Earlier this week, the Legislature convened in special session following the governor’s call for tax fairness, a plan to eliminate the personal income tax, and budget transparency. While both chambers strongly support tax reform, this is a complica...

It has been great spending time back in the district during the interim. My wife and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary recently and were treated to a wonderful reception by our daughters and their families. We greatly enjoyed getting to celeb...

The last few weeks in the district have been full of events, and I've really enjoyed the opportunity to visit with many of you. I enjoyed celebrating Independence Day with family and friends, especially participating in the Blackwell Fourth of July p...

On June 26, the Senate convened to consider overriding the governor’s veto of a bill related to extending tribal compacts for another year. This override failed by one vote. However, a concurrent resolution was passed on Monday to extend the...

I previously shared the provisions of Senate Bill 706, and I am happy to report that the governor has signed this legislation into law. After going through the legislative process, the final version of this bill looks a little different from the...

Now that the legislative session has concluded, I have been able to spend much more time in the district. On Memorial Day, I was honored to be a part of a ceremony at the Woodring Wall of Honor in Enid. The ceremony recognized veterans and fallen...

This Friday marks the end of the 2023 legislative session. Now that an education agreement has been reached, work has picked back up on the remaining appropriations. Crafting the state budget takes time and is no easy task. Dozens of state agencies...

I apologize for not having a column last week. I was under the weather, and not rainy weather. Although many areas of the state have received rain, I have been continually monitoring the drought conditions in our area. With little to no rain, our...

We have officially passed another legislative deadline this session. Last Thursday, we worked well into the evening to finalize approval of bills that originated in the House. We approved 111 House bills last week, and 225 in total this session. The...

April 11 was Agriculture Day at the Capitol. I was able to meet with agriculture students from Northwestern Oklahoma State University and Northern Oklahoma College. These young adults are the future of our industry, and it was great to interact with...

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter and was able to enjoy time with family and friends. I enjoyed getting to spend some time back in the district this past week. On Friday, I spoke to AMBUCS in Enid, and we discussed the current legislative session...

I spent some time as a science teacher and principal and many in my family have dedicated their careers to public education. Teachers, administrators, coaches and staff all dedicate so much of their time to our state’s youth and play a vital role...

Legislative showmanship at the Oklahoma Youth Expo is something my colleagues and I look forward to each year. This year, I showed Drummond FFA member Kendra Dillingham’s goat and I appreciate her sharing the details of her project with me. These...

I always enjoy welcoming constituents to the Capitol. Last week, Dr. Rebecca D. Lewis, DO, FACOFP, served as the Senate’s Doctor of Day. She currently practices full-scope family medicine with obstetrics at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in...

I had the opportunity to meet with some of our state’s brightest young people last week. FFA chapters from District 19 visited during FFA Day at the Capitol, which took place during National FFA Week. These students are not only the future leaders...

The beginning of session has been a whirlwind and it is hard to believe we are already beginning the third week. The Senate filed 1,116 bills this session, and our committees have heard over 300 of them. We have also passed more than 20 bills off...

As always, we have remained busy here at the state Capitol as we gear up for the 2023 legislative session. We recently received our committee assignments for the 59th Legislature, and I am looking forward to serving as vice chair of the Tourism and...

I served for six years in the Air Force Reserves, and I’m always happy to see efforts in support of our military and their families. Earlier this year, during the regular legislative session, we celebrated Oklahoma National Guard and 45th Infantry...

As a farmer and rancher, I have firsthand knowledge of how devastating the current drought conditions have been for our state’s agriculture industry. This is one of the worst droughts we have seen over the last decade and the first time since...

Last week, we convened in special session to vote on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) appropriations. We also took final action to approve $250 million for the Progressing Rural Economic Prosperity Fund (PREP) to invest in further workforce and...

We finished our work to appropriate a majority of the state’s $1.8 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) federal funds this past week. We met in special session to review the remaining proposed projects from the Joint Committee on Pandemic...

While there is always work that continues at the Capitol during the interim, this year is particularly busy. Oklahoma received nearly $1.9 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) pandemic relief funds. The Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Fundin...

Work at the Capitol never stops, but we’re picking up the pace. Over the summer, we were meeting with constituents, state agencies and others about issues of importance to them. The appropriation subcommittees also met with their agencies to learn...

As of 4:30 p.m. on May 27, the Second Session of the 58th Legislature was officially adjourned. We had a busy few months addressing some of our state’s most pressing issues, including strengthening regulations dealing with the medical marijuana...