reported on Oklahoma News Report
Over time, important pieces of Oklahoma history that have been lost and largely ignored. Near downtown Oklahoma City, there is a section of NE 2 St., when life 80 years ago was very different from today. It is a major part of our state’s black history – mostly forgotten and bulldozed years ago – that is now generating renewed interest.

#28: Interview/Discussion – Program/Special
“Ken Burns – On The Record”

#30A: Informational/Instructional Program/Special
“Stateline: Power to the People’
When powerful storms tear through an Oklahoma community they often leave a trail of damage in their wake. Among the first on the scene are the teams of electric linemen who rush in to get the power back on.
Stateline takes us to the top of the power pole where the work is as vital as it is dangerous.
In driving rain, fierce wind or heavy snow, at any hour, on any day…Oklahoma linemen restore “Power to the People”.

“Stateline: Path to a Paycheck”
Educators and employers all over the world are aware of a fact that very few Oklahomans would ever suspect. Our state’s career tech system is one of the best in the world. Every year delegations from foreign countries and from other states visit Oklahoma to tour the campuses and unlock the secret to our state’s success

Stateline explores vocational training opportunities and looks into the lives of Oklahoma students who say college wasn’t a fit for them and so they have chosen a different “Path to a Paycheck.”

#30B Informational/Instructional Segment
“March to the Stadium”
With a drum line downbeat thousands rise to their feet, cheering for the great marching bands of Oklahoma’s top universities as they take the football fields in Stillwater and in Norman, their mission, to build excitement, honor traditions and sometimes, to actually make an impact on the outcome of football games. In Oklahoma, when you’re talking football, you’re talking big money for the schools and the state. Gallery goes behind the scenes with The Cowboy Marching Band at Oklahoma State University and The Pride of Oklahoma at the University of Oklahoma to talk to students, alumni and the band directors about what leads up to The March to the Stadium.

#40 Community Service
“Lessons from the Dust Bowl”
Statewide community outreach project produced by OETA and the Oklahoma Conservation Partnership to engage tens of thousands of Oklahomans into a conversation about conservation, provide resources and critical info to communities battling drought, and to share the history and lessons of “the worst man-made ecological disaster in US history,” all developed around the landmark documentary film, Ken Burns: The Dust Bowl.

#53A Writer – Program
“March to the Stadium”, written by Gallery producer Susan Miller
With a drum line downbeat thousands rise to their feet, cheering for the great marching bands of Oklahoma’s top universities as they take the football fields in Stillwater and in Norman, their mission, to build excitement, honor traditions and sometimes, to actually make an impact on the outcome of football games. In Oklahoma, when you’re talking football, you’re talking big money for the schools and the state. Gallery goes behind the scenes with The Cowboy Marching Band at Oklahoma State University and The Pride of Oklahoma at the University of Oklahoma to talk to students, alumni and the band directors about what leads up to The March to the Stadium.

In other news, Barcum said OETA has added a new board member, Dr. Larry Rice, President of Claremore’s Rogers State University.
Rice joins fellow OETA board members, Dr. Janet Barresi, David Boren, Burns Hargis, Lisa Harbison, Elaine Hobson, Brent Houston, Dr. Glen Johnson, Fritz Kiersch, Suzanne Lair, Dr. Jerry Nigh, Clarke Stroud and Dr. Jim Utterback.

OETA-The Oklahoma Network consistently engages Oklahomans across the state with educational content, outreach initiatives and online features that collectively encourage lifelong learning. Explore www.oeta.tv for more information about local productions, community resources and show schedules.
Read about the station’s on-going developments by subscribing to its free e-newsletter, oeta.tv/newsletter.

Sen. David Holt details ‘Black Friday’ reform struggle

Patrick B. McGuigan — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:26:06 +0000

David Holt

By Patrick B. McGuigan
Associate Publisher

In the 2013 legislative session, State Sen. David Holt, R-Oklahoma City, shepherded into the statute books a major economic policy reform. He says it was not easy, despite the overwhelming majorities Republicans have in both Houses of the Legislature.

In fact, the first-term legislator told The City Sentinel, his drive to change state law to allow steep retail price discounting might have been the toughest “sell” he has had to make to his colleagues in the Legislature.

Holt co-sponsored Senate Bill 550 with state Rep. Tom Newell, R-Seminole. The new law, signed by Gov. Mary Fallin and taking effect on Nov. 1, repeals provisions that had required (since 1941) retailers in most cases to sell products for at least six percent more than they paid for them.
In an interview with The City Sentinel, Holt said, “Current law created a statutory price floor, forcing consumers to pay higher prices for no other reason than the government said they had to. That is essentially a tax, payable directly to retailers. If you placed a full repeal of such a thing on a statewide ballot, it would pass 90 to 10, and the ten percent would just be confused.

“But at the Capitol, things get weird, and that’s why this statutory price floor has been untouchable for 70 years. Efforts have been attempted for decades to repeal or amend this law, and they all failed. To make the significant changes we did, we had to be extremely persistent and we had to overcome at least two major forces.”

For decades, state law had the practical effect of limiting the positive impact of “Black Friday” (the day after Thanksgiving) for Oklahoma’s consumers.

Holt said the first major force opposed to change was “a populism that, counter-intuitively comes at the expense of the populace. Despite our reputation as a ‘red state,’ any expansion of the free market meets resistance from the populism that spawned this law in the first place.”

He continued, “I would argue that ‘populism’ should prioritize the many consumers paying higher prices above the few business owners who want a profit guarantee. But the dominant populist argument in this debate held that the price floor was necessary to protect small business from a larger retailer’s ability to charge a lower price.”

Holt argues that price floors “are a means not justified by the end, that other statutes protect against predatory pricing, and that most states have no price floor, but still have small business.”

However, he continued, “In the end, we had to compromise with the populist view. We didn’t get to repeal this bad law like we wanted, but we amended it in a way that will deliver lower prices and the free market on most products most of the time. It’s certainly a vast improvement over the current law.”

So, what was the other anti-reform impediment?

Holt, who was elected in the historic Republican surge of 2010, said that was “the reality that not much gets done at the Capitol until all the special interests have been satisfied. That’s why you see the exceptions we had to write into the bill.”

Those exceptions include maintenance of the six percent “margin” for groceries, drugs, gas, and lumber products. Holt explained his motivation for balancing a pure reform with a possible reform: “We had to be persistent, diligent, and open to compromise, or else the bill would have died a dozen times. As a result, the final product was less than ideal but it’s still a vast improvement over the current law.”

The discussion with Holt broadened to include a response to commentaries by this writer, and others, who have wondered why fiscal and free market conservative reforms have not moved faster since Republicans took complete control of state government in 2010.

Holt reflected, “One explanation I subscribe to is that even with large Republican majorities, classic conservatism has had to compromise with Oklahoma populism. That populism seeks certain outcomes, such as plentiful and high-paying government jobs, guaranteed profits for small business, and robust protections for the populace.

“Meanwhile, Oklahoma populism isn’t terribly concerned that the means to attain those outcomes — such as a high income tax, strong local government unions, bloated and numerous agencies, generous pensions, price floors, and regulation — violate basic tenets of classic conservatism.”
In 2012, Sen. Holt was one of Oklahoma’s Presidential Electors. He represents parts of northwest Oklahoma City, and the towns of Bethany, Warr Acres and the Village.

A decade ago, he worked in the nation’s capital for President George W. Bush, served on the staffs of U.S. Sen. James Inhofe, R-OK, and then-Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin and, for four years, as chief of staff for Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett. Also last year, he finished work on “Big League City: Oklahoma City’s Rise to the NBA,” an insider’s account of the successful effort to bring the Thunder franchise to the Sooner State’s capital city.

www.CapitolBeatOK.com

Oklahoma City bridge named for local musician

Staff Report — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:23:38 +0000

Kenneth Kilgore

Staff Report

A section of Interstate 44 in northeast Oklahoma City is soon to be named for a famous local musician.

Kenneth Kilgore, founding artistic director of the Ambassadors’ Concert Choir, will have his name on the I-44 bridge passing over Kelley Ave. Beginning July 1, the official name of the bridge will be the “Maestro Kenneth Kilgore Memorial Bridge.”

Kilgore, born in 1947 in Oklahoma City, gave his life to music. Before his passing in 2011, he forged a successful music career, receiving numerous awards both locally and nationally. Honors include induction to the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame; the State of Oklahoma Arts Award; Oklahoma Musician of the Year from the Oklahoma Federation of Music Club; Arts & Letters Conducting Award presented by the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; and Excellence in Performance presented by Langston University.

The Minister of Music/Minister of Fine Arts for St. John Missionary Baptist Church from 1970-2011, Kilgore was a dynamic individual who took his musical styling around the country.

“Maestro Kilgore’s influence on the musical community in Oklahoma cannot be ignored,” said state Rep. Mike Shelton, D-Oklahoma City. “I am very proud of his accomplishments and what he did to influence the musical arts in this state. His career was long, successful and left a legacy behind. We miss him to this day, but with this naming we all will be able to see his name on the highway on a daily basis. This sign going up will keep his memory alive for generations to come.”

A graduate of Douglass High School, Kilgore earned his Bachelor’s degree from Bishop College in Dallas, Texas. He returned to Oklahoma and earned a Master of Education degree from Langston University and a Doctorate in Educational Administration from Oklahoma State University.

Local Planned Parenthood honored at national conference featuring keynote speaker President Obama

Darla Shelden — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:05:56 +0000

Cecile Richards, President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (center) presents Keri Parks, Director of External Affairs for Planned Parenthood of Central Oklahoma (left) and Anita Fream, PPCO-CEO (right) with the Affiliate Excellence Award for Marketing and Advertising at the National Conference in Washington D.C. last April. Photo provided.

By Darla Shelden
Contributing Writer

Planned Parenthood of Central Oklahoma (PPCO) was recently recognized by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) with an Affiliate Excellence Award for Marketing and Advertising at the National Conference held in Washington D.C.

PPCO CEO Anita Fream said, “Our Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, now in its seventh year, was designed to encourage sexually active teens aged 15-19 in Oklahoma County to use Planned Parenthood services to prevent unintended pregnancies.

“The goal was to reach older teens with messages focusing on the availability of contraceptive counseling and services for the prevention of unintended pregnancies.”

Planned Parenthood’s national and local leaders and supporters from across the country attended the dinner to honor the champions of women’s health. Fream and Parks represented Oklahoma City.

On Thursday, April 25, during the conference, President Barack Obama surprised many attendees when he delivered the keynote address at the annual gala dinner, themed “Time for Care.”

“It was a great thrill to hear President Obama speak in person — the first time a sitting President has spoken before a Planned Parenthood audience,” said Fream. “ His commitment to women’s health was so inspiring, and he gave us hope that the welfare of women and families matters in Washington. We’d certainly love to see this continue.”

President Obama defended Planned Parenthood and told the audience that he would stand by them and block any effort to cut funding for the organization.

President Obama said, “No matter how great the challenge, no matter how fierce the opposition, there’s one thing the past years have shown. It’s that Planned Parenthood is not going anywhere. It’s not going anywhere today, it’s not going anywhere tomorrow.

“As long as we’ve got to fight to make sure that women have access to quality, affordable healthcare, and as long as we’ve got to fight for a women to make her own choices, about her own health, I want you to know that you’ve got a President that’s going to be right there with you, fighting every step of the way.

President Obama thanked the doctors, nurses, advocates and staff who work tirelessly for what Planned Parenthood offers.

Obama pointed out that one in five women in America has turned to Planned Parenthood for health care, and for many, Planned Parenthood is their primary source of health care. Not just for contraceptive care, but for lifesaving preventive care, like cancer screenings and health counseling.
“No insurer should get to decide what kind of care you get,” President Obama told the audience. “The only person who should get to make decisions about your health is you.”

Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America said, “President Obama has done more than any president in history for women’s health and rights. He understands that access to birth control and preventive health care are economic issues for women and their families.”

Richards added, “We are honored to have President Obama join us at our ‘Time for Care’ Gala at this pivotal moment for women’s health.

“We fought alongside him to ensure that women’s health access was expanded in the landmark Affordable Care Act, and now we have to fight hard to ensure that the full promise of health care reform is realized for millions of women.”

At the event, hosted by new Planned Parenthood Youth Ambassador Rocsi Diaz of Entertainment Tonight, Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer was presented with PPFA’s highest honor, the Margaret Sanger Award.

Westheimer was recognized for her lifelong commitment to empowering women and men to talk openly and honestly about sex and sexual health.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was honored with the “Care. No Matter What.” Award for his dedication to protecting women’s health care in the City of Los Angeles.

The evening also featured a special Maggie Award for Media Excellence honoring Lena Dunham, star of HBO’s Girls, for her true to life portrayal of the complex issues facing young women today.

A special Partner of the Year Award was presented to Tumblr.

The evening closed with a performance from Grammy Award-winning recording artist Estelle, known for her work supporting women and disadvantaged youth worldwide, through her foundation All of Me.

“Our hope is to be here offering high-quality, affordable health care to the women and families of Oklahoma for a very long time,” said Fream. “With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, we see an opportunity to provide a wider range of services to our clients, from a name they know they can trust.”

Formed in 1916 the Planned Parenthood Federation of America is the nation’s leading women’s reproductive health care provider. For more information, visit www.ppcook.org.

“Greater Tuna” and greater theatre – CityRep delivers again

Patrick B. McGuigan — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:35:48 +0000

by Patrick B. McGuigan
Associate Publisher

Jonathan Beck Reed and Donald Laurel Jordan soar in the three week run of “Greater Tuna,” the comedy by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard. Their performances conclude this weekend.

Between the two of them – cooperating brilliantly in their 42nd joint venture in a career spanning the last four decades – the fellows depict more than 20 characters.

That’s men and women, and puppy dogs.

A little edgy here and there, bearing a PG rating for language, the play is an enduring satire of life in a Texas town. Darned if you might not imagine yourself in a south Oklahoma town, as well.

Each and every characterization is spot-on, with some of the best humor coming from the simple artistry of the cross-dressing duo.

Jordan reaches his pinnacle as a preacher who relies on tired stereotypes and triteness to offset a lack of minsterial originality and inspiration. Reed is superb throughout, especially as the lady leader who guides anti-smut efforts and is the soul of inefficiency.

Steve Emerson directs the show and is sound designer, working on a set by Theresa Furphy, Ben Hall and Jordan.

Kathrine Mitchell, as lighting designer, makes nice use of the Alamo-like contours of the central doorways to evoke settings as varied as church and home, radio station and waiting room

Jeffrey Meek and Andy Wallach deserve credit for the costumes – after all, they conspire with the performing duo to make a couple of hefty fellows believable as, well, hefty gals.

Credit Suzette Collins Sroufe for the hair and makeup.

A dark thread in the story is the murderous edge of one character. But after all, bad stuff happens in small towns and big cities, and we humans have a habit of poking fun at darn near everything.

A poignant moment near the end comes when one of Reed’s characters – the environmentalist with a small town perspective – prays with a combination of hope and despair. He asks God, “If you are out there,” to send some help to folks in Greater Tuna.

That’s a prayer we can all appreciate, and “Greater Tuna” is a story for all seasons.

“Greater Tuna” performances are Friday (June 14) at 7:30 p.m., Saturday (June 15) 7:30 p.m., and Sunday (June 16) for a concluding Matinee at 1:30 p.m.

Tickets range from $8 to $30. Information is available from the Civic Center Music Hall Box Office at 405-297-2264 or 1-800-364-7111. The CityRep

Ticket Hotline is at 405-848-3761; Online purchases can be made at www.myticketoffice.com.

Patrick McGuigan
ckane6@aol.com

Another Senior Follies – fun and fanciful, with a spiritual coda

Patrick B. McGuigan — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:34:05 +0000

by Patrick B. McGuigan
Associate Publisher

OKLAHOMA CITY — Credit Bobbie Burbridge Lane for the vision of “Oklahoma Senior Follies,” which she has brought to joyful life the past three years. This year as “Follies King” she brings on-stage another local icon, publisher Leland Gourley of the Friday newspaper.

The Lynda Tarpley Dancers and Generations in Tap return for the third straight year. It must be a lot of fun for legendary dancer Bob Windsor to hang out with that array of lovely ladies.

The show is great fun, with the fanciful “Follies” strut at mid-point of Act II providing a stunning view of idealized mature womanhood. In their glittery attire, Noma Gurich, Lolly Anderson, Patsy Homsey, Jan Henry, Vicki Gourley and 88-year-old Betty Catching are, each and every one, fetching.

As for musical artists, Terry Runnels is superb in several numbers, including “Come Fly With Me,” “Too Darn Hot” (with Jackie Short and the company), and Act I closer “On the Street Where You Live.”

Linda Wright is in top form with her solos “Stormy Weather” and “I Feel the Earth Move” — and in several ensemble numbers. Tip-top in each of her stage turns is Jane Hall, particularly on “Get Proud of Me.”

If there is a more self-effacing and effective female performer in Oklahoma than Charlotte Franklin, I don’t know who it is. She is fall-out-of-your-chair funny in a faux burlesque number, and pitch-perfect in every appearance on stage. Kristina Rapp delivers graceful operatic-infused tunes, including a nice “Blue Heaven” duet with David Anderson.

Speaking of Anderson, he has a tender trio number with violinist Alton Scott and dancer Windsor, “The Water is Wide/Swanee River” in the second act. He and Jim Henline (“Maria” and “Old Man River” bring grand bass solos and harmonies to the OCU stage.

The show is well-arranged and carefully structured, highlighting the skills of performers as diverse as Kerry Robertson, Wally Brown, Kristina Rapp, Marjorie DuPree, Christy Carson, Virginia Wright, John “Count Gregore” Ferguson, Paul Coulter, Linda Slane, Neva Hames, Lou Anne Rice, Jay Edwards, Paul Coulter, Carol Sander and Gary Sander.

Early in Act II, country singer Larry Darnell excels in his annual tribute to Hank Williams, followed by the ageless Jody Miller singing two favorites (has this little gal really been in show business for 50 years?).

This year features a gentle spiritual coda to the show, as Wright leads a soaring ensemble rendition of “Everybody Needs a Rainbow,” laced with a few bars of “Amazing Grace” for good measure. Minutes before that, the ageless Jo Rowan of OCU delivers a tender and uplifting solo ballet to a nice orchestral adaptation of “Let There Be Peace On Earth.”

For comfort and care, these are top-drawer moments of live performance.

Credit Oklahoma City University and President Robert Henry, Dean Mark Parker at the school of Music and Theatre, and director David Herendeen from the OCU Opera and musical theater company for their indispensible roles in this extravaganza. This year, Bobbie’s son – former District Attorney Wes Lane – is Master of Ceremony for two performances.

Praise as well to the band – Jake Johnson, Clinton Trency and Roger Owens — and the production leadership of Herendeen, Ashley Bellet, Jake Johnson, Sheridan McMichael and all the crew.

The Senior Follies will open tonight (Friday, June 14) at p.m. in the Kirkpatrick Auditorium on the Oklahoma City University campus. The show continues Saturday (June 15) at 3 p.m., and closes Sunday (June 16) at 3 p.m. Tickets are available for purchse at the OCU Ticket Office, or by calling 405-208-5277.

As always, net proceeds benefit Mobile Meals of Oklahoma County. The 2011 and 2012 performances of the Oklahoma Senior Follies provided 67,048 hot meals to home-bound senior citizens.

Patrick McGuigan
ckane6@aol.com

Why should one man control fate of Oklahoma vets?

Special to the Paper — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:12:58 +0000

Photo from the web

To The Editor:

How highly do we regard Oklahoma veterans? That is the question we would pose after an important bill to address their needs was blocked by one man, the Senate Appropriations Committee chair, who refused to give it a hearing this legislative session.

House Bill 1942 would have created the Oklahoma Veteran Recovery Plan Act of 2013 and provided Oklahomans with hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment for TBI and PTSD when funds became available and treatment approved.

The first of its kind in the country, this bill would have given Oklahoma the ability to start treating veterans without waiting another year to put legislation in place. The bill had no fiscal impact and treatments would only be eligible for payment if they were successful. Insurance company participation would be voluntary. If this bill passed, private donors would have funded the treatment.

This bill would have made it possible to be reimbursed by the federal government for hyperbaric oxygen treatments currently available. We could have fixed lives, put men and women back to work, healed brain injuries, favorably impacted the Oklahoma economy, and honored our veterans all at the same time.

Oklahoma is losing $79 million per year in tax revenue, according to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, because 25,000 veterans can no longer work and are unemployed. One study says that it might cost $1,250,000 to treat depression and PTSD in one veteran for 50 years. Many of our veterans are currently experiencing long-term medical costs – either from the initial illness or trauma, developing chronic medical conditions, or long-term disabilities. Among these are large numbers with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries.

Veterans develop PTSD whether or not they have been physically injured. These veterans have a lower quality of life, more medical problems, and higher rates of suicide and divorce. PTSD is associated with smoking, substance abuse, depression and anxiety, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, gastrointestinal, dermatologic and musculoskeletal disorders, chronic fatigue and increased dementia.

Traumatic brain injuries account for roughly 22 percent of casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq, and were found in 59 percent of patients exposed to blasts in one study. Like PTSD, mild TBI correlates statistically with increased rates of psychological, physical and functional problems.

But let’s put a human face to these words: our veterans keep coming home. And their marriages fail. And too many of them quietly commit suicide because they face a lifetime of despair without hope of recovery. All they have are hundreds of bottles of medicine that don’t work – and the pain never goes away. And every day feels like an eternity to the shattered shell that is the definition of their lives.

Homelessness, incarceration and substance abuse are common, along with skyrocketing and unnecessary health costs. These are the results of PTSD and traumatic brain injuries. These veterans didn’t lose their homes because they are lazy. They’re not refusing to work because they’re weak or bitter or carry a grudge. These are the wounded warriors of our age, and we have a duty to them.

The Commandant of the Marine Corps knows the value of hyperbaric treatments. He sent his most severely injured marines to receive hyperbaric treatment – just to see if it would work. These men were getting ready to be medically discharged but at the last minute, they were sent for hyperbaric oxygen therapy instead.

Every one of these soldiers improved significantly, so much so that many were cleared for active duty and sent back to work. The others, though they, too had improved significantly, chose to go back to their regular lives. The Department of Defense refused to pay for the treatment, so the Commandant used funds from the Semper Fi Funds, a civilian organization that does charity work for Marines.

Hyperbaric oxygen treatment is FDA-approved and has become a standard Medicare-reimbursable treatment in the United States for fourteen medical conditions, though not for TBI. NFL pro football player George Visger reports that the 49ers Workman’s Comp carrier has paid for 220 + HBOT treatments for football TBI injuries.

House lawmakers passed H.B. 1942 unanimously earlier in the session, but for some, funding a pop culture museum apparently mattered more than fixing Oklahoma’s veterans. It is incomprehensible to us that that the same senator who refused to hear H.B. 1942 in committee is also the author of SB 1132 and 1133, which would have committed about $80 million taxpayer dollars for the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture in Tulsa and the American Indian Cultural Center. To us, his priorities are skewed.

These are our sons, daughters, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters who have sacrificed so much and asked for nothing in return.

Our failure to act on this is unacceptable, inexcusable and the highest form of dishonor and disgrace to those who have ‘borne the battle.’

Sincerely,
Rep. John Bennett, Sequoyah
Rep. Eric Proctor, Tulsa
Sen. Mark Allen, Spiro

Looking back on my first legislative session

Special to the Paper — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:08:37 +0000

Rep Kay Floyd

by Kay Floyd

On May 24, I wrapped up my first legislative session as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. I was elected in 2012 as a Democrat to represent an urban district in the heart of Oklahoma City, which placed me squarely in the minority. Although being in the minority presented many challenges for me, my experience as a state legislator was truly a rewarding one.

In the House of Representatives, Republicans outnumber Democrats 71-29. Normally expectations for a freshman legislator in the minority caucus are low, but I believe that just because you are in a minority does not mean you do not have a voice. I filed eight different bills, but only one made it out of committee: HB 1623.

House Bill 1623, that would place suicide prevention training in our schools, was very close to completing the legislative process and making it to the Governors’ desk to be signed into law. We successfully got the bill passed out of the House and the Senate, but hit a few bumps in conference committee. The bill is still alive and will be carried over to next session. I’m proud of the work my fellow colleagues and I have done on this bill and I hope once it passes, the crucial training will help save the lives of young people across the state.

During the final days of session, the House voted to release $45 million from the Rainy Day fund to help with recovery efforts from the recent tornadoes. I’m glad the House could come together and do the right thing for the thousands of Oklahoma families that lost their homes.

We made some good strides over the past few months, but the Legislature has a long way to go to secure the future of Oklahoma. While I was glad to see the Legislature coming together to help victims of the tornado disasters, I was disappointed to see some of my colleagues place our children’s education on the backburner. Education was my number one priority as a candidate and has been my number one priority as a legislator. The budget passed this Session leaves common education to receive the lowest share of the budget since the year 2000 and provides little new support for the most basic needs of schools.

Over the past few months, I have visited 19 of the 20 schools in my district. It has been an enlightening experience to tour the schools and visit with principals, teachers and students. Unfortunately, our legislature is still not prioritizing education and I will continue to fight for public education at the State Capitol.

I consider my first session as a state legislator a successful one and I plan on spending the next few months talking to my constituents about their ideas and concerns. I look forward to serving District 88 and hope to do so for many years to come.

NOTE: Rep. Floyd, a Democrat, serves Midtown Oklahoma City in the state House.

Crown Heights woman named Fulbright Scholar

Patrick B. McGuigan — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:05:43 +0000

Emma Land

By Patrick B. McGuigan

Associate Publisher

Emma Land, who graduated as valedictorian of the Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School class of 2009, has been named a recipient of the esteemed Fulbright Scholarship. Land will work as an English teaching assistant in Nordrhen-Westfalen, Germany, for the coming year.

Land is the daughter of Charles (Chip) and Linda Land. They reside in the historic Crown Heights neighborhood, where Emma grew up.

A 2013 graduate of Texas Christian University (TCU), Land was admitted to Phi Beta Kappa. She graduated this year “summa cum laude,” with a 4.0 cumulative grade point average for her four years in college. Emma attended TCU as a chancellor scholar.

Land secured both university and departmental honors for her double major in political science and German. She prepared a senior thesis project as part of the honors program at TCU.

Land was chosen a scholar by the program’s 12-member board, which is appointed by presidents of the United States to select Fulbright recipients and establish worldwide policies.

Fulbright alumni have included heads of state, judges, ambassadors, cabinet ministers, chief executive officers in varied fields, university presidents, journalists, artists, professors and teachers; Fulbright honorees have gone on to win a total of 43 Nobel Prizes. Over six decades, some 315,000 “Fulbrighters” have been in the program.

In addition to her academic honors, Emma Land was a National Defense University intern in 2012, and has worked for McGartland & Borchardt as a media specialist.