I have said many times, the most important job we as legislators have is to write and pass a balanced budget because ultimately the outcome of that work impacts every single person in our state. Becau...

On Tuesday, Jan. 5, lawmakers gathered for our constitutionally-required Organizational Day to approve rules and elect leadership for the upcoming legislative session. House Speaker Charles McCall of...

As many of us embark upon a new year, we also have to let go of the previous year and all that came with it - the questions, the disappointments, the heartaches. The letting go is probably one of the ...

2020 has certainty been a year of years. I do not need to recount the events of this year; we all know them too well. It is just strange to think that it was less than a year ago since we impeached th...

Oklahoma continued on its criminal justice reform journey last year with State Question 805. While the result was not what we had hoped for, over half a million Oklahomans voiced their support to end ...

The Oklahoma House Redistricting Committee has several public town halls scheduled throughout the next few weeks to give Oklahomans additional opportunities to voice their opinions on the redistrictin...

Quarantining during this time of COVID-19 has provided opportunities to watch some movies that I have always wanted to see. One of those is “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Re...

They say hindsight is 20/20, but here’s my opinion of the hindsight of 2020. If we had only known the challenges we were going to face and fight in 2020, the fears and the faltering before finding our...

Let me begin by wishing you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Festivus and lastly, Winter Solstice. Reaching the Winter Solstice means that each day will be a bit brighter th...

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced last week that 10 defendants have been indicted for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with the in...

2020 has been a difficult year for everyone. The current challenges facing our country have dampened the Christmas spirit for many during this time of year and I’m sure there are some who just want to...

As I sit down to write my last column for the year I cannot help but think what a chaotic year! I mean seriously, who would have thought that a year like this would have ever happened, let alone playe...

As I read over the article I was going to send out today, I realized it was too depressing. Instead of comparing the events of this past year to history, I decided I needed something more uplifting, l...

Earlier this week, the Southeast Oklahoma Subcommittee on Redistricting, which I chair, hosted its first public meeting on redistricting. The meeting took place on Wednesday evening in McAlester. We h...

This week, the first COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed to Oklahoma and across the country. President Trump’s work and commitment to Operation Warp Speed, have ensured that we are now closer than...

Super moms outdo Santa every year, yet they seldom get the recognition like the jolly ol’ fat guy in the red suit does, who only shows up one time a year. Super moms will be exhausted by the time Chri...

On December 17, 1750 – Deborah Sampson, was born. She fought in the American Revolution as a man under the alias Robert Shurtleff. 1900 – Ellis Island immigration center reopened following an 1897 fir...

Lots of cowboys turned up for Checotah’s Cowboy Christmas this year.

The City of Checotah and several businesses, churches and organizations help light up S. Broadway each year by decorating all the trees down the strip.

Dec. 21-25 Monday, Dec. 21: Spaghetti w/ meat sauce; carrots; tossed salad; garlic bread; Jell-O w/ whipped cream; milk Tuesday, Dec. 22: Chicken leg; oven potatoes; California vegetables; roll; banan...