Fallin’s Resolutions

Governor Mary Fallin

The New Year has started, which means it’s time for our New Year’s resolutions! My goal as governor has always been simple: to raise the standard of living in Oklahoma by creating more and better jobs. We’ve been largely successful, as Oklahoma’s unemployment rate has continued to fall and per capita income growth has risen at a rate of fifteen percent, the second highest in the nation.

That doesn’t mean we can’t do better, however. In fact, I believe there are three big areas that we need to improve for our state to continue its remarkable forward momentum. My New Years’ resolution for Oklahoma is to improve outcomes in each of the following areas, so that we can build stronger communities for generations to come.

First, we must increase educational attainment. Individuals need to have marketable work skills to flourish in today’s economy. That means we must ensure more Oklahomans earn high school diplomas, workforce certificates, and college degrees.

Boosting educational attainment in Oklahoma is about growing our economy, supporting Oklahoma businesses, and lifting people out of poverty. If we can increase the percentage of Oklahomans who earn college degrees or career technology certificates, we will benefit from everything from higher earnings to less crime, less teen pregnancy, and less reliance on government aid.

In the coming year, I am committed to working with our new Superintendent of Public Instruction, Joy Hoffmeister; our lawmakers; educators and parents; our career technology centers, colleges and universities; and our business community to implement a long term plan to increase educational attainment. This is an all-hands-on-deck problem; it requires an all-hands-on-deck solution.

Another New Years’ Resolution we must continue to pursue is to reduce Oklahoma’s very high incarceration rate.

To be clear, violent criminals in Oklahoma need to be in prison. Anyone who is a threat to their community must be locked up. Nothing about that should change.

But the sad truth is many of our inmates are non-violent offenders with substance abuse problems or mental health issues. They don’t need to spend long stints at the state penitentiary, where they can join gangs and acquire criminal networks. They need treatment; they need supervision; and they need to be returned to their communities ready to safely support themselves and their families.

In this next legislative session, we should redouble our efforts to pursue smart on crime solutions and offer commonsense paths to help people with mental health and substance abuse problems get their lives back on track.

Finally, we must work together to improve health outcomes in Oklahoma. Currently, Oklahoma ranks 44^th in obesity, 45^th in the nation in smoking rates, and worst in the nation for prescription drug abuse. Those poor outcomes are ruining lives and costing a tremendous amount of taxpayer dollars in the process.

It is time to face these hard truths and take responsibility for our health as a state and as individuals. State government can’t do it alone. All of us can find ways to help and participate.

In 2015 and beyond, we need to pursue state-based solutions – in partnership with businesses, health care providers, schools, and a broad coalition of Oklahomans – to improve health outcomes. Let’s set an aggressive goal: to reduce heart disease deaths in Oklahoma by 25 percent between now and 2025. If we are successful, and I believe we will be, that alone will save over 2400 lives every year.

There are many things we can do to keep Oklahoma moving forward, but increasing educational attainment, reducing incarceration, and improving health outcomes are three which directly impact our quality of life.

Every parent wants their children to have more opportunities than they did. I know I do. If that is going to happen, we must work to address these challenges. Please join me in adding these goals to your list of New Years’ resolutions, and let’s work together to make Oklahoma the best possible place to live, work and raise a family.