Protecting pension progress

Oklahoma was once ranked among the worst states in the nation when it came to the financial stability of our state pensions. That meant many state workers, including teachers, were at risk of reaching retirement without sufficient income to live out their golden years in comfort.

Fortunately, reforms that took full effect roughly a decade ago have now made Oklahoma a national model.

“What you did, starting in 2010 all the way to now, really is the gold standard for other states to look at,” said Caren Lock, a managing director with TIAA-CREF, a national financial services firm.

Antlers, OK (August 21st) – Mike Brittingham, a lifelong resident of Pushmataha County and dedicated public servant, has announced his candidacy for Oklahoma State Legislature, District 19. With a proven track record in business, community leadership, and county government, Brittingham is well-positioned to bring his conservative values and collaborative approach to the state level.

OKLAHOMA CITY (August 22, 2025) - Today, Governor Kevin Stitt commended the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) on their successful ongoing efforts to reduce illegal marijuana grows and other criminal activity in the state.

“In 2022, I made it a top priority to crack down on our out-of-control medical marijuana industry,” said Governor Stitt. “Director Berry, Director Anderson, and our county sheriffs have worked tirelessly to accomplish that by removing illegal grows, addressing human trafficking, and protecting Oklahomans. They do so without seeking accolades or recognition. I am grateful for their service and their commitment to the safety and well-being of all four million Oklahomans."

Since 2022, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics has seized 1.7 million illegal marijuana plants, 181,000 pounds of processed marijuana, and made 302 arrests.

OKLAHOMA CITY – An appeal brief filed Thursday by Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, asks the Oklahoma Supreme Court to invalidate some $700 million in ratepayer-backed bonds issued to cover costs incurred by Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) during February 2021’s Winter Storm Uri. Payments for those bonds have been collected on the monthly bills of PSO’s customers since the bonds were issued in September 2022. They are scheduled to continue for another 17 years.

Gann’s brief tells the court that the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) failed to provide a required audit of the bonds in PSO’s most recent rate case. He also argues PSO’s original 2021 Uri costs that were securitized into the bonds were never audited either.  Gann asserts the audit failures are fatal in both cases, making the OCC’s orders void. 

If you hate the poor, raise the minimum wage

The gap between intentions and outcomes can be vast in politics, as the push to raise Oklahoma’s minimum wage demonstrates.

Proponents say they want to help struggling citizens at the bottom of the state’s economic ladder. But in practice, their wage-policy preference yanks that ladder out of the hands of those low-income workers, leaving them not only poor but also with far less opportunity for future advancement.

Why? Because the market still sets worker rates even when government planners pretend otherwise. If a minimum wage exceeds market value, it forces employers to simply reduce hiring, shift to automation, or move jobs to more business-friendly climates.

If you doubt it, look at California.

Washington, D.C. (August 15th)– Congressman Josh Brecheen announced the following in-person town halls for the month of August. Constituents are invited to attend and share their thoughts and ask questions on policy issues impacting Washington, D.C. and Oklahoma.

Congressman Brecheen has so far held 106 in-person town halls since his first term in office, visiting every county in Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District. 

The latest turn of events in the the State Department of Education TV-Gate drama: House Speaker Kyle Hilbert thinks the bottom has been reached and the actual truth discovered, and it was all a bizarre accident.

Oklahoma City (August 5th) - Statement from Speaker Kyle Hilbert Regarding Investigation into State Department of Education TV Incident:

"On Friday, July 25, two members of the State Board of Education made graphic allegations concerning what they say was visible on a television in the State Superintendent’s office during an executive session the previous day. Due to the serious and disturbing nature of these claims, I immediately called for an independent and transparent third-party review to determine exactly what occurred.

That weekend, I spoke directly with State Superintendent Ryan Walters. He assured me that he welcomed a thorough investigation and had requested the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) to come onsite to investigate. OMES confirmed with me that they would begin their work on Monday, July 28, which they did.

OKLAHOMA CITY (August 8th) – The Tenth Circuit has upheld Oklahoma’s law prohibiting gender transition procedures on children under the age of 18.

SB613, authored by Senate Majority Floor Leader Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, and Representative Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, was enacted in 2023. It prohibits medications designed to delay or suppress puberty and surgical procedures that alter or remove physical or anatomical characteristics or features that are typical for the individual’s biological sex.