Capitol Report

The Legislature met this week in a special session, which we called last month, to distribute $1.8 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to help Oklahoma’s economy continue to recover from the pandemic.

Capitol Comments

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee and a strong supporter of our brave troops and veterans, it is an honor to work on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) every year.

CAPITOL REPORT

What is going on with the medical marijuana business in Pottawatomie County? There was a rush of applications and numerous grow operations working hard to get up and running when it first passed.

CAPITOL COMMENTS

While Americans are suffering from recordbreaking prices at the pump and skyrocketing inflation, Democrats are focused on utilizing their media allies to choreograph political theatre.

Tecumseh Golden Age Center

I recently heard about 3 tips to help improve your brain. If there is anything that we need more as we age, it is ways to keep our brain active. Attending the Golden Age Center definitely benefits our brains in these 3 areas: diet, growth, and connection.

Senate Review

We officially concluded the 2022 legislative session at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 27. Of the many accomplishments this year, I’m very proud of the historic budget we approved, especially in how it will support our rural communities.

CAPITOL NOTES

As we prepared to wrap up our regular session this week, the Governor signed two bills I authored. Senate Bill 615 requires restrooms or changing rooms in Oklahoma public schools to be designated exclusively based on biological sex.

Senate Notes

As of this writing, we were still tying up legislative business ahead of the completion of the 2022 regular session. Under Oklahoma’s Constitution, we must reach final adjournment by 5 p.m. on the last Friday in May.

An Unexpected Layover In The Wilderness

We were in Colorado heading toward Utah to help Mr. Right’s family move. They’d bought a home in a small canyon community surrounded by luscious green mountains. Normally, the trip takes three days driving and two nights camping with no cell signal most of the way.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Shawnee officials recently announced their intent to repurpose the Santa Fe Depot and did so without even consulting the Pottawatomie County Historical Society (PCHS) board who holds a long-standing lease for the building. And they immediately followed up with plans to cancel that lease.