A nice victory for the people! Thanks!
A suggestion: Don't give them any ideas!
This is all good news, but we can't yet let our guard down!
As indicated in a previous post, we shouldn't be worried about what we can't control (including giving "them" our "ideas" on this forum), but rather concentrate on making such compelling arguments in our opposition viewpoints that no matter what their push-back is, it will appear reactive, weak, and lame by comparison. Our argument(s) must project confidence, so that theirs will come across as desperation. We need lots of accurate, verifiable facts, figures, graphics, and statistics when laying out our clear arguments; this will lend credibility and show that we have "done our homework" and have thought about ripple-effects beyond the bill's immediate purpose (affecting SWE days in OK).
To accomplish the above successfully may also require some inquiry and communication with parties outside the state of Oklahoma: such as, corporate offices of private automobile insurance companies or the front-office of the
OKC Thunder, lending further credibility or seeking a statement of endorsement to our opposition efforts. This
must originate from inside the state, so perhaps some of our in-state active posters could coordinate on such tasks and start that process. We already have abundant in-state expertise regarding law-enforcement and emergency-management aspects of our argument, so these people should also organize and even communicate among each other to sharpen and focus opposition ideas. It will take some effort, but the reward is to defeat this awful legislation in the end (whenever that comes).
BTW, to Mike's suggestion above, since many of us are interested-readers from out-of-state, perhaps the active posters inside OK could communicate with one another primarily via
direct-messaging while putting together their draft talking-points; at some point, perhaps by early autumn, when a final
draft communication letter or document is ready for review, some members who are well-published (e.g., Warren, Mike, and others) could be provided draft copies, again via direct messaging, to develop a the
final communication which will be sent to the appropriate legislator(s) at the appropriate time in the ongoing legislative process. Once this communication is in the hands of the pols, it should be posted publicly to the
ST membership. It is really difficult to do this in a semi-clandestine way without upsetting members who are used to participating and being heard on such an open and unfettered forum, which is why I will go on record opposing that kind of practice! That said, I will be happy to be involved anyway I can be useful to this cause, including reviewing interim drafts.
