Representative Ellen Pogemiller

D

District 88

Hi, I’m Ellen Pogemiller and I represent the people of Oklahoma’s 88th District.

representative

News & Announcements

Aug 5, 2025
Recent Posts

Three Oklahoma Legislators Chosen for 2025 Toll Fellowship

OKLAHOMA CITY — Three members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives have been selected to join the 2025 class of the Henry Toll Fellowship, one of the nation’s premier leadership development programs for state government officials. Rep. Dick Lowe, R-Amber; Rep. Tammy West, R-Oklahoma City; and Rep. Ellen Pogemiller, D-Oklahoma City, are among 48 public servants from 34 states and U.S. territories named to this year’s fellowship class by The Council of State Governments (CSG). Participants in the program are selected through a competitive, peer-nominated process. The class includes a wide range of public officials, from legislative leaders and executive branch administrators to judges and agency directors, all recognized for their integrity, impact and potential to shape the future of state government. “I’m honored to represent Oklahoma and to learn alongside leaders from across the country,” Lowe said. “As a legislator, I’m always looking for ways to better understand the challenges other states are facing and the solutions they’re trying. I believe this kind of collaboration helps us all grow. This is a chance to bring back new tools to help us keep improving how we serve the great people of Oklahoma.” West said she looks forward to the experience and the perspective it will provide. “This is more than just a recognition, it’s an opportunity to step outside our day-to-day work and think long-term about leadership, service and good governance,” West said. “I’m grateful for the chance to represent Oklahoma and to learn from colleagues across the country who are also working hard to make government more responsive and effective." Pogemiller said she is grateful for the opportunity to grow as a leader and to connect with fellow public servants from across the country. “I am honored to be one of 48 members selected for the national CSG Henry Toll Fellowship. I look forward to strengthening my leadership skills to foster collaboration and build policies that support working Oklahomans.” The program will be held Aug. 8-12 in Lexington, Kentucky, and brings together elected and appointed leaders from all three branches of state government. Fellows take part in intensive sessions designed to strengthen leadership, communication and collaboration skills. Since its inception in 1986, the fellowship has helped more than 1,400 state leaders refine their ability to govern effectively.

Jul 7, 2025

Menz, Pogemiller, Waldron comment on new OSDE mandate for schools to fully fund student meals

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Annie Menz, D-Norman, Rep. Ellen Pogemiller, D-Oklahoma City, and Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, released the following statements regarding a new mandate from the Oklahoma State Department of Education that requires schools to fully fund student meals. Menz invited the State Superintendent to collaborate with her on her longstanding effort to get free lunches for all public school students. “I was stunned and thrilled when I read about Superintendent Walters' most recent mandate regarding free school lunches,” Menz said. “I have filed and cosponsored legislation, cohosted bipartisan interim studies, published op-eds and held countless meetings all toward the goal of expanding the free lunch program in our schools, and I am glad someone in statewide leadership is finally listening to me. Hungry kids can't learn, and every child deserves access to healthy nutritious meals. I hope that going forward, Mr. Walters will be more collaborative with the legislature, to determine lasting budget solutions to make this program work for our kids.”  Pogemiller said this new mandate is unfunded and comes a week after the deadline for schools to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision.  “The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) allows schools to use federal funds to offer no-cost meals to students,” said Pogemiller. “Schools qualify if just 25% of students meet the threshold, making it an efficient way to increase access and improve nutrition for all students. As of the end of 2024, 267 districts and 849 schools in Oklahoma were participating in CEP. Yet the deadline to apply for CEP was June 30—meaning this new potential mandate arrived too late for districts to adjust their plans, and our state won’t have the chance to prioritize this in the budget until next year. Happy to work towards this goal, but the reality is that Walters' approach is an unfunded mandate.” Waldron supports free lunches in schools so long as they don’t negatively impact local districts. “School lunch programs are proven to boost learning, improve test scores and promote healthy bodies,” said Waldron. “House Democrats have worked on this issue for a long time, and we're glad to see OSDE taking this stand. In my district, Tulsa Public Schools already provides free lunches to all. We hope there will be an opportunity to work on this collaboratively, without disruption to local school finances so that every child has a chance to succeed.” -END-

May 20, 2025

House Democratic members oppose state budget, tax cut for leaving thousands of Oklahomans behind

OKLAHOMA CITY – Several Oklahoma House Democratic Members rose to debate against HB 2766, the general appropriations bill for FY-2026, and HB 2764, which provides a quarter-percent cut to the personal income tax rate. Arguments against both bills pointed to a lack of prioritizing everyday Oklahomans, setting the state up for potential financial challenges with the income tax cut, and lack of preparations for looming cuts to funding by the federal government. "This budget does not reflect the true needs of everyday Oklahomans," said House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City. "We had an opportunity to provide targeted tax relief to those who need it most while protecting our revenue base. Instead, Republican legislative leaders put the Governor's priority of decimating our revenue base and putting core functions of government at risk before meeting those needs. We continue to be last on the list for education and healthcare—two of the most important components of building a strong economy—and this budget does nothing to address either in a real way. By prioritizing flat agency budgets and an income tax cut that helps the wealthiest Oklahomans, we continue to kick the can down the road to truly move our state forward. We can do better, and we should." Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater, said this budget could do more to help Oklahomans. “Tying the budget to an income tax cut is a hard ‘no’ for me,” Ranson said. “I believe we could do so much more for Oklahomans. Restricting our revenue when we are already a poor revenue state, is not planning for the future–it’s not even planning for today. Agency budgets were held flat, which means this budget was built for the past.” Rep. Michelle McCane, D-Tulsa, said an income tax cut disproportionately benefits the wealthiest Oklahomans. “On paper, an income tax cut might sound good—but in reality, it overwhelmingly benefits those making over $100,000 a year,” McCane said. “The median household income in our state is under $65,000. Most families won’t see meaningful relief, but they will feel the consequences—a decrease in essential state services, crumbling infrastructure, and overburdened healthcare systems. And let’s be honest: we’re staring down unknown federal budget cuts and navigating a virtual fun house of shifting tariff policies that could hit our farmers and small businesses hard. This is not the time for reckless revenue cuts. We need tax policy that’s smart, stable, and centered on everyday Oklahomans—not giveaways for the wealthiest few.” Rep. Ellen Pogemiller, D-Oklahoma City, said the budget chooses tax cuts over Oklahoma communities. “Let’s be clear: companies and families won’t choose to move to Oklahoma because it’s the cheapest option—they will move here because of our infrastructure, our educated workforce and the resources which are at risk due to a trigger tax cut,” Pogemiller said. “This month alone, two child care centers in my district shut their doors. Instead of raising subsidies to reflect the actual cost of care, we handed out tax cuts worth just $11.91 a month for the median income earner in our state. Meanwhile, critical federal funding for programs like SNAP and Medicaid are under threat. Rather than planning for the long-term sustainability of these lifelines, we chose tax cuts over our communities.” -END-