Until the late 1960s, there was no universal emergency phone number for people to quickly call their local police, fire departments or ambulance service. In 1967, the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice recommended a single, universal number for reporting an emergency. Within a few years, 911 was being adopted throughout the country.

But decades later, we’re in desperate need of an upgrade. The current 911 system is analog technology of the 20th century, but we’re now more than two decades into the 21st century. 911 service is an even greater challenge in rural communities. Many don’t have the resources to man their own call centers, so 911 calls are basically forwarded to another county, with dispatchers then trying to determine what emergency services in which communities they should contact. This can cause delays in situations where minutes can literally mean the difference between life and death.

Furthermore, where the communications technology most of the public uses now includes cell phones, with text and picture messaging, video chat, social media, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) devices, 911 hasn’t kept up due to its technological limitations.

That’s changing now with a new emergency communications system called Next Generation 911, also known as NG911. This Internet Protocol (IP) system will enhance emergency number services through a faster, more resilient service that would allow digital information, including voice, photos, videos and text messages to be sent through the 911 network which then can send them directly to first responders.

I’m the Senate principal author of House Bill 1590, which would give Oklahomans access to NG911 for only pennies a day. This bill would increase 911 fees from 75 cents to $1.25 a month – that’s only $6 dollars a year, and I believe we can save lives with this new, digital system. Our counties would no longer have to piggyback off each other for 911 calls, meaning faster response times. And the new system would identify a callers location immediately, and help best determine which emergency responders can get there the quickest, whether you are right on the border of two counties or live near the border of another state. That’s something folks here in the Panhandle can definitely relate to.

I received approval on Wednesday for this bill in the Senate Appropriations Committee, and now it moves to the full Senate for further consideration.

Among the other House Bills I’m principal Senate author of this session is HB 1589. A few years ago, I championed the creation of a designation for Oklahoma certified beef. That program has been such a great success, that now we’re adding other protein sources produced by Oklahoma farmers and ranchers. Under this legislation, the designation Oklahoma certified meat will include not only beef, but also swine, goat, lamb, poultry or fish that is bred, born, raised and processed within the state of Oklahoma. This bill is also on its way to the full Senate for a vote.

Coincidently, this week we also celebrated Agriculture Day at the Capitol. Agriculture continues to be one of our state’s leading industries, providing close to 200,000 jobs and contributing more than $28 billion annually to our state’s economy. It’s our state’s heritage, shaping our identity and our values to this day, and I salute all our farmers and ranchers are keeping that heritage alive and thriving for future generations.

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].