Opinion

After 17 busy weeks of work and thoughtful debate on hundreds of policy proposals, the Senate officially adjourned this legislative session on Friday. Before wrapping up the session, both legislative chambers passed the state budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

As the first session of the 60th Oklahoma Legislature officially comes to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on what this session meant for District 28, and for Oklahoma as a whole. Each year brings its own challenges and opportunities.

Homeowners rates are a big topic of discussion in Oklahoma right now, especially during severe weather season. At the Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID), we understand how important this issue is to so many.

'It’s a “big” bill, but not so beautiful for many of us' Dear editor, Representative Bice announced that she voted in favor of the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” She favors the bill because she believes that it brings tax relief to Oklahomans, supports families, keeps the border secure, makes our government more efficient while enacting “historic savings to put our nation on a sound fiscal trajectory,” and will “Restore American’s Energy Dominance” by dismantling “burdensome Green New Deal regulations.”She does not mention that, according to the non-partisan Oklahoma Policy Institute, this bill also “threatens the well-being of countless Oklahomans by slashing essential health care and food programs while creating tax shelters for the wealthiest Americans.”One in six Oklahomans’ health care is provided through SoonerCare (Oklahoma’s Medicaid program), but because of the Big Beautiful Bill “almost 15 million low-and-middle income U.S. citizens and lawful residents will become uninsured, including many with SoonerCare.” “Millions more will face higher premiums, copays, out-of-pocket costs, and .