Let's build a city that works for everyone!

Housing

Housing, Homelessness and Mental Health are big challenges, that we can solve with commitment, creativity and cross- sector collaboration.

Tulsa needs more high-quality affordable housing for all income levels. To make this happen we must make it more feasible for affordable housing to be built, both financially and when it comes to zoning.

In a moment where the cost of living is rising dramatically, our city must do everything within its power to enhance the opportunity for Tulsans be housed, healthy and build generational wealth for themselves and their family.

Accessibility

Building a city that works for everyone means building a city that is accessible to everyone.

All Tulsans should have access to every resource, opportunity and public accommodation our amazing city has to offer. Together, we can make sure nothing holds back our residents from living out their dreams and building their home right here.

This means deeply investing in multi-modal transit, neighborhood infrastructure, fair and stable housing, career training opportunities and more.

Public Safety

Tulsa has an incredible opportunity to lead the nation in building innovative, community-centered solutions to enhance public safety.

Together, our city leaders, first responders, community organizations and all Tulsans can actively work to resolve issues of houselessness, mental health, crime and wellbeing.

Solving these issues must also be a top priority in our city's annual budget.

We must also fight to ensure our firefighters and other first responders receive the funding increases and raises that are long overdue.

Laura has a track record of getting results.

As a city councilor,

In her first year alone, Laura has been fortunate to work closely with the community to get big things done, here are some highlights:

Housing

Championed the passage of a $95million historic investment in housing
Initiated Housing Feasibility zoning policies to support development
Secured federal funds for low-income water bill assistance
Implemented new policies to prevent evictions and ensure safe housing
Preserved neighborhood integrity in Renaissance by getting the character overlay preventing McMansions across the finish line

Accessibility

Expanded Childcare Access via updated zoning policies
Supported investments in ADA accessible infrastructure
Spearheaded the Welcoming & Inclusive City Resolution which passed unanimously
Issued a letter in support of Tulsa Schools and local control
Collaborated on the curriculum and relaunch of the Tulsa Youth Council to support youth leadership and civic engagement
Helped countless constituents navigate complex city systems and resources

Public Safety

Updated protective Animal Welfare policies
Supported investments in street repairs, and public safety vehicles & facilities
Supported funding and staffing focused on mental health access and crisis response
Worked around the clock connecting people to critical resources in the Father’s Day Storm aftermath

And here is a non-exhaustive list of what she's actively working on:

Strategies for the city to proactively secure more federal funds, including for environmental resilience
Several council working groups such as ones on Housing Quality and Animal Welfare
Serving as the City Council representative on the Housing Strategy Leadership Roundtable
Continued Short Term Rental impact and policy research
Researching and scaling eviction prevention resources and policies
Human Rights policies to improve local protections, especially for the 2SLGBTQ+ and Veterans communities
Collaborating with city leaders, neighbors and business owners to invest in making Dream Keepers Park a cultural destination for Native Americans

As a nonprofit leader,

Within the first 7 years leading Take Control Initiative, Laura's work has included developing and launching:

Expanded partnerships with 22+ health centers to serve 38,000 women in Tulsa annually;
A program to disseminate hundreds of thousands of dollars of grant funding to community partners for essential healthcare services;
Metriarch, a statewide data and policy collaborative providing data reporting and legislative analysis;
A free transportation program;
A bilingual helpline;
An online pharmacy partnership and delivery service;
A national network of contraceptive access programs;
A clinic quality improvement initiative supporting health centers during the pandemic with supplies and emergency grants;
A post-secondary peer health education program with Tulsa Community College, the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Oklahoma.

As a member of the Human Rights Commission,

Having served the City of Tulsa for 4+ years, including 2 years as Chair and 1 year as Vice Chair, Laura:

Led the Commission through a restructuring to expand collaboration on policies, working in solidarity across Title V commissions, including the Greater Tulsa Area African-American Affairs Commission, Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs Commission, Greater Tulsa Area Hispanic/Latinx Affairs Commission, and Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women;
Advocated for the passage of protections of city employees inclusive of gender and sexuality;
Proposed and advocated for charter amendments that are in effect today;
Advocated for community policing, resulting in the formation of a task force on the 6 pillars of community policing and the mayors office issuing 77 recommendations, many of which were implemented by Tulsa Police Department;
Expanded accessibility of the Human Rights Commission by ensuring complaint forms are available online in English and Spanish.