By Rep. Jim Grego
This past weekend, I attended the Southern Legislative Conference in Oklahoma City. This is a gathering of legislators form 15 southern states. We heard from many panels and speakers as we addressed problems facing all of us. Lt. Col. Dan Rooney was one of the more memorable as he spoke of his life experiences as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force and as a professional golfer. He also spoke of how he founded “Folds of Honor,” a nonprofit that aids military families.
I serve on the Agriculture & Rural Development Committee at the SLC. We had some really good discussions. One subject we were asked about was our marijuana laws. Other lawmakers wanted to know what is working and what isn’t . It really was a good meeting as far as networking and exchanging ideas and possible solutions to common issues.
One of the neat things that happened at the conference, was volunteers helped pack boxes of food for donation to City Rescue Mission, which helps the homeless in Oklahoma City. It’s always nice to give to those a little less fortunate.
The SLC is part of the Council of State Governments, the nation’s largest nonpartisan organization serving all three branches of state elected and appointed officials. Oklahoma is part of CSG South. Regional offices allow state officials to connect on shared issues that are geographically based including federal lands, water rights, agriculture, border relations and more. CSG regional offices also host conferences, in-state visits and leadership development programs that allow officials to regionally network.
It was also great to get to showcase our wonderful state as we played host to legislators from the 15 states in our South conference. It was good to get to talk to other lawmakers and learn from their experiences as well as share some of our own lessons. I’m hopeful some of the ideas that came forward at the conference will lead to better legislation that benefits all Oklahomans.
As always, thank you for allowing me to serve you. It is a true pleasure. If there is ever anything I can do for 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 parts of LeFlore and Pittsburg counties.
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