by Rep. John Pfeiffer
Oklahoma is definitely not a state for the faint of heart. If it’s not one natural disaster, it’s another, sometimes both together.
Wildfires swept through the state beginning March 14, fueled by incredibly strong winds, killing four, injuring 200 and damaging or destroying more than 400 homes.
I’m thankful to our firefighters and first responders who put their own lives at risk to fight these fires, and to the many volunteers who have been out trying to help feed and clothe people, provide shelter and help in other ways to recover from this horrific loss.
With such heartbreak, it’s hard sometimes to see good, but thankfully there is some positive news to report.
One great thing that happened last week was the Oklahoma Youth Expo. The world’s largest junior livestock show is held every year in Oklahoma City at the State Fairgrounds. Youth involved in FFA or 4-H compete for the title of Grand Champion. This year, the show was estimated to draw about 8,500 exhibitors from across the state.
One of the highlights for legislators is the Legislative & Celebrity Showmanship contest. We pair up with a student from our district and show the animal they’ve brought to the expo. This year, I exhibited a heifer raised by Jessica Hobaugh with Newkirk FFA. You know, I raise cattle for a living, and this event still makes me a little nervous. Jessica was a good sport and it was fun to get to work with her. OYE is such a great organization, raising scholarship money for participants and helping them gain leadership skills.
On another nice note, I received a Guardian of History Award last week from the Oklahoma Historical Society. The award recognizes elected officials who the Historical Society determines have provided outstanding support for their mission to collect, preserve and share Oklahoma’s unique and fascinating history. Recipients are noted for recognizing the critical role the OHS plays as a state agency and are vocal proponents of its continued success. I’m honored to be counted among those who value the preservation of our state’s history.
Also recently, the state attorney general shared some praise for my House Bill 2164. This bill is meant to strengthen the state’s bidding and purchasing laws to ensure public officials are prohibited from using their positions for personal gain. It would add penalties for violations, including making the crime of public corruption a felony. It better defines conflict of interest and requires disclosures for those conflicts, and it would add ethics training for state officers.
I worked on this with the District Attorneys Council and the A.G.’s office after I held an interim study last year to study the matter. The AG said this would create a level playing field for businesses seeking to contract with the state and lend to more transparency in government – two good goals.
Grant County Farm Bureau members were at the Capitol earlier this month. It was good to be able to recognize them from the House floor. I always appreciate visits from people in my House district.
It’s an honor to serve the folks of House District 38. As always, if you have concerns about bills, or problems I can assist you in solving, please reach out to me at [email protected] or call my office at 405-557-7332.
–John Pfeiffer serves District 38 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes Grant County and parts of Garfield, Kay, Logan and Noble counties.
