Submitted by Lundy Kiger
I am proud to announce to the public that I’m running to be re-elected to a second term for District 3 to the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
Two-years ago when you elected me to serve as your State Representative, I told you that I would work hard every day and I would not quit before my term ended! I did not quit and I’m proud of the work for you the people who I serve.
In my first term in office the Speaker of the House, Charles McCall, selected me to serve as Vice Chairman of the House Rules Committee.
In my first year I filed three bills and all three were passed in both the House and Senate and signed into law by Governor Stitt. I also co-authored two bills related to telemedicine and cameras on school buses that were passed and were also signed into law. In my second year I passed three bills off the floor of the House that are now in the senate for consideration.
In my first year I also saw how poorly some parents and grandparents were being treated by DHS who were fighting to keep their own kids with many being moved out of the home.
I received approval from the Speaker to enter into discussions with DHS and parents and we saw some children being returned back to their homes. There is still much work to be done in this area and I continue to fight for parents who struggle with these issues.
When citizens of Heavener called me with complaints about dirty water, I immediately went to work in organizing citizens and helping to educate everyone with water professionals from the region on why their city water was not only dirty but also filled with harmful pollutants.
Over the course of six to seven months and involving the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and State Health Department, the long-time water company Veolia was found in violation of approximately 27 rules and regulations of the Clean Water Act and was fined by the state of Oklahoma for $3M.
The City of Heavener finally fired Veolia and hired a new company to make their potable water for public use. The city still has work to do in replacing distribution lines but today the water plant is making clean and safe potable water.
This dirty water problem has gone on for over 25 years and those who served before me should have addressed the problem for our citizens. I’m proud of the stand I took for the people of Heavener.
During the same time that dirty water was causing the public problems in Heavener, dirty water was also causing production down times at OK Foods.
This was affecting OK Foods ability in meeting customer contracts while also reducing employee hours. The company has over 700 employees, approximately $21M in annual payroll and pays approximately $450,000 annually in county ad-valorem taxes to LeFlore County.
While fighting for clean water for the people of Heavener and supporting the continued production of poultry. The city signed a contract that had been discussed with OK Foods for nearly 3-years allowing OK Foods to receive water produced by PVIA.
This one contract helped OK Foods, their customers and their employees to have confidence that dirty water would not be a cause of the company losing contracts and possibly going out of business. The PVIA water line is almost complete and ready to tie into the North Tower.
Right after the Heavener water crisis, OK Foods was developing new larger poultry barns and farms in the northern end of the county. As a strong supporter of OK Foods, I support the company’s continued growth but I do not support OK Foods building so many large poultry houses so close to a town while they are also replacing the Family Farms that have been the backbone for OK Foods growth over the past 25-years.
New growers received approval from OK Foods to build approximately 76 new large barns located near the city of Cameron and Castle Estates with one 8 barn farm less than 1350 feet from the Choctaw Housing development.
I worked with families in Cameron in reaching out to OK Foods to discuss relocating some of the proposed larger barns so close to the community and housing addition. OK Foods disagreed that the houses would smell or reduce property values.
I then went public with two Town Hall meetings with over 200 people attending to help gain a larger number of people to support and fight the development of the new Mega Farms so close to Cameron.
This large concentration of new farms will have negative effects on all family farmers so I offered OK Foods an alternative solution of a proposed Poultry Industrial Site capable of handling a large number of farms on a large track of land isolated with one road in and out access.
Nurse Practitioners are critical to rural Oklahoma and I was happy to help over a half dozen who were being bullied by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority.
I was happy to announce along with Senator Allen that Highway 9 west of Sunset Corner had been moved up on the 8-year plan and ODOT is now working on negotiations of land purchases for the expansion of right of way for the highway to be expanded to a 4-lane. This project is way over-due and I’ll fight for it to be completed for the safety of our public.
I was also happy to get approved a turn lane at Long Lake Hill making it safer for large RVs and people driving south trying to pull into the resort. Too many accidents have occurred at this busy location.
Many jobs were retained with the approval of AES Shady Point being sold to OG&E at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. I was happy to answer questions at the OCC and this helped to save over 70 full time jobs as well as associated coal jobs in the area.
I made good on a promise that state employees are way over-due for a pay raise with some state employees going 12-years without a raise. We were also able to vote a teacher pay raise of $1200 in my first year and this year the House passed a Cost of Living increase for retired teachers. The bill is in the senate to be heard when we return to work in May.
The reimbursement rate for hospitals by large insurance companies has been a priority for me as I authored and passed HB1280 by a vote of 94-0 for insurance companies to reimburse rural hospitals 100% of their cost of services.
We continue to work with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Oklahoma to try and right this inequity that puts EOMC and all small rural hospitals in financial jeopardy of closing.
I also helped spearhead a task force working on patients with mental illnesses to be treated by a doctor and not put into jail. This happens way too often and we have many people in need of help and not locked up. We continue to work on more bed availability in our region that can help save lives.
When the pandemic hit, I saw the need to pull our school, hospital, daycare, religious and city leaders together to provide live updates online to the public on how each saw their institutions moving forward.
From this we also saw the need and developed a county wide meal program for shut-ins and the elderly unable to get out and buy food.
Daycares have been one area that has been forgotten but I’m happy to join with state associations in working to help improve their financial situation, especially during the pandemic.
We continue to work with DHS on properly paying all of our daycares before we lose these facilities and the people who give their lives in keeping our children. Daycares have been there for those on the front lines fighting to protect lives.
To be an effective leader for LeFlore County, it takes someone who is willing not only to build relationships with other legislative members but who also understands their district’s needs.
This requires working closely with legislative leadership and being unafraid to fight for a seat at the table when important decisions affecting state revenues, legislation, and more importantly our local economy and jobs in our area are being made. I have done this and I also have access to the Speaker and leadership for your voice to be heard.
As someone who can act and make decisions as a “Responsible Conservative” for our area, I have the vision to see when difficult decisions must be made for the good of the people.
I’m a former school teacher for 15 years, a member of the Choctaw Nation and have over 27 years of experience in business.
I have proven without a doubt with my leadership for the people that I’m qualified and I continue to be the right person for the job, at this time, when our state and our area needs strong leadership who can work with our state leaders as we face budget shortfalls in the upcoming fiscal year.
My wife Samantha, along with our children Joe and Katie Kiger, Miranda and H Palmer, Hailey and Bobby Geren, Mya Hess and our four-grandchildren Samuel, Hudsyn, Havyn and Cade as we want to thank each of you for your support over the past two years.
In my second term I will remain strong, I’m qualified and unafraid to represent each of you and I will always fight to retain our 2nd amendment rights to protect our families.
I ask for your support and your vote on June 30, 2020 in the state primary election and I look forward to continue serving you for a second term.
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