Fall 2009

Dear Friends –

It is an honor to serve you. Your inquiries and comments throughout the year offer me a glimpse about the state of our community. You also keep me attuned to your challenges and priorities. 2009 has been a year of belt tightening for many of us. We find the coupons in the paper help at the check out counter and others are putting off purchases and rethinking how we use our income. Thanks to those of you who volunteer and share your resources with friends and neighbors facing tough times.

Many of you have written or called for information regarding your state healthcare coverage, reduced retirement benefits, need for screenings for disease for uninsured loved ones, unemployment compensation, state program cuts, crime victims counseling and more. Others have brought forth ideas and concepts for doing business better in Oklahoma and offer models and statements of need. You are the driver for making services better. Your eyes and ears are most effective way for me to learn about the treatment and challenges you encounter every day.

The 2009 interim period while we are home in Tulsa (June through February) has been a busy time! These are the days filled with interim studies on issues that concern many of you in the district and your families. An interim study is a focused discussion on a topic with input from citizens and policy makers to see if we can find ways to provide services or help in a timely, efficient and economically manner. In many cases we discover there are lots of resources available but folks don’t always know what they might access. The studies and associated news stories are just an example of what we’ve been working on. You can find out more under our “news” section. We’ve had studies on Methamphetamine Labs, Early Childhood Deaths, Mental Health Commitment processes, health education and grandparents raising grandchildren just to name a few.

Please stay in touch. Use my email at jeanniemcdaniel@okhouse.gov or j.mcdaniel@cox.net or call my home at (918) 834-3259. You can write to me at 1416 S. Marion Ave., Tulsa, OK 74112.

Sincerely,

Jeannie