From the National Finals Rodeo, sporting events, livestock shows and countless other events, many Oklahoma families have fond memories of attending events at the Jim Norick Arena.

I’ve attended events at the arena my entire life, so it was a full-circle moment attending this year’s Oklahoma Youth Expo, one of the final events to be held in the Big House before it is replaced with the new arena.

The OYE Legislative Showmanship is always one of the highlights of the legislative session and allows us to interact with many great students from across our state.

I was paired with Zane Skinner from Fort Cobb-Broxton 4-H and his heifer, Stella.

Zane is an outstanding young man and I appreciate him participating in the event and sharing more about his projects.

The Big House has also been home to the state basketball tournament and many teams from our district have achieved the opportunity to compete at that level over the years.

This year, our district is bringing home multiple state championships.

I extend my congratulations to the Weatherford boys team on claiming the Class 4A championship title, the Cyril girls and Okarche boys on winning the Class A titles, the Calumet boys on winning the Class B title, as well as the El Reno girls on the Class 5A championship.

I commend each of these teams and their coaches for their hard work and dedication.

Back at the Capitol, it was a short legislative week due to spring break.

I am thankful for the opportunity to spend time back in the district over the break before we head into the eighth week of the legislative session.

This week will mark the deadline for advancing Senate bills off the Senate floor. After Thursday’s deadline, our attention will shift back to committee work, where we will begin reviewing House bills in Senate committees.

Likewise, our counterparts in the House will be focusing on the bills that have moved forward from the Senate.

I look forward to working with the House authors of the bills I’ve signed onto, as well as those who have agreed to carry my legislation in their chamber.

In addition to our legislative work, we’ve been closely monitoring the devastating wildfires across the state.

We owe a great deal of appreciation to our first responders who worked to fight the fires, as well as the individuals and organizations who are still helping with recovery efforts for those who have been affected.

My thoughts and prayers are with the families and communities who are enduring the unimaginable loss of loved ones, injuries, and the devastation of losing their homes and businesses.

Unfortunately, wildfires are becoming more prevalent and more dangerous across our state.

I’m currently carrying legislation to help eradicate and manage invasive woody species, like Eastern Red Cedars, on state property.

These species contribute to the spread of wildfires, while also depleting our water supplies, among other adverse effects.

This policy will help the state to be good stewards of our lands and assist the surrounding private property owners in managing these species.

Through Senate Bill 940, I hope to emphasize the importance of this issue and have plans in place with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission to mitigate future risks through effective management and eradication efforts.

SB 940 is among many pieces of legislation we hope to send to the governor’s desk this session.

We’re nearing the halfway point of session, with much work still ahead.

The remaining weeks will be eventful as we work to finalize policy measures and craft a final state budget for Fiscal Year 2026.

Through the rest of session, I’m looking forward to welcoming additional students from the district to serve as Senate pages, as well as visiting with many special guests and Capitol visitors from across the district and state.

It is an honor to serve Senate District 26 and I look forward to continuing to work on behalf of our community as we consider a variety of issues and ideas this session.

If I can assist you with a legislative matter, feel free to contact my office or stop by in Room 234.

You can also reach us at 405-521-5545 or Darcy. Jech@oksenate.gov.