“Oklahoma organizations are already planning to challenge the legislation in the courts,” . . . stated the Rev. Lori Walke, senior minister at Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ.

“Immigration is one of those issues, unfortunately, that is used [as] something [to] get people stirred up for voting ... and that there's very little real interest in solving the issues, as we can see what happened with Senator Lankford.”

Oklahoma religious leaders are speaking out in strong opposition to HB 4156. The letter, created by VOICE clergy and signed by 22 pastors across Oklahoma, was delivered to Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat and Governor Kevin Still today.

At a VOICE press conference led by VOICE clergy Fr. Tim Luschen and Rev. Dr. Lori Walke, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church leader Irma Palacios urged lawmakers to remember the people as they debate the politics of immigration.

Líderes Irma Palacios, P. Tim Luschen y la Rev. Dra. Lori Walke hablan en una conferencia de prensa de VOICE.

On October 3, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case whose outcome could severely weaken the CFPB and its capacity to protect everyday consumers from unfair and abusive financial practices.

The poorest Oklahomans inevitably fall behind on their payments and are victim to an endless cycle of bench warrants, arrests, driver’s license suspensions and incarceration, thus exacerbating the state’s incarceration problem.

With teacher shortages already hammering school districts, local colleges said that they don’t even have enough students who want to be teachers . . . . "The pipeline is unfortunately slowing to a trickle. . . . " [said Heather Sparks, director of teacher education at OCU and a VOICE leader].

"And I don't think that has been fully addressed, how many people saw this as an assault and not just against this country, not just against our seat of government and our democracy and free elections, but against their life's work," said the Rev. Diana Davies, of the First Unitarian Church in Oklahoma City.

VOICE is raising questions about how power providers planning to pass along an estimated $4.5 billion spent on fuel during Feb.’s severe winter storm.

Community organizers say many of these changes would make it nearly impossible for citizen-led initiatives petitions to be successful

As VOICE has listened and organized, we know that the need in our community is great and that there is more to be done.

VOICE clergy urge Gov. Kevin Still to designate local grocery store workers as first responders. "They are literally risking their lives to be with the public every day, ensuring that families across Oklahoma can have access to the food they need in order to survive," the Rev. Diana Davies.

Among some of the first issues VOICE sought to address were concerns about policies and experiences of families in our public schools.

Working with VOICE, we learned that one-quarter of the children who failed the third-grade reading test were English language learners.

We heard from parents of a third grader who had to be prescribed anti-anxiety medication because of the pressure to pass the third grade reading test.

This is the story of VOICE’s formation, and the event that officially launched the organization on February 12, 2012.

I got involved with VOICE because I knew that other ministers had found it to be a great place for their lay leaders to receive training.

VOICE calls for the end of predatory lending in state, opposing lawmakers’ legislation expanding the industry.

A bill that had drawn strong opposition from many church leaders [i.e., VOICE] was vetoed Friday by Gov. Mary Fallin.