A&B Transportation Subcommittee

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Gabe Woolley, R-Broken Arrow, today issued the following statement about fee increases by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. "Any fee increases from the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority should be approved by the state Legislature, as this would put the power back into the hands of the people via their elected officials. "Having to pay to drive across your own home state is already frustrating enough for many Oklahomans. Citizens feeling like they are further removed from having a say in the process is perhaps even more frustrating. I do not support these turnpike fee increases or the manner in which they are determined and enforced. I am, however, encouraged to hear that there is interest among the state Legislature to hold the Turnpike Authority accountable to the people of Oklahoma. "I encourage Oklahoma state elected officials to push for any financial adjustments that impact the people of Oklahoma to be approved by the state Legislature."

Rep. Nicole Miller, R-Edmond, and Sen. Brenda Stanley, R-Midwest City, applauded Col. Abigail Ruscetta for being named the 2024 Oklahoma Aerospace and Aviation's Woman of the Year. She was honored at the eighth annual Oklahoma Women in Aviation and Aerospace Day, held Friday at the Tulsa Air National Guard Base. Colonel Abigail L. W. Ruscetta is the 72nd Air Base Wing Commander at Tinker Air Force Base (AFB), where she leads nearly 3,000 Airmen and is responsible for $5.4 billion in resources and a $311 million operating budget. The 72nd ABW enables numerous critical missions at Tinker AFB, the largest single-site employer in the state of Oklahoma. "Colonel Abigail Ruscetta exemplifies excellence in leadership and service," Miller said. "Her remarkable career and dedication to advancing aerospace and aviation are an inspiration to women across our state and beyond. I’m glad to see her recognized as Oklahoma Aerospace and Aviation's Woman of the Year and celebrate her many contributions to both Oklahoma and our nation." Ruscetta earned her commission in 1997 through the U.S. Air Force Academy. She is a graduate of the Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officer School at Nellis AFB, Nevada, and earned her master’s degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology. She joined Tinker AFB in 2018 and has previously served in Germany, Korea, Ohio, Georgia, Florida, Utah and Washington, D.C. Ruscetta has been awarded the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal and Meritorious Service Medal, among numerous other honors. "Colonel Abigail Ruscetta’s leadership at Tinker Air Force Base stands as a testament to her unwavering commitment to excellence, both in military service and in shaping the future of aerospace and aviation in our state and nation," Stanley said. "She has left a legacy that will continue to inspire women in aviation for many years to come, and we are proud to honor her as the 2024 Oklahoma Aerospace and Aviation’s Woman of the Year." Oklahoma Women in Aviation and Aerospace Day began in 2017 when the Legislature passed Senate Bill 230 to officially recognize the contribution of Oklahoma women in the state’s aviation and aerospace industry. The Day is recognized on December 9, which marks the birth of the legendary Chickasaw aviator, Pearl Carter Scott. Scott, who learned to fly under famed aviator Wiley Post, became the youngest pilot in the country when she concluded her first solo flight at the age of 13.

The Oklahoma House of Representatives today added to its transparency portal a government efficiency survey intended to root out duplication of services, waste and inefficiencies in state government.  This initiative piggybacks on the federal effort to eliminate government waste through the newly-created federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). "We will work hand-in-hand with President-Elect Trump and our federal delegation on broader efforts to make government more efficient with DOGE," said House Speaker-Elect Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow. "We want to ensure our state government is working as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. As lawmakers, we want the assistance of Oklahomans who have first-hand experience with duplicative and wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars." Oklahomans can enter any examples they have experienced of state governmental waste or duplication into the easy-to-use portal, which will be submitted to House budget leaders for review to be utilized during legislative budget hearings and the crafting of the FY26 state budget.  "We know Oklahomans get frustrated every day with the inefficiency of government, and we need their help to root out the most egregious examples so we can eliminate unnecessary expenditures," said Rep. Trey Caldwell, R-Lawton, who will serve as House Appropriations Chairman for the 60th Legislature. "The more efficient we can become, the more we can invest in critical government services and pursue lowering the overall tax burden for all Oklahomans." Constituents can file government waste complaints online by entering some demographic information, the issue area their example encompasses, and details of waste or inefficiencies. "We are confident we will get examples of inefficiency that we likely would not have known about otherwise," said Rep. John Kane, R-Bartlesville, who will serve as Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee this upcoming session. "Every January we have an opportunity to walk through budget requests with state agencies, and we will have the ability to ask about these constituent submissions directly in an effort to make government as efficient and effective as possible." The portal is live today, and Oklahomans can immediately start entering examples of waste they have already encountered or will see in the future. "We hope to capitalize on the momentum we are seeing on the federal level with the efforts of President Trump at DOGE, and the national priority they have set to reduce waste," Hilbert said. "Oklahoma has the opportunity to align with these efforts and lead at the state and local level as we seek best practices and frameworks for auditing and reducing waste in government spending." The Government Efficiency survey may be accessed via the homepage of the House website, okhouse.gov, similar to the House Budget HQ , which was launched in the 2024 session and updated regularly. All submitted agency FY26 budget requests have been updated and can be viewed in the portal.