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.

Since the [Recognizing the Stranger] program commenced, there's been "nativism, growing tensions on the border, polarized politics, the COVID-19 pandemic, a major economic recession and gun violence," said [VOICE President Fr. Tim] Luschen . . . The new program responded amid it all by fulfilling the pope's call "to listen to others, to see others."

When Pope Francis launched his newly invigorated process for the Synod of Bishops in 2021, he challenged Catholics worldwide to “become experts in the art of encounter, . . . For decades, members of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) . . . have been experts in such an art.”

When Pope Francis launched his newly invigorated process for the Synod of Bishops in 2021, he challenged Catholics worldwide to “become experts in the art of encounter, . . . For decades, members of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) . . . have been experts in such an art.”

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.

“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

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

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