Representative Daniel Pae

R

District 62

Hi, I’m Daniel Pae and I represent the people of Oklahoma’s 62nd District.


representative

Leadership

Assistant Majority Whip

60th Legislature

News & Announcements

Feb 17, 2025
Recent Posts

House Members Praise Competency Reevaluation of Death Row Inmate

A Comanche County judge has ruled that the competency of Ricky Ray Malone, who was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for the 2003 execution-style shooting death of Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper Nik Green, must be reevaluated to determine if he is eligible for execution. In December, Attorney General Genter Drummond filed a motion requesting the reevaluation, and last week a judge agreed. The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services will reevaluate Malone to determine if he is now able to be executed. An agreement on reevaluation requirements is due March 5. Rep. Trey Caldwell, R-Faxon, praised Drummond's efforts in seeking justice for the Green family.  "This family has waited over two decades for justice to be served, and I am hopeful this evaluation will show Malone is fit to pay the ultimate price for brutally murdering a public servant in the line of duty," said Caldwell, chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee. It has been more than 20 years since Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper Nik Green was fatally shot after he stopped to check on a vehicle parked on the side of the road in Cotton County. In 2017, it was determined Malone was not mentally competent for execution and he was moved off death row in McAlester to the Oklahoma Forensic Center in Vinita. He will be reevaluated to determine if he is now competent to be put to death.  Caldwell, along with other Lawton-area Reps. Daniel Pae, Brad Boles, Toni Hasenbeck, Rande Worthen, Stacy Adams and Jonathan Wilk, R-Goldsby, thanked Drummond for his swift action. "I hope the attorney general will continue to use the full weight of his office to make sure justice is carried out in this case," said Caldwell. "This family deserves closure." This case led to the introduction of  House Bill 1693  by Rep. Rande Worthen this legislative session, which puts concrete timelines and requirements on competency reevaluations and adds requirements on competency reevaluation services. The bill will be considered in the House Judiciary – Criminal Committee Tuesday. "Victims and their families deserve to know the timeline and status of a convicted murderer on death row," said Worthen, R-Lawton. "We want to make sure if someone is deemed incompetent to be executed that they are reevaluated on a recurring basis and the state is doing all it can to restore competency when possible so justice can be done." -END-

Dec 10, 2024
Recent Posts

Motion Filed to Reevaluate Competency of Death Row Inmate

Attorney General Gentner Drummond has filed a motion in Comanche County district court to reevaluate the competency of Ricky Ray Malone, who was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for the 2003 execution-style shooting death of Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper Nik Green. Rep. Trey Caldwell, R-Lawton, worked with Green's family to better understand why Malone wasn't being scheduled since the state restarted executions in 2022.  It has been more than 20 years since Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper Nik Green was fatally shot after he stopped to check on a vehicle parked on the side of the road in Cotton County. His family is unfortunately still waiting for justice to be served in the case, two decades later. "Trooper Green's family has waited long enough to see justice served," said Caldwell. "This public servant was brutally murdered on the side of the road in the line of duty, was convicted of a jury of his peers, and should face the penalty set for him decades ago." In 2017, it was determined Malone was not mentally competent for execution and he was moved off death row in McAlester to the corrections facility in Vinita. He will now be reevaluated to determine if he is now competent to be put to death.  "The family of Trooper Green has waited more than 20 agonizing years for justice to be served," said Drummond. "It is a travesty that justice remains elusive. My office will work next legislative session to ensure death row inmates cannot escape execution without concerted efforts at the Oklahoma Forensic Center for competency to be restored. In the meantime, we are requesting that Trooper Green's murderer be reevaluated by a new expert so that the State can proceed with his execution." Caldwell, along with other Lawton-area Reps. Daniel Pae, Brad Boles, Toni Hasenbeck, Rande Worthen, Stacy Adams and Jonathan Wilk, R-Goldsby, thanked Drummond for his swift action. "We completely support AG Drummond's endeavor to request a reevaluation and urge him to use the full weight of his office to make sure justice is carried out in this case," said Caldwell. "This family deserves closure." Caldwell and Worthen, R-Lawton, are also working with Drummond on legislation for the 2025 legislative session to put concrete timelines and requirements on competency reevaluations and add requirements on competency reevaluation services as a result of this case. "Families should not have to wonder about the status of a convicted murderer on death row," said Caldwell. "We want to make sure if someone is deemed incompetent to be executed that they are reevaluated on a recurring basis and the state is doing all it can to restore competency when possible so justice can be done."

Oct 15, 2024
Recent Posts

Pae, Alonso-Sandoval Host Study on Rural Healthcare Challenges

Rep. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, and Rep. Arturo Alonso-Sandoval, D-Oklahoma City, hosted an interim study on healthcare challenges facing rural Oklahomans before the House Public Health Committee on Thursday, Oct. 10.  "A strong healthcare system is the backbone of a healthy economy, but when we fail to invest in rural healthcare, we fail our fellow Oklahomans," Pae said. "Without providing the right resources today, rural hospitals will continue to close their doors. These difficulties won't just go away if we ignore the problem or resolve themselves unless we take targeted investment and action."  "This interim study shed light on our current healthcare challenges and the immediate steps we can take to make a significant difference next session," Alonso-Sandoval said. "As a representative of an urban district, I've seen how parts of our cities face healthcare access issues similar to our rural communities. It's clear that addressing the lack of healthcare resources is crucial for all Oklahomans, no matter where they live. This study emphasized the importance in providing comprehensive solutions that ensure quality healthcare is accessible to every Oklahoman." According to the Oklahoma Hospital Association (OHA), in 2023, Oklahoma's healthcare spending per capita was $9,444, whereas the U.S. healthcare spending per capita was $10,191.  When speaking on operational challenges hospitals face, Rich Rasmussen, president and CEO of OHA, said total expenses were $2 billion higher in 2023 than pre-pandemic. He attributed this increase to rising labor costs, including contract labor expenses, as well as growing prices of utilities, drugs and supplies.  "The majority of hospitals dipped into their reserves to be able to cover operating costs," Rasmussen said.  Sean McAvoy, executive director of Primary Care Services for Comanche County Hospital Authority, said there are several reasons why providers may choose not to go to rural areas.  McAvoy said many rural areas lack facilities that meet healthcare standards, requiring new construction of healthcare facilities, as well as having a smaller workforce to recruit from, leading many healthcare providers to recruit new hires, which can be costly. Additionally, McAvoy said, rural areas with fewer employees mean fewer people with employer-sponsored healthcare, which typically pays better rates to healthcare providers.  McAvoy said transportation presents a challenge in rural areas, especially for older adults, but telemedicine is an increasingly valuable tool to address certain healthcare concerns. He also pointed to mobile clinics as a good option to expand care in rural areas quickly, although he said they typically have high operational costs.  Melissa Alvillar, the chief nursing officer at Comanche County Memorial Hospital, said Oklahoma is ranked 49th nationally in healthcare outcomes.  "Hospitals such as ours are willing to grow and willing to add beds to facilitate the care that the rural environment needs, but we need the financial help to support that," Alvillar said. She said healthcare providers need support from lawmakers to deliver the care Oklahomans deserve.  "We have the ability to be higher in healthcare than 49th," Alvillar said.  She told attendees it's hard to get people to join or stay in the healthcare workforce given the increase in physical assaults and threats against healthcare providers and, as a result, the cost of staff pay and benefits to retain employees is "through the roof," further stressing hospitals' and clinics' budgets.  Dr. Mark Woodring, vice chair of the Board of Rural Health Association of Oklahoma, highlighted the recent groundbreaking of a new rural hospital in Tillman County. Since the 2016 closure of Memorial Hospital and Physician Group in Frederick, residents have driven between 30 minutes to an hour to receive hospital-level care. The new hospital is funded in part by the Legislature's appropriation of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.  According to the most recent data, Woodring said, "Most of Oklahoma is a health professional shortage area." One suggestion he offered to improve rural health outcomes was creating a healthcare rural opportunity zone pilot program or offering state income tax exemptions or credits to providers who relocate.  "It's creating maybe an additional incentive not to go into a specialty that's going to pay them more," Woodring said. "They know that certainly primary care, while competitive is not paying as much as a maybe a cardiologist or an orthopedic surgeon."