One of my favorite days at the Capitol each year is FFA Day, which was last week. I had the pleasure of welcoming students from Washington and Wayne FFA to the House of Representatives.
There is something special about watching young people walk the halls of the Capitol with curiosity and confidence. I always enjoy visiting with students to answer their questions and helping them better understand how a bill becomes a law.
Many are surprised to learn how much time, discussion and careful review goes into each measure before it ever reaches the House floor.
For these students, it is a firsthand look at how their state government works and how their voices can matter.
FFA helps shape young leaders across Oklahoma. Students gain hands-on experience in agriculture, develop public speaking and leadership skills, and learn responsibility through record-keeping and supervised projects. Those lessons prepare them for careers in agriculture and for leadership in any path they choose.
As we welcome visitors to the Capitol, we are also approaching an important deadline. This last week was the final week for policy committees and appropriations subcommittees to hear bills during the Second Session of the 60th Legislature. Any House Bills that do not advance out of policy committees this session is considered dead. It cannot be revived next year. If a member wishes to pursue the idea again, it must be filed as a new bill in the next legislative session.
That deadline brings focus and urgency to our work. Lawmakers are reviewing proposals carefully and making decisions that will shape which measures continue through the process.
In addition to my own legislation, I have been honored this year to serve as the House author for several Senate Bills. In Oklahoma, a bill must have an author in the opposite chamber in order to continue moving through the process. When a Senate measure reaches the House, it needs a House member to present it in committee, answer questions and advocate for its passage. The same is true for House bills when they move to the Senate.
Having an author in the opposite chamber ensures that the bill has someone actively working to guide it forward and build support. It reflects cooperation between the House and Senate and helps give good ideas the best opportunity to reach the governor’s desk.
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve District 42 and for all of you who make our communities strong. It is an honor to represent you at the Capitol, and I pray for you each day as we work to make decisions that affect our great state.
Please feel free to contact me with your questions or concerns. My email address is cynthia.roe@okhouse.gov, or you can call my office at (405) 557-7365. Thank you for letting me represent you at the Capitol!
Rep. Cynthia Roe, a Republican, represents House District 42 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Her district includes portions of Cleveland, Garvin and McClain counties.
