In a 2019 pledge, Joe Biden vowed to end fossil fuels, a stance now manifesting through numerous policies detrimental to the oil and gas industry, critical for Oklahoma’s economy. The Institute for Energy Research highlights over 150 Biden administration actions against fossil fuels, exacerbating energy costs nationwide and undermining Oklahoma’s economic stability and job market.
The Senate has passed the halfway point in this legislative session.
As a member of the House Appropriations Committee since 2009, I have spent an abundance of time working on how we can reduce our national debt, balance the budget, and keep money in American pockets, instead of in Washington. However, as a budget hawk, I know that the U.S. deficit problem cannot be solved exclusively in the Appropriations Committee, as discretionary spending only amounts to roughly 28 percent of U.S. expenditures.
Iwas born in Mangum and spent my formative years in Altus. Although I live in Oklahoma City today, I feel a deep connection to Oklahoma’s rural communities. I also feel a deep sadness as I watch those communities fight for their survival, and in some cases be hollowed out as they lose major employers and economic opportunity. The impending loss of the Ardmore Michelin plant and its 1400+ jobs is another body blow, not just to that community, but all of us who want to see rural Oklahoma survive and thrive.
The Senate took a major step in our new state budget process by voting on a proposed spending plan for the upcoming year. I voted in support of Senate Resolution 31, which details the proposed $12.3 billion spending plan my fellow senators and I have helped craft over the past couple of months.
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