Candidates for the OK House District 88 race appeared at a candidate forum at First Unitarian Church. Local grassroots organization VOICE hosted the forum and framed questions from stories they've heard in their listening sessions.

“I can’t think of two leaders who more deserve our recognition,” said Heather Sparks, VOICE board member and treasurer of the VOICE Education Fund. “Our city is better for their presence and work.”

VOICE was involved in supporting MAPS 4 human and community-centered projects like mental health facilities, upgrades to neighborhood parks, sidewalks and youth centers. Now, the group hopes to see an agreement that benefits all residents.

Fr. Luschen adds, “How will construction of the arena benefit average Oklahoma City families? For example, can we build in a living wage for arena workers? [H]ow will this project help regular families in our city?”

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond says he is prepared to file the largest lawsuit in state history to recoup billions of dollars in natural gas costs from a 2021 winter storm, which left Oklahoma ratepayers with significantly higher utility bills.

This situation underscores the reality of expecting a population of Oklahomans that is mostly impoverished to fund critical services of the county and state government. Why do we make the path back to productive community membership more difficult?

“The rubber stamping so quickly has me worried that this world is just too cozy between regulators and the companies they’re supposed to be watching,” said Steven Goldman, a member of VOICE, a coalition of groups that have come together to advocate for Oklahoma City-area residents.

The OCC fails to look ahead to reducing repeated problems, and enforcing transparency. Although commissioners have the expertise and data to create solutions, the OCC priority has been getting money to utilities, rather than a "balance" to protect consumers. When

Utilities proposed “solution” does nothing to prevent similar future situations that are sure to arise as storms like this continue to increase in number, and holds no one accountable for the poor decisionmaking.

We didn’t upgrade any infrastructure, we didn’t weatherize anything, we didn’t put caps on natural gas,” [VOICE leader Singer] said. “This could all happen again tomorrow. [Our utility companies] left themselves very exposed to broken commodity markets and they need to share in that burden and be held accountable.”

The OKC ordinance criminalizing panhandling has reached its inevitable end: The city has to pay lawyers for a lost legal battle. “It is sad that we did not heed the work of social service agencies and other citizens groups to craft a workable solution that would have avoided this costly situation,” said Fr. Tim Luschen, president of the VOICE Education Fund.

Oklahoma City was ordered to pay the opposing attorney’s fees and expenses in a total amount of nearly $1 million in a suit brought against the City for their panhandling ordinance of 2015, an ordinance VOICE fought against.

Few answers for ratepayers Tuesday when asked why consumers, instead of shareholders, should shoulder the burden for “astronomical” electricity costs

The Oklahoma City Council is considering appealing its unconstitutional anti-panhandling ordinance passed in 2015, this time at the U.S. Supreme Court. . . . Appealing it to the Supreme Court would require hiring expensive outside legal counsel to consult in the case.

VOICE leaders pushed for the social components to be included and is backing the MAPS 4 package.

“I think people have seen the impact that MAPS has had downtown,” Craghead said. “But they also see, in their daily lives, so many things that are still lacking.”

Candidates faced an audience at a packed First Unitarian Church on Sunday afternoon.

Oklahoma Bar Association awards VOICE the Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Diversity Award.

Our most important accomplishment has been building an organization that has crossed the lines that usually separate people — race, ethnicity, religious, political, economic, educational.