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Rep. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, joined lawmakers from across the country this week to officially launch the American German State Legislators Caucus during the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit in Chicago. Pae is a founding member of the bipartisan organization, which brings together state legislators interested in improving trade, investment, education, workforce development and cultural exchange between U.S. state legislatures and Germany. The kickoff event welcomed U.S. state legislators, a delegation of members of German state parliaments, representatives of German businesses and professional organizations, and members of the caucus's inaugural Board of Directors. "Oklahoma has benefited tremendously from strong international partnerships, and Germany has long been one of our most important economic partners," Pae said. "I'm honored to be a founding member of the American German State Legislators Caucus and look forward to working with colleagues across the country to strengthen the relationships that create jobs and encourage innovation between our communities."  Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, attended the launch as well. "It was good to meet with Angela Freimuth at the NCLS conference in Chicago," Rader said. "We discussed some possible ways for strengthening and increasing business opportunities between Germany and Oklahoma. Thank you, Rep. Pae, for arranging the meeting." In 2025, Germany was Oklahoma's fourth largest export market, exporting $485 million in goods to the country. The new caucus will provide opportunities for state legislators to share best practices, engage with German leaders and businesses, and promote policies that strengthen transatlantic cooperation.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Steve Bashore, R-Miami, has been named to the Executive Committee of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS). The executive committee is the governing body of state lawmakers responsible for guiding the national, non-partisan organization that meets regularly to focus on the regulation, legislation and policies of the U.S. gaming industry. "I'm honored to both bring Oklahoma's perspective as a gaming compact state to the table and to learn from other national legislators who have devoted years of study to the issues surrounding gaming in their own states," Bashore said. Bashore currently serves as Deputy Floor Leader in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His private industry experience includes serving as general manager of the Buffalo Run Casino & Resort in northeast Oklahoma. His house district includes several casinos. He said his knowledge of the gaming compacts between the state and many of the tribal nations that call Oklahoma home will serve him well on the council's executive committee. NCLGS is structured to include committees on lotteries, pari-mutuel betting, casinos, responsible gaming, state-federal relations focusing on Indian gaming issues and iGaming. The organization's meetings provide information on cutting edge gaming issues, such as sports betting, iGaming, lottery and prediction markets, that legislators need to know. Programs include balanced panel presentations that offer opposing views. NCLGS also is valuable to local and tribal officials, and as a result, all non-legislative government officials (including tribal and state/local government officials) are invited to attend meetings. 

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene, today commented on the announcement that U.S. Gypsum (USG) plans to close its Southard plant in northern Blaine County in November, affecting over 250 employees. "USG has been one of the largest employers in this area for over a century," Dobrinski said. "This is devastating news for these employees, their families and our area as a whole."  Dobrinski said he is working alongside Rep. Carl Newton, R-Cherokee, and Sen. Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher, both of whom have affected constituents. "We are working to ensure these employees will have much needed resources such as state unemployment benefits, along with additional workforce training and education to help meet their needs. We are engaging our area CareerTech centers of Chisholm Trail, Northwest, Autry and High Plains to begin coordination and communicating opportunities that can provide new careers right here at home. We are fortunate to have many businesses in diverse industries here in Northwest Oklahoma that are actively expanding their workforce every week. While this news was not expected and certainly disappointing, we will continue doing all we can to ensure other businesses see our area as a valuable place to locate their operations." Dobrinski said the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission offers the Oklahoma Works Rapid Response program, which provides on-site employee workshops, job search assistance, career counseling, training opportunities, food assistance resources and more. The commission also can assist with filing for unemployment benefits, including for large groups facing mass layoffs. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce and area chambers of commerce also are being tapped for assistance.  USG, purchased by German-based Knauf Group in 2019, operates a major gypsum mine and processing plant in Southard. The company announced July 16 that it will begin to idle its manufacturing facility and phase out a majority of the industrial products portfolio manufactured at this plant, with plans to close the plant in November. In a statement, USG said its decision was based in part on the escalating complexity and cost to mine and manufacture the specialized products in the company's portfolio. The company said it would support impacted employees by offering career transition resources, relocation opportunities for those interested in transferring to another USG facility and severance packages. Dobrinski said while he appreciates these resources being offered, he hopes those affected will be able to remain in the communities where they now live. "We don't want to lose any families to other areas of Oklahoma or other states," Dobrinski said. "We want them to stay right here and thrive in a place that has strong and safe local schools, rural healthcare, friendly neighbors and an excellent way of life."

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. David Hardin, R-Stilwell, issued the following statement after Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced a new agreement involving the companies named in the long-running Illinois River Watershed poultry litigation: "After more than two decades of litigation, I am encouraged that the state and all six poultry integrators have reached a new agreement. The agreement announced this week appears to offer a more balanced path that addresses concerns within the watershed while recognizing the importance of poultry production to our region. It is important to be clear that this is an agreement between the Attorney General, acting on behalf of the state, and the defendant poultry integrators. It is not yet a court-approved resolution. The agreement must still move through the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the federal district court before the prior judgment can be vacated and the lawsuit dismissed. There are still important steps ahead, but I am hopeful this agreement will bring this decades-long case closer to a responsible conclusion and provide greater certainty for eastern Oklahoma families." The agreement involves Tyson Foods, Cargill, George's, Peterson Farms, Cal-Maine and Simmons Foods. It includes funding for watershed projects, environmental monitoring and other measures related to poultry litter management. The agreement remains subject to court approval.  -END-   Rep. David Hardin, a Republican, represents House District 86 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes Adair County and portions of Cherokee, Mayes and Delaware counties.

Rep. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, has been named as chair of the Fiscal Affairs and Government Operations Committee for the Council of State Governments (CSG) South.  Pae officially assumed the role during the organization's 79th Southern Legislative Conference (SLC), held this week in Lexington, Kentucky. He has served as vice chair of the committee for the past four years.  "I am honored by the confidence my legislative colleagues across the South have placed in me," Pae said. "As vice chair, I've had the opportunity to work alongside outstanding legislative leaders from across the region. I'm excited to build on that foundation and continue fostering productive discussions that benefit not only our member states but also the people we serve."  CSG South’s Fiscal Affairs & Government Operations Committee focuses on a broad range of issues impacting state budgets and finances, such as the impact of the federal budget on state finances, state revenues and expenditures, and national and regional economic outlooks. The Southern Legislative Conference is the largest of The Council of State Governments' four regional conferences, bringing together legislators and legislative staff from 15 southern states to exchange ideas and collaborate on public policy issues.  Pae serves House District 62 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, where he represents west Lawton. He currently serves as chair of the House Appropriations & Budget Human Services Subcommittee and as vice chair of the House Children, Youth and Family Services Committee.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Chris Banning, R-Bixby, has filed an interim study request to continue work previously led by Rep. Brian Hill, R-Mustang, examining Oklahoma's innovation economy, workforce and economic development policies. The proposed study would review whether state laws, incentives and policy efforts are helping grow businesses, strengthen communities and create long-term opportunities for Oklahomans across the state. "Chairman Hill has done important work on this issue for several years and I appreciate the foundation he has laid," Banning said. "As we continue looking at economic development policy, we need to be certain the laws we pass and the tools we put in place are actually benefiting Oklahoma families." Hill hosted his eighth annual interim study on Oklahoma's innovation economy and workforce last fall. The study brought together state leaders, industry experts, agency officials and innovators to discuss the challenges facing Oklahoma businesses and opportunities to strengthen the state's economy. Banning said the next step is to build on that work by taking closer look at what is working and where the barriers remain. "Oklahoma's future will not be built by accident—it will be built through intentional leadership, innovation and a commitment to creating opportunities in every community," Hill said. "I greatly appreciate Rep. Banning's willingness to continue this important work and build upon the foundation established through these annual interim studies. By bringing together leaders from numerous industries, we can better identify barriers, strengthen our workforce and find solutions to ensure Oklahoma remains a place where businesses grow, and people thrive."  If approved, the study would be conducted later this year. 

OKLAHOMA CITY – Two new filings at the Oklahoma Supreme Court by Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, continue his fight against billions of dollars of utility bill increases approved by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) that the representative believes are unlawful. The June 30 and July 6 filings include a twelfth appeal and a request that the Court pause enforcement of a recent decision pending “further review at the federal level.” Gann has been joined in other filings by Reps. , Kevin West, R-Moore, and Rick West, R-Heavener. The newest appeal challenges a June 5, 2026, OCC ruling that denied the intervention of Gann and more than 300 customers trying to participate in the latest rate case for Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO). The utility is seeking a $600 million rate increase, or an additional $25 per month for the average residential customer. Gann is joined in this appeal by Michael Ritze, a former Republican state representative from Broken Arrow. The OCC, PSO and attorney general have 20 days to respond. Multiple settlement agreements have been announced since Gann’s appeal was filed, though none are unanimous, and the attorney general recently withdrew from one of them.  “For the OCC to proceed without jurisdiction is a waste of taxpayer dollars,” Gann wrote in a public comment recently filed in the PSO rate case. According to the motion, Gann “respectfully requests the Court suspend [its decision] until expiration of the time to file a petition for writ of certiorari or notice of final disposition by the United States Supreme Court,” or late September at the earliest. Many of the PSO customers trying to intervene in its rate case are members of the Stop the Inola Smelter citizens group opposed to existing customers being forced to subsidize electricity for the controversial proposed aluminum smelter. The rate case will determine terms and conditions for a new “large-load” rate class of PSO customers likely to include data centers, and possibly the smelter.  Gann and Kevin West appealed a similar OCC ruling that denied Gann’s intervention in the latest rate case for Oklahoma Natural Gas Company (ONG) on June 11. ONG is seeking a $29 million rate increase that, if approved, would mark the fourth rate hike the OCC has approved for ONG in the last four years, increasing customer bills by more than $128 million. In both rate cases, the OCC set a deadline to intervene, but the utilities’ customers were not even notified about the case until after that deadline had already passed. And when customers were notified, the appeals argue, they were only told how to give public comment, not that they have a right to participate as parties of record in the case, which permits seeing all the evidence, filing objections and cross-examining witnesses. “These cases were rigged from the start to keep utility customers out,” Kevin West said. “The federal courts have said utility customers have constitutional due process rights, including a right to timely and adequate notice about these cases. We are asking the Supreme Court to uphold customers’ rights and require the OCC to change its rules to respect them.” Unlike ONG’s rate case, which the OCC suspended pending the outcome of the Supreme Court appeal, the proceedings in PSO’s rate case have continued unabated without any discussion that the OCC may have lost jurisdiction of the case. With this latest appeal , Gann, West and West have now challenged some $500 million in rate increases, $3.2 billion in 2021 Winter Storm bonds, $11 billion in fuel charges, and $1.3 billion in new capacity preapprovals hitting the utility bills of millions of ONG, PSO and OG&E customers. Seven of those appeals are now fully briefed and under consideration by the Supreme Court. In an April 21, 2026, decision , the Court denied the first appeal of an earlier PSO rate case challenging $250 million in rate increases and $700 million of 2021 Winter Storm bonds. The Court’s opinion said Gann should have intervened in the rate case at the OCC first. On June 29, the Court declined to consider Gann’s motion to reconsider that decision. It had informed the Court that Gann and other PSO customers did not even receive notice of the rate case until after the deadline to intervene. As a result of its two rulings on procedural technicalities, the Supreme Court has not actually decided any of Gann, West and West’s legal issues. These include what they say are unlawful OCC utility “audits,” the failure to give customers timely notice of utility cases, and Commissioner Todd Hiett casting the deciding vote despite allegations of criminal conduct involving PSO’s attorneys. Gann said these required Hiett to disqualify himself from such cases under State Ethics Rules. “We are not giving up this fight,” Rick West said. “We will continue to stand up for the law and the Constitution where the OCC and attorney general have failed. It is just a question of where, how and when.” All filings in the utility case appeals are available on the Oklahoma Supreme Court website: PSO rate case ($250m rate increases; $700m bonds; decision 4/21/2026; rehearing denied 6/29/2026):     https://oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=appellate&number=122861 ONG, PSO & OG&E CY2023 fuel cases ($1.5 billion; all briefs filed):     https://oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=appellate&number=122991 OG&E rate case ($127m rate increase; $760m bonds; all briefs filed):     https://oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=appellate&number=123021 ONG rate case ($98m rate increases; $1.3 billion bonds; all briefs filed):     https://oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=appellate&number=123348 ONG 2024 fuel case ($390 million + $888m for 2021/2022; all briefs filed):     https://oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=appellate&number=123588 OG&E 2024 fuel case ($925 million + $1.9 billion for 2021/2022; first brief filed):     https://oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=appellate&number=123608 PSO 2024 fuel case ($600 million + $2.8 billion for 2021/2022; briefs this fall):     https://oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=appellate&number=123905 PSO Pre-Approval case ($1.255 billion; briefs this winter)    https://oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=appellate&number=124090 ONG Intervention Denial ($29 million rate increase)    https://oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=appellate&number=124164 PSO Intervention Denial ($600 million rate increase)     https://oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=appellate&number=124187

Marissa Murrow, a college student killed by a drunk driver, was the inspiration for legislation taking effect July 1. The measure requires event venue bartenders to undergo certain training. Murrow, a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Central Oklahoma, was hit by a drunk driver in a head-on collision in October 2020. The driver had been overserved alcohol at a wedding venue. Her parents, Jeff and Kristy Murrow, worked with their lawmakers, Rep. Brian Hill, R-Mustang, and Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, to develop legislation requiring certain training to help bartenders identify inebriation in customers. Under House Bill 2369 , bartenders working at event venues must complete the training, which will be provided by entities approved by the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) Commission. "Marissa's story is a heartbreaking reminder that one irresponsible decision can change countless lives forever," Hill said. "Marissa's legacy is now one that will help prevent dangerous situations before someone gets behind the wheel. No family should have to endure the kind of heartbreak Jeff and Kristy Murrow have experienced, and I hope this law will spare other Oklahoma families from experiencing the same unimaginable loss." "This legislation closes a dangerous loophole in our state's liquor laws by ensuring individuals serving alcohol at event venues hold the exact same standard and responsibility as traditional bartenders," Paxton said. "As a volunteer firefighter for 35 years, too many times I have had the unfortunate experience of working tragic auto accidents caused by drunk drivers. By implementing mandatory, in-person training, we can help stop the over-service of alcohol before a driver ever gets onto our roads. It was a privilege to work alongside Jeff and Kristy Murrow to turn their unimaginable family tragedy into a protective shield for all Oklahomans." According to Victims of Impaired Drivers (VOID), an average of nine Oklahomans lose their lives each week to substance impaired driving. The Marissa Murrow Act went into effect July 1. The ABLE Commission is hosting free, in-person training sessions for new Event Bartender licensees. More information may be found at oklahoma.gov/able-commission .

Rep. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, and Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington, celebrated the official opening of Oklahoma's Taiwan Regional Trade Office, a move the lawmakers said marks a major milestone in the state's efforts to strengthen international trade. The office, housed within the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, officially opened during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Oklahoma State Capitol on Tuesday. Pae and Pederson, who authored SB209 , said the office will build on an already strong relationship between Oklahoma and Taiwan. "Taiwan has been a valued economic partner and friend for decades, and this office will help open new doors for investment, innovation and job creation," Pae said. "Oklahoma's economy continues to grow because we are willing to think globally and pursue partnerships that benefit our communities. I look forward to seeing the economic opportunities that grow from this office in the coming years." "Oklahoma's longstanding sister-state relationship with Taiwan has been a valuable partnership for many years, and today's opening of the Taiwan Regional Trade Office builds on that strong foundation," Pederson said. "By expanding trade and encouraging investment, this office will help create new opportunities for Oklahoma businesses and communities. I was proud to author the legislation establishing this office, and I'm grateful to Rep. Pae for his partnership in helping turn that vision into a reality for the benefit of Oklahoma and Southeast Asia." SB209, approved by the Legislature in 2025, became law without the governor's signature and took effect in August.