Got to go to a party this week for Scotty Herriman who is retiring after 10 years of serving as a state conservation commissioner. I served as a state commissioner from 2010 to 2015; Scotty came on in 2013. He still serves on the Nowata County Conservation District. It was good to reconnect with him and meet up with some of my other friends who served on the board when I did.
The Conservation Commission and Conservation Districts help protect the state’s renewal natural resources, like soil and water, to the benefit of our farmers, ranchers and other citizens. It’s good work and a valuable service. I congratulate Scotty on his service and wish him well in his retirement.
I also met with several people from the Department of Human Services this week trying to help a family get an elderly loved one placed in a nursing home. It’s hard for many people to navigate through the process and understand all the rules regarding Medicaid and Social Security. I certainly got an education.
I also worked with the city of Red Oak helping a constituent with a sewer problem. And I helped a Kiowa constituent who is having trouble determining ownership on a county road so some needed maintenance can get done.
It’s good to be back in the district full time after our session at the Capitol.
We talked a lot this year about the education budget, but I also wanted to mention funding appropriated to the Oklahoma Dept. of Transportation. They received more than $801 million this year – a 2.2%, or nearly $18 million, increase over last year. The majority of this – $590 million – is directed to the Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety (ROADS) Fund, to be used for various state highway and bridge maintenance and repair projects. But we also appropriated $130 million to the County Improvement for Roads and Bridges (CIRB) Fund for Fiscal Year 2024, a $5 million increase from FY23. We will increase this by $5 million each year until it reaches $150 million by FY28. This is in addition to federal funding that will go toward shoulder expansion on rural two-lane highways. Safe, drivable roads are important to our rural residents, and I’m glad this funding will improve our infrastructure.
As always, thank You for allowing me to serve you. I can be reached at (405) 557-7381 or by email at jim.grego@okhouse.gov.
- Jim Grego serves District 17 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes Latimer County and part and Pittsburg County.
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