Monday, April 21, 2025 at 2:43 PM

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Opinion

Border safety is public safety

Border safety is public safety

Ihad the honor of testifying recently before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security about how the nation’s border crisis is imperiling public safety in Oklahoma. The Biden Administration’s failure to secure our border is a threat to public safety in our state and throughout the country. 02/01/2024 05:00 AM

Finishing the job

Finishing the job

Last week, both chambers of Congress passed, and the president signed into law, another continuing resolution to temporarily fund the government and avoid a partial government shutdown. While this is not where I hoped lawmakers would be at this point in the appropriations process, Congress’s annual process to fund government functions and agencies, it has unfortunately been significantly drawn out this past year because of compounding delays. 02/01/2024 05:00 AM

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor

Shoebox donations will bring joy to children in need 02/01/2024 05:00 AM

Great job opportunities in transportation

Great job opportunities in transportation

Oklahoma, like other states, is experiencing workforce shortages in critical industries like transportation. This industry is tasked with planning and building Oklahoma’s roadways and bridges — a massive undertaking that requires a large, highly-trained workforce. While there are ample career opportunities, one of this industry’s main challenges is students and the public simply aren’t aware of them or what education and training is needed to pursue them. 01/25/2024 05:00 AM

Cole Announces Changes to D.C. Legislative Staff

Cole Announces Changes to D.C. Legislative Staff

Shane Hand will be starting a new position at America’s Health Insurance Plans as the Vice President of Federal Affairs. Hand has served as Cole’s Legislative Director since December 2021 and formerly as Cole’s Senior Policy Advisor on Health in 2021 and Legislative Assistant handling health, education and tax issues, among others, from 2019-2021. 01/25/2024 05:00 AM

Unaffordable America

Unaffordable America

Democrats and the left-leaning media has certainly tried to paint a pretty picture of an economy on the mend over the last several months. However, their misguided reporting could not be further from the truth, and everyday Americans certainly know inflation is eating away at their hard-earned money. 01/25/2024 05:00 AM

Have introduced over 30 bills

Have introduced over 30 bills

We’ve been busy in recent weeks focusing on budget hearings in our various appropriations subcommittees. Our Health and Human Services subcommittee held two full days of meetings and met with our 13 agencies, commissions, and authorities. These include state entities like the Oklahoma Health Care Authority; the Department of Veterans Affairs; the Office of Disability Concerns; the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority; the Office of Juvenile Affairs; and the Departments of Human Services and Health. 01/25/2024 05:00 AM

After 3-year snow job, when will the truth about the 2021 winter storm be told?

After 3-year snow job, when will the truth about the 2021 winter storm be told?

In just two weeks of February 2021, Oklahoma’s largest public utilities incurred some $2.8 billion in fuel and purchased power costs (compared to $1.3 billion for all of 2020). Then lawmakers and two Oklahoma Corporation Commissioners allowed those utilities to tack on another $2 billion-plus of financing (aka “securitization”) expenses by issuing pricey ratepayer-backed bonds with terms as long as 28 years. 01/18/2024 05:00 AM

Bill would give tax credit for firearm safety

Bill would give tax credit for firearm safety

We’ve hit the ground running in 2024 with numerous budget hearings scheduled in the next two weeks as we continue work on the FY’25 budget. These are public and streamed live on the Senate website, so I encourage those who are interested in how our state agencies are using their current funding and what their plans are for the coming year to tune in. 01/18/2024 05:00 AM

Lack of leadership at the border

Lack of leadership at the border

The national security threat and humanitarian risk posed by the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border has brought our country to an important crossroads. It is far past time that we address President Joe Biden’s self-made border disaster, support our customs and border patrol (CBP) agents and provide reasonable reforms to a broken immigration system. 01/18/2024 05:00 AM

Stitt should not have opted out of USDA program that feeds hungry youth

Stitt should not have opted out of USDA program that feeds hungry youth

Gov. Kevin Stitt has ignited a firestorm of controversy with a decision to opt out of a federal program designed to alleviate childhood hunger this summer. 01/11/2024 05:00 AM