State Rep. Jim Grego
By Rep. Jim Grego
As we head to the end of May and the official start of summer, some of the legislation we did and did not pass is still making the headlines. One bill in particular we passed in the last days of session was House Bill 1370, which states that if the federal government should waive the federal fuel tax, this saving will be passed on to Oklahoma consumers. Not sure why we would have to pass legislation like this, but I’m glad we did. Another piece of legislation we moved out of the House but stalled in the other chamber was House Bill 3722, which simply required a person to note a party affiliation on their voter application. Makes sense to me. Not sure why it failed to progress.
The proposed data center near Kiowa seems to be the topic of much discussion as of late. Lots of information circling about all the ill effects of such an industry. I did have the opportunity to set down with IREN, the company proposing this plant. I will admit, they did not shy from any hardball questions I could throw at them. This plant will generate a lot of tax income for Pittsburg County. As we move to making a decision about whether the benefits outweigh the risk, I am reminded of something I learned early in my political career: “with any issue you will have pros and cons, and the truth will usually lie somewhere in the middle.” At 6 p.m. June 8, come to the McAlester Expo Center for a town hall-style meeting on this center. Be informed and make your own decision.
I attended the area superintendents’ meeting last week where the topic was truancy. With homeschooling and online studies, I would think this would be a very difficult issue to regulate, but the law remains. We must educate our youth, so good for them as they tackle this tough issue.
Hoping everyone had a good Memorial Day weekend. I attended the Wilburton VFW’s Memorial Day celebration. This is always a great way to remember our heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice so we could continue to enjoy the freedoms we take for granted. Never forget to remember their families as well.
As always, thank you for allowing me to serve. If I can help you in any way, 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.
Get Local News!
