Review and Future
As we approach the end of this calendar year and a new session, I am moved to give a recap of my first year in the Senate. It was an interesting and tough year. I am a bit at odds with the public view on the 2019 Session. Many people shared with me, they believed the session to be a good legislative year due to the absence turmoil on the budget and an appearance of greater cooperation between parties. For me, it was a difficult year. Although, it was my first year in the Senate, the advantage I held was previously established working relationships with many of the current Senators. Nonetheless, there is still a learning curve for knowing personalities and leadership. Moreover, I entered a new group of caucus members and caucus leadership. My prior experience in the House of Representatives served me well. There were some nuances within the Senate operation which contrasted with the House. The Latin word for Senate is “Senax” which literally means “old men.” To this point, “we need some younger Senators, more female Senators and more Senators of color”.
On a good note, I did have legislation to pass and legislation to make it through committee hearings. My committee assignments were:
1. Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary
Agencies: Alcohol
2. Business, Commerce and Tourism Committee
3. General Government Committee
4. Health and Human Services Committee
My voting rate is 92% which, equates to my attendance rate for all meetings and votes. During this legislative session, I was selected to serve on the Bicameral Healthcare Working Group to research healthcare issues and the benefits of expanding Medicaid. Additionally, the Council of State Governments selected me to serve on the Healthy States Task Force, “Future of work Task Force: Leveraging Innovation Subcommittee. This service will extend over the next two years, I will join other policy makers in surveying best practices and innovative state initiatives during planned task force meetings. The task forces will produce reports detailing best practices and state successes in the policy areas at the end of two years. I was able to get legislation passed and signed by the Governor that impacted the operation of The Department of Corrections (DOC), Co-Authored legislation that honored the Late Senator E. Melvin Porter, who was the first African American to serve in the Oklahoma Senate (the seat I currently occupy),as well as, a car tag to not only raise funds but to commemorate the 1921 Greenwood race massacre.
The next session, I am submitting legislation to return the Earned Income Tax Credit, increase the minimum wage, stop juveniles from being sentenced to life without parole, a DOC pilot program to aid in the transition of citizens being released from DOC custody, create a Racial Impact Statement to look at bills which, possibly incarcerate members of particular communities, look at the high rate of African American women post pregnancy mortality, just to name a few.
I will be working on the State Questions to Expand Medicaid, to eliminate enhancements in sentencing and developing economic opportunities for SD 48 and Oklahoma. I was pleased to work with the Southwest Minority Supplier Development Council and OKC Black Eats to be a catalyst of bringing more economic development to our community for minorities.
The big issues that will overshadow the 2020 session are: The Census; the elections and the redistricting following the census in 2021. I am participating in a group that has taken the initiative to work on getting our communities counted. It is important to understand: The Census dictates aid in funding that comes to our state. The numbers help to make a clear and strong argument by underlining the need for this aid to come to Senate District 48.
We need a good count.
The 2018 election for my Senate seat turned out the second highest voter count and we won by the second highest margin (82%). The census will dictate political districts in that population is how districts are determined. Currently, there is a state petition that would create a non-partisan group to oversee redistricting, as it stands the majority party has that authority. With the current make up of the legislation (House: 24 Democrats/77 Republicans and Senate: 9 Democrats/39 Republicans), only 51 votes and 25 votes are needed to pass legislation in each Chamber respectively. You can see the significance.
It is my honor to serve in the Oklahoma Senate and my honor to serve the residents of Senate District 48. My continued goal and promise: bring the benefits of progress that is occurring all around us to those individuals. It is a struggle, but I have interpreted that I was elected to fight for that outcome.
God Bless Each of You, God Bless America, God Bless the State of Oklahoma and God Bless Senate District 48
