My constituents in Pawhuska and Osage County have been on my mind this week as wildfires have threatened the area and forced some residents to evacuate. Please don’t hesitate to contact my office if I can help in any way.The Senate just wrapped up the last of its interim studies. The Senate Business and Commerce Committee hosted several studies, including one on the challenges facing small businesses and local entrepreneurs. As the committee’s chairman, I also hosted a study on thirdparty delivery of beer, wine and alcohol.I learned a growing number of states have legalized thirdparty alcohol delivery. Under current Oklahoma law, only liquor stores — and their employees — are allowed to deliver alcohol to peoples’ homes. Many stores don’t do this, though, because the practice is cost prohibitive. That’s where I think entities like Uber and Door-Dash can help these small businesses while meeting the growing consumer demand for home delivery. Representatives from the Retail Liquor Association of Oklahoma, the ABLE Commission and various third-party groups have discussed this idea for some time. I wanted to bring everyone together to talk about the issue in terms of legislation for the 2025 legislative session. Bill filing starts soon, and leadership elections for both chambers will occur in November. I’m running for majority caucus whip, a position that leads the whip team in shoring up GOP votes before chamber votes.I’m looking forward to Ponca City’s annual Veteran’s Day parade. Because of rain in the forecast, the parade has been pushed back to Saturday, Nov. 9. This year’s parade is set to honor Oklahoma’s Gold Star families. We all know how important it is to support our veterans, but too often, we forget Gold Star families need our support as well. These families paid the ultimate price for America’s freedom, and our communities must lift them up while they are grieving.I also want to highlight a must-watch documentary about a Marine veteran from Owasso who served in Afghanistan and has since connected with Gold Star families across the U.S. I was honored to attend a screening of “Make Peace or Die: Honor the Fallen.” This was one of the most powerful and heart-wrenching films I’ve ever seen, and I hope you watch it on OETA at 9 p.m. on Veteran’s Day.Finally, don’t forget Tuesday is Election Day. You can check your polling place and view your sample ballot at the OK ...
