As I work on different issues constituents bring to me, I often collaborate with officials from various state agencies. Earlier this year, I had a meeting with Oklahoma Dept. of Human Services (DHS) D...

Night off from the loud music Dear Editor: We appreciate that the owner and management We appreciate that the owner and management of the amphitheater gave us the night off from the loud music they ha...

Every suicide is a tragedy. Every life lost to suicide is one too many and the prevalence among our nation’s vet erans is alarming. In 2019, 6,261 veterans lost their lives to suicide, including 111 O...

In my opinion there is nothing worse than mental health issues like depression or anxiety, or substance use disorders. Even eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress di...

On Monday, I cohosted an interim study with Rep. Collin Walke of Oklahoma City. We studied the correlation between the prevalence of quality mental health services and the frequency of law enforcement...

“Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” was a song written by American country music singer Alan Jackson that will forever remind me of where I was when the towers went down on September 11,...

Knowing that the 20th anniversary of 9/11 was fast approaching, I knew I needed to address it. I struggle writing about 9/11 because in many ways it still brings on strong raw emotions and I want to d...

This year marks 20 years since the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001. It also marks 20 years of American resiliency and bravery. 20 years since first responders and bystanders ran towards the sce...

Oklahoma is still very much in the midst of a pandemic. More than 9,370 Oklahomans have died from complications due to COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s...

Letter to the Editor: Despite the rain we had a wonderful fireworks show put on by our own local business owners, Patrick and Gina Notaro. Best show we have seen this year, and we have seen many. Pour...

Letter to the Editor: As I’m fond of saying these days, Yokelhoma’s fascist state and congressional representatives are like any other state’s reps: they’re reflections of the people who vote them in....

There’s no denying the infrastructure needs of our district. Whether it’s driving to work, getting kids to school, or stopping by the grocery store on the way home— Oklahomans are reminded daily that ...

On Tuesday morning (Aug. 31), I had the privilege of being the keynote speaker at a dedication ceremony for the new health and wellness center in Poteau. I spoke about what I believe are the two bigge...

The White House boasts that the pullout of Afghanistan ended America’s longest war. I believe the United States just launched the biggest war in history – a war against its own citizens. They claim th...

Even with all the COVID-19 quarantines and the fear of the unknown that seems to plague our world today, we were still created for connection. Plain and simple, we need each other to stay happy and he...

The committee meeting for my interim study has been finalized. It will take place before the House Public Safety Committee on Monday, Sept. 13 with a revised start time of 9 a.m. I spoke earlier this ...

When state or federal entities create impossible situations due to unfunded mandates, unpredictability, or conflicting laws, public schools have always managed to figure things out. Inevitably, the ce...

Tax-paying citizen Dear Editor, As a tax-paying citizen, who lives on the east side of town, I resent that the City Council shows preference to certain businesses and other parts of the city while neg...

If you were to stop a Roman around the year 117 A.D. and ask about the future of the empire, he/she would probably boast that they were the greatest empire in the history of the world, and the Roman E...

On August 15th, the capital of Afghanistan fell to the Taliban following the near-total withdrawal of American troops. The fall of Kabul represents a complete and utter failure by President Biden and ...