Senate Review
Don't believe misleading, inflammatory political messages
April 27, 2022
Many of you may have received a piece of mail this past week misrepresenting my voting record here at the Capitol. These types of media campaigns are filled with half-truths and meant to inflame constituents, so I wanted to take a moment to set the record straight.
I did vote “no” on Senate Bill 1647 – also known as the Oklahoma Empowerment Act. Despite what the mail piece may have led you to believe, this measure had absolutely nothing to do with transgender indoctrination, Critical Race Theory (CRT) or Joe Biden’s liberal education policies. Simply put, SB 1647 would have funneled our public tax dollars from our public schools and allowed them to be used for private school tuition.
One of the things I love most about our district is the support for our public schools. It’s evident across our small towns and communities – entire towns are built around the successes of the school districts. Friday night lights, congratulatory homecomings when teams win big, packed houses for chili suppers and strong bond support are just some of the ways our communities rally around our students and teachers. The actions and voices of folks across the district have made it clear – prioritizing our public schools and working to make them better is why I’m here.
A “yes” vote for this measure would’ve taken $120 million of public money to private, where there’s no transparency or oversight by the state in how these taxpayer dollars are spent. I support parents and their right to choose where to educate their children, and we have plenty of options in the state, ranging from public, private, virtual and home school. We have excellent private school options in my district, and my vote is nothing against these schools. They do a very good job educating the students who attend. However, I don’t think it’s right to take money from our public schools and send it to a private entity.
I also want to specifically address the claim that I’m opposed to parent’s protecting their children from CRT in the classroom. The House and Senate actually approved a measure last session – House Bill 1775 – that banned CRT and related theories from being taught in our classrooms. I was a co-author of this measure, helping push it through the Senate. This bill was signed by the governor and is now law.
Back at the Capitol, I had the honor of welcoming a Taiwanese delegation to our state on Tuesday and recognizing them on the Senate floor. Director General Robert Lo and his guests were here to support House Concurrent Resolution 1018, authored by myself and Rep. Logan Phillips, which encourages further economic and cultural ties between our state and Taiwan. It was great to see our Taiwanese friends and welcome them to our great state.
I also had the opportunity to speak to the AMBUCS in Enid on Friday. This organization began as American Business Clubs, dedicated to helping people with disabilities. But today, they are just known as AMBUCS, and work to give away therapeutic tricycles and inspire mobility and independence for those who are disabled. Their mission is inspiring, and I appreciated the time to talk with them.
It’s an honor to fight for our conservative values at our state Capitol. 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]
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