Introducing: Between Two Ellens*

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I am Ellen Pogemiller.

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I'm Ellyn Hefner.

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And today we are launching our

podcast between two Ellens.

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Um, and really the goal of our

podcast and when Ellen and I have had

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conversations over the last couple

of months is that there are so many

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policies and topics and community ideas.

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Um, that we hear about as legislators,

but we don't get the opportunity to dig in

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deep and learn more about what's happening

in our community and how these policies

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would positively or possibly negatively

impact the communities we serve.

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That's part of it.

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Our, because our job, we talk about

the bill, but sometimes we don't hear

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about how the bill in its effects.

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And so we've done a couple

of episodes already.

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Um, we've done, um, a couple of

them are, we talk about Right to

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Work and we've talked about, uh,

suicide and domestic violence.

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So you can see all of those.

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But there might be some, we'll

probably get a film, um, I

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guess this is a video podcast.

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"Vodcast", vodcast . And we'll do that

on Fridays and even during session,

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we may have to do an emergency, um,

between two Ellens, like today, today.

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So we're gonna switch gears

just a little bit, I think.

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A conversation that we've been having

a lot, um, with our constituents

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between legislators is, um, having to

do with the, um, government shutdown

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and most immediately right now, um,

SNAP benefits, um, which will on

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November 1st, tomorrow, um, not renew

for the over 600,000 Oklahomans in

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our state that depend on Snap and we

get calls from our constituents or the

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people in the state, even people that

know me that aren't my constituents.

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Have talked to me about it.

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And so we hear a lot of conversation about

what's happening, happening federally,

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but there are some things that we can

do in our state, in our positions,

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and that's more of what we would like

to talk about today, maybe, right?

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So we know that Snap is a one to

nines, uh, versus a food bank.

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So we've had a lot of conversations

of having food drives and trying to

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provide immediate food to those in need.

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Um, but what we haven't really

discussed is that, um, snap.

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Covers nine times the amount

of food that a food pantry,

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emergency food pantry can provide.

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And so, um, I know you've had more

conversations, Ellen, about as a

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state what kind of resources that

we could provide that may be, uh,

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provide additional resources to

community members that are impacted.

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Yeah.

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And and it's also too, if we're focusing

on this one piece, which it's big,

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you know, the, um, we need consistent.

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Uh, food.

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You know, that's, that's

something that we need.

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So, but there's a lot of other things

that may, we might be taking away from by

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putting all of our efforts towards this.

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And so that's gonna

create another big hole.

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And, um, it seems like we can get

together a little bit, um, as a

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state, I have heard, um, and we'll

maybe talk about a little bit about

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special session, maybe what we can do.

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The governor has talked about being

a neighbor, which I think is great,

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but I don't believe that's good.

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If, with all that influx of money.

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That goes into our grocery stores

and, um, people can get all over

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the state instead of having to go

someplace to pick up food that maybe

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doesn't serve or it's, it's difficult.

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Um, so we, we could talk a little

bit about special session, but,

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um, I think that there are some

things that we probably could

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do that we're not looking at.

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Yeah.

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So I, I, I mean, I think we are calling

for a special session and calling for an

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opportunity for leadership to get in a

room and decide what funds are available,

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um, how those funds can be spent.

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Um, we know there's furloughed employees,

but at the state and federal level,

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we know about childcare subsidies,

we know about healthcare clips.

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There's a lot happening right now.

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Um, and I think as a state we

have an obligation to meet and

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discuss and help support those

impacted, um, by the shutdown.

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I also like how this relates

to our podcast too, is.

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It, it seems that people have

this idea that we all have to be

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together on something for it to work.

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And, and I think that the discussion

that we should be having right now is

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maybe some of those pain points that

I don't wanna talk about, or maybe

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someone, um, in a different party or

someone that feels differently has, but

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that's the only way that we're gonna

take this from just maybe solving a

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couple of weeks to how we can look into

how we can help each other months ahead.

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So, um, those kind of things

I, I think that are being

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left outta the conversation.

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Is, um, getting us all together, even

if you don't like their, what they're

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going to say or maybe their opinion.

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But we, I do learn something

from things that I don't know.

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And, um, earlier talking to a friend, we

talked about maybe some partnerships that

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might not be likely partnerships that

are happening because to solve a problem

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we've gotta look at the problem first.

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Instead of looking about what we

want to do or, um, maybe what other

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people think that we should be doing.

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So we are excited, um,

to launch the podcast.

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We hope that you'll join us.

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We hope that you'll email us.

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You'll go to our website and your

feedback will definitely help drive

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the conversations we have between two.

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ellens.com

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is the website, and we

do have an Instagram.

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But we would love, uh, your questions

as well, what we end with, which we

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don't have a question to end this

little podcast with, but we always

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ask our guests to ask us a question.

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Maybe I should ask you a question, but,

um, hopefully you guys will send in

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some questions too to ask 1, 2, 3, 4.