Although I was called back to Washington for a few days due to votes in the U.S. House of Representatives, I was still able to spend much of August in Oklahoma for the customary monthlong district work period. This extended time each year always provides the opportunity to interact directly with constituents and hear firsthand about the issues that matter most to them.
Area schools recently had Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom’s “Read an Accurate Ag Book Week,” and I was thrilled to get to participate with many of our local elementary schools, including Newcastle, Purcell, Bray-Doyle, Wayne and Lindsay.
I’m thrilled to announce that I have been appointed by the Senate Pro Tempore to serve on the oversight committee for the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT). Created in 2019, LOFT assists the Oklahoma Legislature in making informed, data-driven decisions that will serve Oklahomans by ensuring accountability in state government, efficient use of resources, and effective programs and services.
There’s an interesting contrast between the focus of Rep. Mark Mc Bride, R-Moore, who chairs the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education and that of Oklahoma Secretary of Education Ryan Walters, who was appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt and is running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Life is full of difficult things. Decisions, relationships, jobs, etc., are all hard at times. I often tell my congregation that one thing you can count on in this life is that challenging situations will arise. We cannot escape or avoid hard things because they simply are part of life in a fallen world.
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Newcastle, Oklahoma 73065
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