August 23, 2026

Friends,

 

Starting out with the most important thing: Tuesday is Election Day!  Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and everybody needs to VOTE!!

 

If you are a registered Republican, you have four statewide runoff races to vote in: Governor, State Superintendent, Insurance Commissioner, and Labor Commissioner.  Registered Democrats have a runoff for the U.S. Senate.  HD70 voters have a nonpartisan City Council race in which to vote and other districts may as well.

 

And every registered voter (Independents, too!) can vote on two state questions, regardless of party affiliation:

• State Question 844: Would allow the Legislature to change how the state reimburses schools and local governments for revenue lost through certain manufacturing property-tax exemptions.
• State Question 846: Would add a voter-identification requirement to the Oklahoma Constitution and direct the Legislature to establish the specific requirements.

If you haven’t seen my State Question Study Guide, you can find it here.

 

Visit the OK Voter Portal to find your polling place and view your complete sample ballot before you vote.  We gotta VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!

 

Back To School

Back to school is here, it hasn’t necessarily brought cooler temperatures but it did bring some excitement for us.  My oldest son Spencer and I headed out for Tempe last Saturday in his beloved 2008 Volvo XC90.  Packed up ready to go and … 300 miles into the trip, in Erick, OK (home of Roger Miller for country music fans!) the transmission gave out.

 

Think Mom!!  We had just passed Elk City where my colleague Rep. Nick Archer (R-Elk City) lives.  My best idea was to text Rep. Archer for a favor: could we could have the car (and us) towed there and we’d figure out next steps from his house once we arrived.  About a minute after I sent the text, he sent this message: “I got you. On my way. I am going to get a trailer for your Volvo and then I’ll be there.”  

Here you can see Rep. Archer securing the Volvo and then Spencer, Tony, and Rep. Archer back in Elk City.  With lots of other problem solving – Spencer and I made it to Arizona in time to move in on Sunday.  People often tell me thank you for sacrificing and committing to public service but I have to say – meeting Oklahomans like Rep. Archer that will come load you and your kid and your car up on Saturday evening (and feed you fajitas and cherry pie) is all the pay back I need.  To meet and make friends with people like Rep. Archer and his wife Katie – is one of the very best things about serving in the legislature.  I hope it gives everyone a window into the kind of people that can (and do!) show up at the Capitol and work for Oklahomans.  Fittingly, Rep. Archer was just named legislator of the year by the Oklahoma Academy for his work in energy policy.  Spencer and I agree!

Interim Study Dates

All of my interim study dates have been set.  You can find a list of all Senate and House studies here.  All studies are able to be viewed in real-time and archived for future reference.

• October 6 Senator Daniels (R-Bartlesville) and I will present a study on the Sex Offender and Violent Crime Registry Act.
• October 14 Senator Hall (R-Perry) and I will present on the State of Childcare.
• October 16 I will conduct a study on public-private partnerships for sharing the cost of licensed child care across the employer, the employee, and the state with the aim of lowering out-of-pocket costs for working families while helping businesses retain staff.

Pictures Explained

On the left, I’m visiting with Google executives in advance of speaking to a group of small business owners and non-profit leaders at a Grow with Google AI training.  The event focused on how responsibly used AI can help small shops and “one man bands” automate tasks so they can do the bigger work of growing their businesses and services.  You all may have also seen Google has pledged $30 million to address water needs in Oklahoma.  Earlier in the month, I attended a public forum on data centers hosted by the Forum for Real Economic Emancipation (FREE).  I’m curious about thoughts from HD70 on data centers and AI – we will have to discuss.

On the top right, I’m receiving Legislator of the Year from Oklahoma Restaurant Association, Oklahoma Travel Industry Association and Oklahoma Hotel & Lodging Association.  Congratulations to my fellow awardees Speaker Kyle Hilbert, Senator Chuck Hall and Senator Joanna Dossett.  I am an enthusiastic supporter of the hospitality industry and never forget that it is made up of small businesses and entrepreneurs across the state.  We shared a great evening with about 500 people where we were reminded the hospitality industry powers Oklahoma’s economy with hard work from everyone to a restaurant server to a hotel clerk to an event planner.

The Associations also awarded the Guardian of Hospitality to Chickasaw Nation’s Governor Emeritus Bill Anoatubby who shared the powerful story of the Nation growing its hospitality business in service to its people and sharing their culture. In 1987, the Tribe had about 250 employees.  Today, the Nation employs more than 15,000 people.

Bottom right picture is me with my friends and constituents Kim and April Hubler who invited me to be a part of the groundbreaking for the new Tulsa Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  It was a wonderful ceremony, celebrating our community and its many different faiths.  The Temple will open in 2029.

 

Townhall Time 

Last spring I participated in the Citizen’s Academy with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), and I learned so much.  For our upcoming townhall on September 24, I’ve invited OSBI to share a little bit about their role and duties as the state’s independent state law enforcement agency.

 

If you’d like to attend, please register here and bring your questions!  I’m personally curious to learn more about their role in investigating the Tulsa jail deaths.  I hope you will join.  And to look forward, for the October townhall, we are working to schedule the Tulsa County Assessor’s Office so we can discuss all things property taxes.

 

One More Reminder

Do me a favor and reach out to 5 people after you read this newsletter and make sure they have voted or have a plan to vote on Tuesday.  I’ve been sending texts and discussing with everyone I run into and have been surprised how needed the reminder is.  It also opens the door for questions and an opportunity to share resources.  In case you or a friend needs it, here is the Tulsa Flyer guide – a comprehensive resource for all things for Tuesday’s election.

Please get in touch if you need anything, have things you would like the newsletter or a townhall to address  or just want to share your thoughts.  I love to hear from y’all!

Let’s Keep Going –