Session is off to a great start. Several of my bills passed in their first committee hearings this week. They now move to oversight committees before being eligible for a vote on the House Floor.
House Bill 1566, would establish the Oklahoma Elder Exploitation and Abuse Act. I have been working on this piece of legislation for a couple of years now. This would create a civil cause of action on behalf of an elder or vulnerable person for any physical or financial abuse, neglect or exploitation suffered. It is important that we as Oklahoman’s protect our elderly and our most vulnerable populations.
The bill passed unanimously in the House Public Health Committee and now is eligible to be heard in the Committee on Health and Human Services Oversight.
House Bill 2836, titled the Safeguarding American Veteran Empowerment (SAVE) Act, would establish guidelines for individuals and businesses that provide assistance to veterans as they start navigating through the disability process. These guidelines would act as guardrails to prevent bad actors from preying on certain veterans who have served their country.
This bill passed unanimously in the House Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. It now moves to the Committee on Health and Human Services Oversight.
Feb. 3 was the start of the legislative session. We heard the governor’s State of the State address in which he outlined his policy and budget priorities for the coming year. His priorities include protecting Oklahoma taxpayers, making our state the best in the nation for business, safeguarding our savings, and defending the Oklahoma way of life. While I agree with many of the Governor’s policy objectives, it is necessary for both the executive and legislative branches of government to work together in order to advance good policy.
At home in the district, the Guthrie Chamber of Commerce held its annual banquet on Feb. 6. It was a fun 80’s-themed night. It’s always a good time to see awards given to our local business and civic leaders. I want to especially congratulate Linda Miller for receiving the Citizen of the Year Award. Linda’s leadership and civic involvement certainly makes our community a better place!
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at (405) 557-7350 or [email protected] if I can ever be of service to you.
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