Rep. Scott Fetgatter, R-Okmulgee, today pushed back against the “escalating language” from the governor regarding an agreement between the City of Tulsa and the Muscogee Nation, despite the agreement not yet being released. Fetgatter is the House Leader of Tribal and External Affairs and a member of the Choctaw Nation. The two parties reportedly reached an agreement in a federal lawsuit, Muscogee Creek Nation v. City of Tulsa, which was filed after a traffic ticket was issued by the city to a Muscogee citizen. The details of the agreement have not been announced or filed in court. “The governor claims to represent all four million Oklahomans, but his actions tell a different story. Using escalating language by calling our second largest city a ‘sanctuary city’ is a slap in the face to the citizens of our state whose ancestors were forcibly relocated by government officials and who helped us build our state. In doing so, he implicitly equates all tribal citizens, who are not only our fellow Oklahomans but also American citizens, with illegal immigrants. This type of language is deeply inappropriate and uncalled for, especially when directed against your own citizens. What’s more, unless these documents have been leaked, the governor has not even seen the agreement in question. Instead, he dismisses the sovereignty of our tribal nations on nothing more than principle alone. He characterizes a mutual agreement between two entities, neither of which he has authority over, as the creation of a ‘sanctuary city,’ all without seeing the actual language of the agreement. This is nothing more than a cheap trick to score political points. It’s worth remembering that at least 15% of Oklahomans are Native citizens. Our First American tribal nations contribute to the state’s economy every year. They deserve respect, not reckless mischaracterization. I invite the governor to follow his own advice and learn how to disagree better .”
Rep. Nick Archer, R-Elk City, and Speaker Pro Tempore Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, are praising the announcement that Dawn Aerospace will bring a new spaceplane, capable of flying loads to the edge of space, to western Oklahoma. The Aurora Mark 2 suborbital spaceplane, which will fly from the Oklahoma Air & Space Port in Burns Flat, can carry payloads to the edge of space and return on a runway. Flights may begin operation as soon as 2027. "The arrival of Dawn Aerospace and its cutting-edge Aurora spaceplane shows that Oklahoma is at the forefront of the future of aerospace," Archer said. "Bringing the Aurora spaceplane to Burns Flat opens the door to high-tech jobs and a future-driven economy, including new opportunities for microgravity research that will help bolster Oklahoma's growing biotech and pharmaceutical industries. I’m incredibly excited to see our region become a launchpad for American innovation." "We've been working toward making the Spaceport into a first-class facility for space flights for quite some time," Moore said. "To see this partnership come to fruition is gratifying. It truly positions Oklahoma as a leader of the aerospace and defense industries and will benefit not only Western Oklahoma but our entire state." The $17 million partnership between Dawn Aerospace and the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority (OSIDA) encompasses both the vehicle and an operations team, with up to 100 flight days and 200 flights planned in total after initial testing. The Aurora Mark 2 is a reusable spaceplane capable of carrying small payloads to 100 kilometers, or just over 62 miles. Unlike traditional rockets, it takes off and lands horizontally from a runway. Dawn Aerospace will train an Oklahoma-based team in New Zealand before flights begin at the Oklahoma Air & Space Port. With a nearly 3-mile-long runway and a designated space flight corridor, Space Port Oklahoma is one of 14 FAA-licensed space ports in the United States.
OKLAHOMA CITY – Representatives-Elect Amanda Clinton, D-Tulsa, and Aletia Timmons, D-Oklahoma City, were sworn into the Oklahoma House of Representatives after winning their Special Elections to fill House District 71 and House District 97 respectively. “I’m thrilled to welcome Rep. Amanda Clinton and Rep. Aletia Timmons to the Oklahoma House Democratic Caucus,” said House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City. “The House Democratic Caucus remains committed to improving the lives of working Oklahomans, ensuring they have quality, free public education, and the accessible, affordable healthcare they deserve. I know they will work to help accomplish these goals and diligently serve Oklahomans and guarantee their district’s best interests. I’m looking forward to standing alongside these two powerful women to serve all Oklahomans.” Rep. Amanda Clinton, D-Tulsa, HD 71: "I grew up on a farm at the end of a dirt road in the Cherokee Nation, just about as far from the state legislature as you can get. My three sisters and I were raised by my dad, a general contractor, and my mom, a public school teacher of 53 years. Hard work is all I know, so earning this seat with 85 percent of the vote has been incredible. I'm deeply grateful to the voters, my family, friends, and the communities who helped me get here," Clinton said. "I'm also honored to be the fourth consecutive woman and the third Native woman to serve this district. For more than 20 years, I've worked in Tribal governments that are committed to providing health care, education, housing and pathways to a career. I know what's possible when governments invest in people because I've helped build those governments. Voters in HD 71 sent a clear message that it's time for Oklahoma to do the same, and I promise to be a strong, outspoken voice in that effort." Rep. Aletia Timmons, D-Oklahoma City, HD 97: “I am humbled and honored to be elected by the people of House District 97 to serve as their State Representative,” Timmons said. “Fired up, ready to go!” During the 2024 election cycle, Oklahoma House Democrats retained all of their seats, and with these two members filling vacancies, now have 20 members in the caucus. They will be up for re-election in November 2026. -END-