Local man makes it easy to talk with lawmakers with "Let's Fix This" movement (Fox 25)
May 22, 2016
By Jordann Lucero
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Andy Moore didn't take his first trip to the Oklahoma State Capitol until a month ago. He went for a trip he organized for "regular folks."
That trip to the Capitol has become a movement, he said.
"We started out by just [having] a goal of me and some of my friends to get people more engaged with their legislator, get them to stop complaining on Facebook and actually go down and have a conversation about what's important to them. A thing none of us ever do," Moore said.
He invited everyone on Facebook for an event he called "Let's Fix This," taglining it "a day at the Capitol for regular folks who care." Anyone who wanted could join him and his friends at the Capitol on April 27. They would meet and together figure out their way around the Capitol and into their legislators' offices.
About 70 people showed up, Moore said.
They wanted to talk about different things that were important to them or ideas they had, but Moore said it became clear the big issue was the state budget.
Largely because of the decline in oil, the state is facing a budget deficit of more than $1 billion.
"I jokingly say we're broke, but we're not broken, but, man, this budget issue really stressing all of us out I think," Moore said.
The budget issue also found a voice through about 1,100 Oklahoma City students who organized walk-out from schools in protest of how the state budget crisis affect them.
Last week, many of these students joined Moore for the second Let's Fix This day. The walked from Classen School for Advanced Studies to the Capitol. Some students were not even old enough to vote, but still participated and talked to lawmakers.
This day at the Capitol grew to about 100 participants.
Because the session is almost over "the time to protest, the time to contact your legislator, the time to just spread the word about what's happening to our budget is right now," Classen SAS senior Thomas Massenat said.
Massenat said he will join Moore again for his third and last event on Thursday, the day before this legislative session is to end.
"It's the way the government should be," Massenat said.
Let's Fix This: For the Kids will focus on education funding. Those who want to participate will meet at Douglass High School and head to the Capitol together at 9:00 Thursday morning.
