The House has been busy this week considering Senate amendments to various House bills. If a bill received amendments in the opposite chamber, it must return to the chamber of origin for the new ame...

This was another deadline week at the Capitol. Thursday was the final day to vote on remaining bills in the opposite chamber. The House heard nearly 300 Senate bills total, many of which were this wee...

Dist. 13 State Rep. I wrote recently that the plan to reroute Highway 69 away from existing local businesses in Muskogee is on hold, while the state Department of Transportation works with the communi...

Congressman Before President Trump took office, the U.S.’s southern border was only covered by man-made barriers along roughly a third of the border. These 654 miles of physical barriers are primarily...

Getting fit at 50 is a lot harder than getting fit at 25 and that’s no lie. I can remember wanting to lose weight after the birth of my second child before going on a trip to Florida. Now keep in mind...

If you work for a business that offers a 401(k) plan, consider yourself fortunate, because a 401(k), with its tax advantages and variety of investment options, is a great way to save for retirement. ...

For the Children: Every year, a group of high school students from across the state is selected by lawmakers to participate in the Capitol Page program, where they work for one week in either the Stat...

The premise of equalization is that every child has equal value. Who could argue with that? And so, a child in a poor school district should have the same educational opportunities as a child in a ric...

It’s almost impossible to save too much for retirement. After all, you could spend two, or even three, decades as a retiree. And retirement is not cheap – even if you maintain a relatively modest lif...

For the Children: As I write this column on Tax Day, or April 15, we mostly likely will have about one month left before lawmakers adjourn the 2019 legislative session. I want to take the time to refl...

  I received great news for Muskogee-area residents this week. The plan to reroute Highway 69 away from existing local businesses is on hold, while the state Department of Transportation works with th...

The staff of The McIntosh County Democrat welcomes Letters to the Editor on subjects of interest to our readers. Short letters are most likely selected for publication, but the use of any material is ...

The price of a good education costs the next generation and millennials an arm and a leg.  The cost of college has jumped so much that it’s nearly impossible for young people to come out ahead when th...

After last week’s committee deadline, the House has moved the majority of our focus to hearing the remaining Senate bills on the House floor. These bills cover a variety of topics, including education...

  This Easter, I find myself thinking more about the importance of serving one another. My wife and I have always taught our kids to follow the Golden Rule of the Bible: “Do unto others as you would h...

On April 22, millions of people will observe Earth Day by participating in events that support environmental protection. As a citizen, you may want to take part in a local celebration. And as an inve...

More than 355,000 adults in Oklahoma are currently living with diabetes. For each of those people, access to affordable insulin is not just an ongoing concern, but a matter of life and death. Diabetes...

This was a vital deadline week at the Capitol. Thursday was the final day to pass all remaining Senate bills through their House committees, a necessary step so they’re eligible to be heard and voted ...

Growing up in a very religious home, I have always been told the Easter story of how my Savior was betrayed by His own people, rejected by the religious sectors, suffered under the hands of Pontius Pi...

The staff of The McIntosh County Democrat welcomes Letters to the Editor on subjects of interest to our readers. Short letters are most likely selected for publication, but the use of any material is ...