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First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who has stepped up in the past few weeks following the devastating tornadoes in Bartlesville and Barnsdall. The support from across the county, state and country has been overwhelming, and I am deeply thankful to all the volunteers for their dedication and hard work.

In response to these recent events, the governor signed critical legislation last week to aid the communities impacted by the tornadoes. This funding aims to bridge the crucial hazard mitigation gap and aid in restoring affected areas across Oklahoma.

House Bill 2913 appropriates $15 million to the State Emergency Fund, and House Bill 2912 appropriates $30 million to create the State Assistance Dedicated for Disaster-impacted Local Economies Revolving Fund.

The fund aims to offer financial support to local governments affected by a disaster declared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). These funds can be used for infrastructure repair, temporary housing and shelter, covering matching fund requirements for FEMA programs, and mitigating revenue losses.

We expedited this legislation to aid Oklahoma communities in swift recovery and reconstruction. Coming together to support our communities during challenging times is the Oklahoma way – it's all about Oklahomans helping Oklahomans.

In other news, we have a little over a week left to pass a state budget, our only constitutional duty as lawmakers. Hopefully, we'll come to an agreement in the next couple of days. If not, I expect that we will go into a concurrent special session that will allow us to finalize this year's budget and meet after the constitutional adjournment date of May 31 if necessary. 

As Memorial Day weekend approaches, I hope everyone honors and remembers those who have served our country. I hope everyone stays safe, enjoys their Memorial Day weekend, and remembers the significance of this day.

It is such an honor and privilege to represent you at the State Capitol. I want to encourage any constituent with questions or concerns regarding legislation to reach out to my office at (405) 557-7358 or at john.kane@okhouse.gov.

John Kane, a Republican, serves House District 11 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, which covers Tulsa and Washington counties.