Welcome to #1 Red State Oklahoma which Ranks #3 in Women Murdered by Men

“Nine women each week are shot to death by their husband or intimate partner,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

Oklahoma and other Red States are not faring well in all of the data that is coming out recently.  The latest on gun violence again women along with other issues affecting women is not something Oklahoma should be proud.  Oklahoma already scored #1 in the amount of money cut from the public schools.  That's one ranking you don't want.  Then they come in at 49th in teacher pay and even with an election year pay raise suggested by Superintendent Barrasi who is up for reelection, they still rank 49th.  Now we are running 3rd in women murdered by men and 48th as the worst state for women to live from pay to healthcare.  Someone tell me how this State can be sold to businesses with these rankings?

Instead of social issues highlighting the agenda of the Legislature, time to get pro-active and start taking care of real issues facing our State.  You would think these rankings would wake up elected officials but they will just come back with the "Oklahoma standard" mantra which is not something I would brag about when you are at or near he bottom on so many issues that are really important.

They keep bragging about the rainy day fund but how about spending that money to improve our education which eventually would show up in how women fare in the workplace instead of being #48. Past time to lose the concentration on social issues and tell the hard right to sit down and shut up on abortion, gays, creationism, bible being taught in schools, and other religious/social issues they push to the front in every session.  Since Republicans don't seem to be able to say no to these groups maybe it is time for more Democrats to be elected.  What I have seen out of Senator John Sparks and Representative Emily Virgin Democrats from Norman, shows they have a ton more common sense then most of the elected Republicans.

These ratings along with the others should get every statewide office holder thrown out of office but will the people of Oklahoma wake up?  I have serious doubts they will.

From Channel 4 News:

Oklahoma ranks 3rd in Women Murdered by Men 

OKLAHOMA CITY – A national study released Wednesday focused on a sad reality of our country and had shocking results for the Sooner State. 

According to the new Violence Policy Center report, Oklahoma ranks third in the nation in the rate of women murdered by men. 

The study covered homicides across the country involving one female murder victim and one male offender in 2011. 

“Nine women each week are shot to death by their husband or intimate partner,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “That’s nearly 500 domestic gun violence deaths each year, more than twice the number of servicewomen killed in military conflicts since the Korean War. We urgently need better policies that protect women and their families from this senseless violence. No American, adult or child, should live in a perpetual state of fear. It’s inhumane.”

For more information on the study, visit the VPC’s website. 

South Carolina and Alaska are 1 and 2 respectively in the murder rate of women by men.  Once again top states are Red States where the NRA is very pro-active and believes the more guns the better.  Tell that to women in abusive relationships.  So sick and tired of the gun culture today and the hard right won't even agree to background checks required by all people purchasing guns at gun shows.  If I am a private seller, I don't have to take down any information and can get paid in cash which should be against the law.  As far as I am concerned the hard right gun lobby supported by the NRA are responsible for all the guns in the hands of violent people and those prone to anger issues.

Oklahoma ranks #48 in Worst States for Women

Women in the United States earn an average of 77 cents for every dollar that men make, face many barriers to reproductive health care and are significantly underrepresented in leadership roles. But the worst state for women by far is Louisiana, according to a state-by-state examination of these issues released Wednesday by the Center for American Progress. 

In terms of economic security, health and leadership representation, the analysis rates Louisiana the lowest. Full-time working women in Louisiana earn only 67 percent of what men earn, on average, and more than one in five women and girls in Louisiana are currently living in poverty. 

Only 12 percent of Louisiana's congressional seats are held by women, and the state has one of the top 10 worst maternal mortality rates in the country. There is only one OB-GYN for every 13,136 women in Louisiana, and nearly 20 percent of non-elderly women in the state are uninsured. Louisiana also requires an ultrasound, waiting period and counseling session before a woman can have an abortion. 

The report also considered in its ratings the state's minimum wage, family leave policies, percentage of 4-year-olds enrolled in pre-K, the gender management gap and publicly funded contraceptive services.  

Other states that earned an "F" overall in these categories are Utah, Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, South Dakota, Indiana and Georgia. 

Check out the map at Huffington Post to see where your state fares on women's issues. 

Excerpt:  Read More at Huffington Post

Where are our elected officials in Oklahoma when it comes to women?  Voting for more tough abortion laws that will get overturned and wanting to tell women how to think.  Kind of reminds me of the Mormon Church philosophy where men are to be honored and women do their bidding.  That same mentality must permeate a lot of the legislature thinking or they wouldn't be concentrating so much on women's issues that are none of their business.  Many in our legislature are so against Planned Parenthood that all they think they do is provide abortions which is far from the truth but truth and Republicans today are not on the same page.  Say anything lie or not that advances their agenda and that is okay.

Now for the ranking that shows the Republican Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doke and other Republicans are going to hate since they have been touting Affordable Care Act (ACA) was going to send prices through the roof.  Imagine that -- they lied just like other Republicans have been doing about ACA and its impact on prices of healthcare.

Tulsa has the details where in this instance Oklahoma fares very well:

Oklahoma health insurance rates will be 20 to 30 percent below U.S. average under ACA 

Monthly rates for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act in Oklahoma will be below the national average, and residents can choose from 53 health plans on average, according to new federal data. Monthly premiums in Oklahoma will range from $266 for the second-lowest-cost silver plan to $174 for the lowest-cost bronze plan before subsidies are applied, according to the report released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The report shows that rates in Oklahoma will be about 20 percent to 30 percent below the national average for the three plans listed. 

Excerpt:  Read more from the Tulsa World. 

Did you know that with ACA there will be no lifetime caps allowed or that your child can be on your insurance until they are 26?  First children with pre-existing conditions will be added and then adults with pre-existing conditions so they can get insurance without having to pay huge premiums.  If you want facts and the truth, please visit Healthcare.com to read the about the benefits of ACA and how it will affect Americans.  Time to go to the source instead of believing the crap Republicans and their big donors are pushing with their scary ads meant to keep people from getting the facts.

Because of Oklahoma's ALEC led Legislature and Governor, Oklahoma Republicans turned down running the exchanges so the federal government has taken over which is probably why the rates are so low.  In the process over 150,000 people are going to be denied healthcare because our Governor turned down the expansion of Medicaid and dollars to go with it because they cannot stand IMHO the thought of implementing a healthcare plan written and passed by the Democrats.

When Tom Cole said “It's awfully hard to repeal Obamacare when a guy named Obama is President says it all.  Then he goes on to talk about how unpopular the program is throughout America.  If ACA was that unpopular like the lies/spin of the GOP, Obama would not have been re-elected by a large margin.

Welcome to the #1 Red State Oklahoma that has been bought and paid for by the Koch Brothers, ALEC, and the Chamber.  What does that give you?  Last or near last in education and women's issues for starters. Time for common sense Oklahomans to start to take the state back starting with the Superintendent and Insurance Commissioner.   Going to take work but the truth has to get out instead of the lies from the Republicans and their office holders.