Members of Tulsa’s Young Professionals head to the state capitol Tuesday for a crash course in state politics.
The trip is a mix of learning the political process and lobbying on issues important to the organization. TYPros Executive Director Shagah Zakerion says education funding and passenger rail are on the agenda, and support for the arts is a major issue.
"Arts and culture is such an amazing draw for our city," Zakerion said. "When we poll our membership base, those are the things that bring them to downtown. Arts and programming like festivals and things like that really attract into our city."
The event has grown in popularity over the years. Zakerion said it's a chance for members to learn more about politics than they did in eighth grade civics class — and it’s very effective.
"Our representatives show up. They recognize that we're a force to be reckoned with and that we have a voice that speaks loudly for our community here in Tulsa," Zakerion said. "So when we go to the capitol, they come to us."
TYPros will leave for the capitol from OSU Tulsa at 7:30 a.m. They considered postponing the event because of weather concerns but determined it would be safe to make the trip.
