I just wanted to give a big thanks to everyone who lent a helping hand after the tornadoes in our area a few weeks ago. The support from all over the county, state and country hasbeentremendous. I’m truly grateful to all the volunteers for their hard work and the quick response of the State Emergency Management team to the affected areas To respond to all this, the Governor signed legislation last week to help out the areas hit by the tornadoes. House Bill 2913 sets aside $15 million for the State Emergency Fund, and House Bill 2912 sets aside $30 million to create the State Assistance Dedicated for Disaster-impactedLocalEconomies Revolving Fund.
The goal is to financially support local governments affected by a FEMA-declared disaster. These funds can be used to fix infrastructure, provide temporary housing andshelter,meetthematchingfund requirements for FEMA programs, and make up for lost revenue.
We passed this legislation to help Oklahoma communities get back on their feet as quickly as possible. Coming together to help each other out during tough times is just the Oklahoma way – it’s all about Oklahomans helping each other.
We’ve got one more week at the Capitol and the House and Senate finally reached a budget agreement on Wednesday. Even though we agreed on a budget, the staff still needs to draft the bills, and it takes at least five days to pass a bill through the legislative process.
Next week, the legislation containing theappropriationslanguage will be heard in both chambers. They’ll introduce the bills in JCAB and then on the chamber floor where the bills originate. This allows members to ask questions and debate the bills. To tune into the appropriations bills being heard, visit the House website (okhouse. gov), click News and Media, and then click Live Proceedings.
I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. It’s always awesome to hang out with friends and family and take a moment to think about the people who have served and are currently serving in the military. I hope everyone had a good time and stayed safe while kicking off summer!
Again, thank you for electing me to serve District 49. It is truly an honor and privilege to represent you at the State Capitol. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any concerns at 405-557-7383 or josh.cantrell@okhouse.gov.
Rep. Josh Cantrell, a Republican, serves District 49 Oklahoma House of Representatives, which covers Carter, Love and Marshall counties.