First, let me state for the record that I literally loathe gossip and politics. Being from a small town, I have learned that there is a huge difference between being newsy and being down right nosey. ...

As I said in my last article, few decisions have been as controversial as the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade. As such I could not cover everything in one article. Last time I discussed the courts and ...

The opportunity to visit the various parts of the state is a welcome chance to see the good work done by local youth-serving organizations. Such an occasion occurred recently when the Oklahoma Commiss...

With the end of summer, we are getting close to the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy’s Fall Forum. This conference, to be October 11 – 13 at MetroTech in Oklahoma City, will assemble experts from...

Wednesday, Aug. 31, is National Overdose Awareness Day, and I want to take this time to discuss the recent surge of fentanyl analogues and the danger they pose to our communities. Fentanyl is a contro...

Experts say that by the 23rd week of pregnancy, babies are able to hear music in the womb. I’m positive that I heard music while in my mother’s womb and my children did the same since we were undoubte...

Two weeks ago, I attended the 2022 Early Childhood Leadership Summit in Phoenix. This group is a bipartisan gathering from all 50 states. There are four things that the conference aims to do: 1) ident...

I am sure we all agree the break in political commercials for a few weeks before the November General Election is a welcome reprieve from the unrelenting negativity. The persistent negative ads by can...

Though all households are being hit hard by inflation, it seems that the middle-class family is being massacred more than the very rich or the very poor. In fact, I believe the middle-class consumer s...

Among the many disastrous provisions found in the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, there is one in particular that is of great concern. This legislation awards $80 billion to the Internal Revenue S...

This week, I was in Arizona for the Hunt-Kean Leadership Conference. The conference is a bipartisan gathering of state teams comprised of senior elected officials, gubernatorial staff, and some of the...

Last week, I shared tips from different professionals about safety when traveling to and from school. This week let’s talk about ideas on how to prepare for the schedule of the school year. Reducing S...

Agriculture is a part of who we are in Oklahoma. Our farmers and ranchers provide everything from food to fuel and fabric for our communities and employ over 300,000 Oklahomans along the way. Generati...

Unfortunately, I missed International Left-Handers Day (August 13) because I was out of pocket after carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand. Fortunately, though, I live everyday being left-handed so I...

Wednesday, Aug. 10, was a very exciting day at the State Capitol! On Wednesday morning, I was joined by my granddaughter Julianne at the Governor’s Mansion, where we met up with Governor Stitt and Se...

Education is the most valuable tool that we can give the next generation. As Oklahoma families prepare to and send their kids off to school, I want to recognize our teachers and what they do for all o...

They say a squeaky wheel eventually gets the attention that it needs, and I believe that is so true, especially when it comes to your health. I also believe everyone knows their own body better than a...

It is time for children to travel back to school. Over the next few weeks, we at the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy will share some back-toschool tips to help begin the school year in a safe an...

This week, I want to provide an update on the adolescent crisis unit in McAlester that I’ve been working on with a state agency for some time. The Oklahoma Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse S...

It’s safe to say either Markwayne Mullen or T.W. Shannon as a U.S. Senator would be a disaster. But it’s Mullen as senator which is most disturbing because he has a voting trail. Recently I looked ove...