Alva Review-Courier -

We’re now shifting focus at the Capitol after a busy week finishing up in our Senate committees. We’ll be spending the majority of our time on the Senate floor up until the March 24 deadline to pass these bills, further discussing and voting on the measures that were approved out of our Senate committees.

We adopted a different workflow this session to promote efficiency and prevent us from having extremely late nights at the Capitol voting on bills, which has helped us tremendously to this point. We began hearing measures in our committees the first week of session and have already passed 72 bills off the Senate floor. This gives us some breathing room to really focus on the remaining 327 measures that are awaiting a vote.

While most of our work was done in our committees last week, we did take the time to pass Senate Resolution 27 off the floor, which affirms our support for Ukraine. Democracy is under attack in their nation, and I’m inspired by the Ukrainians who are fighting for their freedoms that so many in America take for granted. I am sending my prayers to their citizens during this troubling time, and thinking of those here in Oklahoma with loved ones dealing with war in their home country.

Work is always ongoing in Oklahoma City, but things have been busy across the district as well. I’d like to recognize and congratulate Dr. Katie Blunk and the Lazy KT Ranch in Freedom for being named as the winner of the prestigious Leopold Conservation Award for their dedication to land, water and wildlife habitat resources. The honor is given to private landowners in 23 states for extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation.

I’d also like to congratulate my state representative, Rep. Carl Newton, for being named the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts Legislator of the Year. I’m proud to serve with Rep. Newton and am always thankful for the work he does for our area.

I enjoyed spending some time out in our area on Friday, attending the Blackwell Chamber of Commerce Eggs and Issues monthly legislative update with Rep. Pfeiffer. It was great to see many familiar faces and discuss many of the issues that are facing our state and taking up our time at the Capitol. I also had the privilege of speaking with students in Miss Kirkpatrick’s class at Deer Creek-Lamont Public Schools about the governmental process on Friday. It’s important for our young folks to know about how our government works, and it’s always a pleasure to be back in the classroom and interact with our young leaders.

I’ll keep you updated on the measures approved by the full Senate over the next few weeks. It’s an honor and a privilege to be your voice here at our state Capitol, and I’m humbled by the faith you’ve put in me to represent our shared values. Please feel free to reach out if there is anything I can help you with. You can contact me at 405-521-5630 or via email at [email protected].