OKLAHOMA CITY – Decisions are made by those who show up, as quoted by President Jed Bartlet from “The West Wing.” Voters who take the time to cast ballots make the decisions. Oklahoma has one of the w...

We have one more week for oversight committees to meet in the House, and then we’ll begin hearing many more bills on the House floor. This year, the House has gone to a two-step process for all policy...

The legislative process should be thorough and deliberate to ensure the best outcomes for our state. As lawmakers, we have a responsibility to ensure that every piece of legislation is carefully consi...

This may be the most difficult column I have ever written. When it comes to the Department of Government Efficiency, I really have no idea what’s going on. How is that for an opener? What makes me fee...

JLdUOnnCiA' Hoarding is a mental health condition of collecting and keeping too many things that may or may not have value. Hoarding is definitely a disorder and can cause major problems rather quickl...

OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) is a statewide nonprofit charged with “creating awareness, taking action, and supporting policy to improve the health, safety and well-...

State Budget leaders last week received certified revenue figures authorizing the appropriation of up to $12.3 billion for the state budget for Fiscal Year 2026, which starts in July. This is about $1...

As legislators, our top priority is ensuring the wellbeing and security of the people we serve. This week, I am proud to highlight two key legislative efforts that will have a meaningful impact on Okl...

Amongst the many perceived controversies of Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. president are some of his choices for cabinet secretaries. Of the 15 secretary positions, so far 11 have been confirmed b...

Who doesn’t love a road trip and stopping at random destinations? My grandmother, Eloise Belyeu, used to once a year hitch a ride with her younger siblings of almost 20 years, my great aunts, Carol Sm...

OKLAHOMA CITY – As the first full week of session has ended, the lawmakers at the Oklahoma State Capitol are hard at work with shepherding their legislation through the committee process. The Legislat...

Monday at the Capitol was Department of Corrections Day. We were able to see the men and women working hard to keep our state safe by assuring that our inmates are safe. Their job is daunting and task...

Over the past decade I have seen Republicans disgrace and debase themselves in their cultish capitulation to Donald Trump. But none of them can outperform Lyin’ Ryan Walters. Is there any doubt this g...

December 2024 and January 2025 may possibly go down in history as one of the most politically significant moments in recent history. In December then-President Joe Biden broke a record by issuing pard...

If lessons are not learned, history will repeat itself. Our past, present and future are linked together whether we like it or not. They are a continuous chain of events and actions taken. So when we ...

----------------- current events through a historical lens--------------------------------

OKLAHOMA CITY - On Monday, February 3, Gov. Kevin Stitt delivered his annual “State of the State” address to the members of the Oklahoma Legislature and the entire state, which coincides with the open...

As a new member of the Oklahoma Legislature, I participated in many firsts this past week. Feb. 3 was the start of my first legislative session. I got to hear my first State of the State Address by th...

This week marked the beginning of the legislative session, and we are already hard at work tackling the issues that matter most to Oklahomans. Governor Stitt delivered the annual State of the State ad...

I have spent more class time discussing the barrage of executive orders and pardons from both the outgoing and incoming presidents this week. As a federal judge has blocked President Trump’s executive...