The status of our public retirement systems matters greatly to me, since they exist to provide lasting financial security to men and women who have served the state, educated our children, and paid into the system with the expectation that they would receive benefits in their retirement years.  Fortunately, the Oklahoma Teacher Retirement System (TRS) is on a trajectory to be fully funded due to reforms undertaken by the Legislature in recent years.

Editorial by Sen. Frank Simpson

Since 2011, I’ve questioned the way we care for our aging veterans.  After visiting the Watkins-Logan Texas Veterans Home in Tyler, Texas, I’m even more convinced that in many ways we are doing our elderly veterans a disservice in the way we care for them.   I think we can do better.

Tourism is big business, not just worldwide, but also here in Oklahoma.  Research has shown that worldwide one in every 11 people are employed in the travel and tourism industry  This industry supports more than 284 million jobs and contributes more than $7.2 trillion to the global economy.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman has announced the appointment of Sen. Frank Simpson to represent Oklahoma on the Energy & Environment Committee of the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC).  

In the Thursday March 10, 2011 issue of the Ardmoreite in an article entitled “Workers oppose proposed pension changes” a statement was made that the legislature was working to repeal collective bargaining rights for municipal employees.  The fact is Senators Holt, David, and Newberry have worked hard over the past several weeks to draft a bill that will save collective bargaining.  SB 826 amends the process of binding arbitration but does nothing to reform collective bargaining. 

I have noticed that when our members of Congress fail to support issues important to us or support ones we dislike, we have no problem publicly chastising them.  As Americans, this is our right, and I am grateful we live in a country where we can speak out without fear of reprisal.  However, I wonder if we spend the same amount of time thanking them when they vote in ways we agree with.

On January 14th of this year, we filed legislation that would prevent the sale of e-cigarettes and vapor products to anyone under the age of eighteen.  E-cigarettes and vapor products will be added to the Prevention of Youth Access to Tobacco Act as a nicotine delivery device.   

The future of education in Oklahoma has been hotly debated over the beginning weeks of our legislative session.  I think that debate is good and healthy.  The future of our state will be impacted directly by the decisions we make that effect the education of our children.

Spending a week paging at the state Capitol helped spark a Plainview High School graduate’s interest in government—and that interest has come full circle, bringing her back to the Capitol to serve as college intern with Sen. Frank Simpson’s office during the 2014 legislative session.

Madison Hobson is a junior at the University of Oklahoma.  A 2011 graduate of Plainview High School, she said the selection of a major in public affairs was really inspired by her experience paging for Rep. Pat Ownbey, R-Ardmore, during her junior year.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate leadership recently appointed Sen. Jason Smalley to serve as Chairman of the Senate Pensions Committee.  

“I’m honored to have been entrusted to chair this important legislative committee,” said Smalley, R-Stroud.  “We have a responsibility to be good stewards of our state employees’ retirement funds and to protect the long-term stability of the state’s pensions systems.”