Happy October!  With the election coming up, things are very busy, so much so I’m already eating Halloween candy for dinner.  It’s a very quick clean up and no prep time so plenty of time to get out a quick Stay in the Loop!

Among the many things I’ve done lately I wanted to share a photo of the recent groundbreaking of Harrison Energy Partners at 6111 E. 32nd Place.  This commercial HVAC company now has a fantastic facility right in HD70.  It’s a wonderful addition to the neighborhood providing great jobs and a culture that really takes care of their employees – just a feel good moment being there to see what happens when a small business is growing.

I’ve heard from many of you over the last few days regarding your concerns about the State Superintendent’s new project to purchase 55,000 Bibles.  He outlined very specific parameters for which versions of the Bible would meet the contract requirements and cost the State anywhere from $60-$90 each.  Where to even begin with this bad idea?  Like with many of the other issues with Superintendent Walters, I will start by saying my concerns go well beyond his damaging and divisive rhetoric.  I am focused on possible abuse of taxpayer dollars and failure to fulfill statutory and constitutional duties.  Below are just a few of the sentiments constituents are expressing about the latest news from OSDE:

“[This] is inappropriate use of power to steer funds to a specific politician. I DO NOT approve of this behavior of an elected official and call for his impeachment.”

“The list of egregious actions and failures to act where he’s responsible are crippling the public school system in Oklahoma.”

“Ryan Walters needs to be removed from office.  He is only trying to make a name for himself.  He needs to focus on many other issues such as teacher recruitment, retention, and improving the quality of education for all students.”

As additional light is shown on this most recent antic, I am hopeful the call for a bipartisan impeachment investigation committee will come forth again and we can look into not only the potentially illegal request for purchase of a specific Bible but also the many other actions or inactions of the Superintendent that appear to be outside the bounds of the law.

Interim Studies

I completed my first interim study.  In terms of continuing to educate and discuss solutions for childcare access and affordability, I think it went very well.  Here is a Tulsa World article covering the study as well as a recent opinion piece I wrote in the Oklahoman on expiring federal funds we discussed in the last Stay In the Loop.  Today I hosted my second interim study where we learned more about the impact of medical debt on credit reports.  You can use this tool to learn more about medical debt in Oklahoma.  My final study will be on October 21, 2024 in the Public Safety committee where we will deep dive into flood prevention and control.  This issue is of interest to several of my constituents who are concerned about future flooding in House District 70, as well folks outside the Tulsa area who are in the path of the dam that supplies Tulsa with its water.  You can watch all past and future interim studies at this link.

The Oklahoma House of Representatives has established BudgetHQ – it is conveniently linked on the front page of okhouse.gov.  This platform serves as a centralized hub for reliable resources related to the state budget during the entire legislative process.  This will be a big help to all of us – legislators included –  in understanding how our taxpayer dollars are spent and how we’d like to spend dollars in the future.

Two features within BudgetHQ that might be of interest are the Budget Transparency Portal and the State Budget Dashboard.  The former provides transparent access to current information regarding budgetary items for considerations in the FY-26 State Budget.  As part of the State Finance Act, state agencies are expected to submit their budget requests to the Legislature by October 1st for the upcoming legislative session.  The State Budget Dashboard Offers a summary of the FY-25 State Budget as well as the budget related legislation enacted during the 2024 Legislative Session. Additionally, this section includes historical data from the Board of Equalization and Treasury collections.

I don’t expect everyone to go learn the ins and outs of the state budget, I will try to be a good representative for you and do that.  But I do want you to know there are many people who take your tax dollars and your ability to see how they are spent very seriously.  Sometimes the government isn’t all bad!

Last Thoughts

I have been thinking a lot about Asheville, North Carolina and all of the people and communities in surrounding areas who were devastated by Hurricane Helene.  It is just unimaginable the ruin these places have suffered and other than prayer and American Red Cross contributions, I feel helpless.  Seeing the Tulsa Fire Department and crews and helpers from across the state working in these places of extreme need makes me feel relieved and proud.  It’s like a part of us is there helping out.  I know you all will join me and so many others in thanking our front-line workers for the hard work they do around the clock to take care of us and in this case, many other Americans.

Once we get past the November 5th election, we will schedule our next townhall. In the meantime, if you know of an event where you would like to have me speak or just stop in and say hello, I will try to make it happen.  I also want to remind you to share the newsletter with your friends and neighbors.  They can sign up to join the distribution list at the bottom of this page or just reply to this email with their information and we will add them.

Take care everyone and don’t hesitate to try my October power meal, 5 mini-Butterfingers with a side of Twix!  I appreciate you taking time to read and look forward to seeing you all soon.