Opinion

It was an absolute privilege to host my mom, wife and daughter at the Capitol this past week. It was very special to have them with me, and my daughter even assisted me in presiding over the Senate during one of our chamber sessions.

Caterpillars to butterflies . .

Dear editor, Slavery ripped our nation apart. To this day, there are citizens who believe the Confederacy was an admirable proposition, with the people of the South fighting for independence.

It’s been a very hectic few weeks, especially here in the district, as we work to recover from the EF2 tornado that hit Seminole on May 4. My heart goes out to all who sustained damage or the total loss of their homes, businesses, and other property, but I’m very thankful there were no serious injuries from the storm. My office is available to help if you need assistance connecting to resources, so please reach out if there’s something we can do for you.

Last month, I was appointed by Speaker McCall to a special House committee to investigate potential misuse of taxpayer money through vendor agreements with the Oklahoman Tourism and Recreation Dept. This was prompted by a report of alleged inappropriate business practices by Swadley’s Bar-B-Q’s locations in six state parks, including billing inflated prices for equipment and staffing to the Tourism Dept.

Having just watched a Supreme Court nominee supported by a comfortable majority of Americans draw just three Republican votes in the Senate, you could be forgiven for thinking bipartisanship in Congress is a thing of the past. And in the case of Supreme Court nominees, you’d be right: The last time a nominee got over half the votes of the opposition party was in 2005, and you have to go back nearly three decades—to Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 1993—to find one who drew votes from almost all senators.

Dear editor, It is comforting to hear a voice favoring Democratic President Joe Biden in Oklahoma, the deepest red state in the nation! Republican ads air continually attributing to Biden amazing accomplishments beyond those even claimed by Democrats. I appreciate Republican support for my man.