Oklahoma Advocacy 2012: A Lot to Be Proud Of! By Claire Mitchell Thanks to the outstanding efforts by the Oklahoma Government Relations Committee members and dedicated MS Activists across the state, we are very proud to report the following achievements in Oklahoma advocacy for the first half of 2012:
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inspiration to the crowd, many of them first time advocacy participants, as they prepared for their visits to Capitol Hill. For more information on how to become an MS Activist, visit nationalMSsociety.org/MSactivist.
• The 2012 Oklahoma Public Policy Conference (PPC) in February brought together 22 MS Activists from across the state to attend professional activism training and in-person meetings with state legislators. • MS Activists advocated in support of Continuity of Prescription Drug Coverage legislation (HB 2606), authored by Rep. Gus Blackwell. These efforts laid important groundwork for 2013, when work on this critical legislation will continue. • MS Activism leaders and National MS Society advocacy staff have created a Continuity of Prescription Drug Coverage coalition that includes organizations involved in health and human services from around the state. • Oklahoma GRC members and activism leaders travelled to Washington DC in March to represent Oklahoma at the National MS Society Federal Public Policy Conference. • During the Federal PPC, Channing Barker, who hails from Tulsa and was diagnosed with MS in 2006, spoke to attendees from across the US about her experiences in MS Activism, and encouraged them to realize the value of their participation. The wit, passion and enthusiasm in her comments was a great
National MS Society 2012 Public Policy Conference: MS Activists Tom & Emily Teasdale and Ray Mack travelled to Washington, DC to meet with Oklahoma Congressional Leaders and ask for continued funding of MS Research and support for family care partners. TOLL FREE NUMBER 1 800 344 4867
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