Alva Review-Courier -

The people of northwestern Oklahoma are the strongest, most resilient you’ll find anywhere. This part of the state seems to be in Mother Nature’s crosshairs more than any other, and yet every time we’re faced with these challenges, we pull together, support one another, and build back.

First of all, please pray for those who were injured in last Sunday night’s tornado in Roger Mills County near Cheyenne, and especially for the family and friends of Billy Trammell, the sole fatality in a night that saw multiple tornadoes in our state.

I really want to thank our volunteer firefighters, who are the unsung heroes in communities throughout Senate District 27 and Oklahoma. Sunday night, those volunteer fire fighters were clearing roads, checking cellars and assisting folks as needed. By Tuesday, they were back out, but instead of helping after a tornado, they were fighting wildfires.

That kind of dedication and service to others has been exemplified by firefighter Jake Moler. He lost his home Sunday night. Within a couple of days he was off work, not dealing with his house, but helping repair fire trucks to battle the wildfires. If that’s not a servant’s heart, I don’t know what is.

Again, I want to thank Jake and all our volunteer firefighters, along with our law enforcement, EMTs and other volunteers who work tirelessly to help their fellow citizens in the wake of these natural disasters.

I’m continuing to monitor the situation as information is updated on both the storm and the wildfires. If our office can assist in anyway, please give us a call at 405-521-5626 or email [email protected].

Work continued at a fast pace at the Capitol this past week. Thursday marked the deadline for Senate committees to hear legislation introduced in this chamber. Now the focus will shift more on floor sessions as the full Senate works toward our next deadline of March 23 to complete work on bills that made it through our committees. After that, we’ll be working through House bills, and they’ll be voting on ours in committee and on the floor.

This week, I wanted to tell you about one of my bills making its way through the legislative process that could save some people a hassle with their taxes. Senate Bill 752 was requested by a constituent from here in the district, dealing with a specific situation where people may not realize they’re supposed to collect sales taxes. As an example, let’s say a family is replacing their living room furniture, but to help pay for it, they advertise their old furniture in a local paper or list it on social media. The problem is that most people don’t realize they are supposed to collect sales tax on those things. By the time the Tax Commission catches it, it may be a year or two later, and there are going to be fines on top of the taxes owed.

My legislation would exempt the occasional selling of tangible property from sales tax, as long as it is no more than two sales or series of sales during a 12-month period. The bill does not include sales supervised by auctioneers, consignment sales, the rental or lease of personal property or the sale of motor vehicles.

The bill has already been approved by both the Senate Finance and the full Appropriations Committee. It will next be considered by the full Senate.

It is my honor to serve you in the Oklahoma State Senate. Again, you can reach me by calling 405-521-5626 or emailing [email protected].