Representative Trey Caldwell

R

District 63

Hi, I’m Trey Caldwell and I represent the people of Oklahoma’s 63rd District.


representative

Leadership

Vice Chair of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee

59th Legislature

Vice Chair of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee

59th Legislature

Deputy Majority Leader

58th Legislature

News & Announcements

Aug 29, 2024
Recent Posts

Lawton Lawmakers Call for Investigative Audit into Comanche County Sheriff Runoff Election

Reps. Trey Caldwell, R-Lawton, Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, Rande Worthen, R-Lawton, Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, and Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, today sent an urgent letter to Secretary Paul Ziriax formally requesting an investigative audit into the August 27 runoff election for Comanche County sheriff. The legislators expressed serious concerns following reports that multiple ineligible voters received a ballot for the Republican runoff election for Comanche County sheriff. The legislators said this clear breach of electoral protocol occurred despite at least one voter contacting the Comanche County Election Board regarding the incorrect ballot, with the issue not realized until after the ballot had been cast. According to an August 29 report by KSWO-TV 7News, the secretary of the Comanche County Election Board acknowledged the distribution of an incorrect ballot on election day. She also allegedly said that once a ballot enters the system, there’s nothing they can do about it.  In the letter, the legislators emphasized, "Given the importance of ensuring free and fair elections, we are deeply concerned that other ineligible voters may have received an incorrect ballot. A transparent investigation is crucial to maintaining public trust in our electoral process. "We have been advised that State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax has dispatched members of the State Election Board staff to the county election board to assess the situation. We ask the secretary to step in and ensure that a thorough review and audit is made of the situation and that appropriate action is taken if these allegations prove to be true." Citing Okla. Stat. tit. 26 § 1-104, the legislators reiterated that voters may only vote using the primary ballot under the party in which they are registered, stating, "no registered voter shall be permitted to vote in any Primary Election or Runoff Primary Election of any political party except the political party of which his registration form shows him to be a member…" The legislators said, “The right to vote is a fundamental expression of our American freedoms, and it must be fiercely protected to ensure the integrity of the November 5 presidential election. We must guarantee that each voter's voice is safeguarded and that every aspect of our electoral process remains secure and trustworthy." Read the letter here .

Aug 27, 2024
Recent Posts

Tillman County Breaks Ground on Critical Access Hospital

Rep. Trey Caldwell, R-Lawton, today celebrated the groundbreaking of a new hospital, Memorial Health of Tillman County Critical Access Hospital, in Frederick, Oklahoma.  In 2016, Memorial Hospital and Physician Group in Frederick discontinued patient care and ER services. Since its closure, residents have driven between 30 minutes to an hour to receive hospital-level care.  "When I took office in 2018, I knew bringing a hospital back to this area was a top priority of mine," Caldwell said. "Southwest Oklahoma has voiced how important this is, and I've done everything in my power to make it happen. Now, six years later, we're closer than ever to returning a hospital to Tillman County, and I couldn't be more proud."  To support the construction of Memorial Health of Tillman County Critical Access Hospital, the Legislature appropriated funds through Senate Bill 20XX in 2022. The measure tasked the Rural Hospital Rebuild grant program with distributing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to medical facilities in disproportionately impacted populations.  Speaker Pro Tempore Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, led the charge to implement a transparent application process to distribute ARPA funds to targeted projects across the state.  "For too long, rural hospitals have been left to wither on the vine," Hilbert said. "Thanks to Rep. Trey Caldwell’s leadership, we injected $25 million into rural communities to restore their access to healthcare. Lives are going to be saved thanks to this funding, and I’m particularly thrilled to join him in Frederick for the groundbreaking of the new hospital that spurred this investment across the state." Additional funding included Congressman Tom Cole securing about $6 million in direct congressional appropriations, $1.8 million from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce's Public-Private Partnership (P3) program, and loans from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs.  The hospital will have five emergency treatment rooms, 10 inpatient beds, physical therapy, radiology, laboratory and space for additional support services. Memorial Health of Tillman County will serve people in Tillman County and nearby residents of Comanche, Jackson, Kiowa and Cotton counties, totaling around 15,000 people.  "This is the first time in fifty years that a hospital has been rebuilt after closure, except for one instance in Kansas following a tornado," Caldwell said. "This is a turning point for rural Oklahoma, and I hope it shows other communities that a lot of good can happen when people work together."  Caldwell thanked Congressman Tom Cole; Brent Smith, CEO of Comanche County Memorial Hospital; Ryan Ade, a medical practitioner and Chairman of the Tillman County Trust Authority; former Oklahoma House Speaker Loyd Benson; Kenneth Corn, Oklahoma's USDA State Director for Rural Development; and numerous others who have played an instrumental role in making the groundbreaking possible. 

Feb 29, 2024
Recent Posts

House Passes Overhaul of Obama-Era Transmission Policy

The Oklahoma House of Representatives today passed legislation to implement free market principles and assert states' rights in high-voltage transmission construction and ownership. Rep. Trey Caldwell, R-Lawton, authored House Bill 4097, which would give Oklahoma the right to decide how critical transmission infrastructure located within the state would be owned and maintained. "I sat through hundreds of hours of meetings to help Oklahomans who are living on a fixed income or struggling to make ends meet," Caldwell said. "We all know how unpredictable utility bills are, and our constituents are paying more and more every month. Legislators should jump at every opportunity to lower customer costs, especially one that creates the optimal balance of free market principles and states' rights." HB4097 expands the pool of potential qualified transmission developers who could enter the competitive bidding process, resulting in lower building costs that are ultimately passed onto consumers. "Under this new policy, the state would oversee the competitive process and associated rate recovery, clawing back oversight from the federal government," Caldwell said. "Stakeholders overwhelmingly said they have more success advocating for ratepayers at the OCC than in Washington, D.C. Returning the authority to the elected Oklahoma Corporation Commission ensures Oklahomans have a voice." HB4097 eliminates a patchwork grid of accountability by closing regulatory loopholes created by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that allow unregulated entities to own transmission in our state with no accountability or oversight. The state would maintain greater accountability over critical transmission infrastructure costs and safeguard reliability by requiring the state's local electric companies to continue to answer to the elected Oklahoma Corporation Commission. "The Obama Administration forced this policy change on Oklahomans, and utility prices have been rising ever since," Caldwell said. "By cutting federal government red tape, we can increase competition on the front end, which will naturally reduce the rising rates we are experiencing." Caldwell said this policy is a first-of-its-kind in the nation for competitive transmission, but it follows a similar generation model that already exists. The measure, which is not retroactive, would take effect Nov. 1, 2024. HB4097 passed the House 65 – 29 and is now available for consideration in the Senate, where it is carried by Sen. Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle.