As the Cleveland County Commissioner of District One, I am devoted to progress and compassion. I am inspired by our traditional values, diversity, and historical courage in performing my duties on behalf of the residents of Cleveland County and Oklahoma. It is said, the past is a prologue to the future. As a comparatively young state, Oklahoma’s early history is marked by unity of great technological, social, and economic progress. There are new roads that we must build that are not on the ground but are part of the Information Superhighway. The internet we use today influences how and when we work and demands more security for our data.
Petroleum geology and engineering were effectively born right here at OU. Cleveland County played a major role and for three centuries, OU has led the planet’s energy sector to connect our globe supplying the fuels to run not only our economy but the transportation networks. My own Choctaw ancestors travel this land almost two hundred years ago over rough roads. Homeless and in sorrow forced to migrate here on the “Trail of Tears.” But rather than drowning in misery, they united with their neighbors, together resisted attackers, and rose to help build our county, state, and nation. Our word “Oklahoma” comes from the Choctaw language, which the country used as Native Code Talkers in WWI and WWII to help win those wars.
We can all take inspiration from past Oklahoma notable heroes as we face the same kind of challenges my Choctaw ancestors faced. The Oklahoma Spirit. Solving problems of homelessness and technological disruption ha
ve occupied my term in office which must be solved at the source with the same compassion and intelligence that our ancestors showed. Using our brain more than our brawn, leading with incentives rather than punishment; providing a hand up rather than handouts is most in keeping with both our traditional and progressive values.
New criminal, social, and economic challenges face us with the legalization of marijuana. Recognizing the multitude of issues facing County Commissioners and County Sheriffs, I issued a call to help us find a solution last year. A local team of technologists and entrepreneurs answered the call and my office helped to draft and introduce the Oklahoma House of Representatives the Distributed Ledger Technology Act. HB 3279 passed with an overwhelming 6 to 1 margin of bipartisan support. The key to our success has been thinking globally and acting locally to lead with organization, science, and law. This organization commissioned an economic study that showed that the new technology in Oklahoma’s medical marijuana industry should be producing current production up to $300 million for the State of Oklahoma. Using technology and encouraging removing cash from the system thus prevents robberies, burglaries, product diversion, tax evasion, and money laundering.
In our time of Covid19, we observed that our homeless did not have bank accounts to cash their checks and the banks were closed to the public. Once again I looked to local technology entrepreneurs to find a solution. This company was already working with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Federal Reserve in providing financial and digital inclusion for a pilot project. Food and Shelter for Friends (right here in Norman) was the right organization to do this pilot project. We will be using private donations, and federal and state programs to give homeless veterans and Natives smartphones, internet, and banking access. But we will not just stop with the veterans and our indigenous people. A rising tide floats all boats, and we will be working to help all of our communities to obtain what is essential for citizen participation: a mobile device, web, and bank access.