Capitol Considerations by Sen. Bill Coleman

Senator Bill Coleman-Ponca City

As of this writing on Thursday, no budget agreement has been announced, but it should be coming soon as we only have two weeks left before we’re constitutionally required to adjourn on Friday, May 27.  I’m so pleased that the three executive nominations from our district were approved in committee and by the full Senate. Congratulations to Bradley Fox, Natalie Fraser, and Stephen Scott. Thank you for serving our great state in this capacity.

With work winding down, we’ve honored numerous Oklahomans, sports teams, and others, including our term-limited senators and retiring Senate staff. This week, we honored Sen. Kim David of Porter, who represents Senate District 18, and Sen. Mark Allen of Spiro. They have represented their districts and the state of Oklahoma well and will be greatly missed.

We also honored a special Oklahoman Wednesday—the latest winner of the Kentucky Derby, Rich Strike and his owner, Edmond resident Rick Dawson. What an incredible Cinderella story in the coveted Run for the Roses. Only the top 20 horses qualify for this prestigious race. Rich Strike was #21 and wasn’t even supposed to run, but another horse dropped out the day before the race, giving him a spot in the lineup. This 80-1 odds horse came from behind in the final seconds of the race to win, which is the second-biggest upset in the Derby’s 148-year history. We were all so impressed with Mr. Dawson’s humility as he shared on the floor how him and his wife do all they can to support numerous charities to help our state’s veterans and their families, among others. He tearfully told how the winnings will allow them to give even more to help their fellow Oklahomans in need. What an incredible Oklahoma family. On Thursday, they announced they won’t be running in the Preakness Stakes on May 21 but will instead wait to compete at Belmont next month. We wish the Dawson’s, Rich Strike, his jockey Sonny León, and the rest of his team the best of luck as they prepare for the upcoming race.

Session is fast paced and hectic, and without our staff and many others behind the scenes we wouldn’t be able to accomplish all that we do. One of those groups that help us in our offices and around the Senate are our pages. These are outstanding high school students who want to get a firsthand look at the legislative process and learn more about how their state government works.

This session, I was blessed to have a pair of great pages, Skiatook High School senior Oki Darrow, who actually served twice, and Epic Charter School sophomore Jake Zander, who were a tremendous help to our office and others in the Senate. Oki will be attending Oklahoma State University next year to study law. Go Pokes! We wish her and Jake all the best in their future endeavors. If you know an outstanding high school student that would like to come spend a week in the Senate next session, please let us know.

You can contact me by calling (405) 521-5581 or emailing [email protected].