Representative Jim Grego

R

District 17

Hi, I'm Jim Grego and I represent the people of Oklahoma's 17th District.


representative

Leadership

Assistant Majority Whip

59th Legislature

News & Announcements

Apr 21, 2026
Recent Posts

True Grit Trail Signed into Law by Governor

OKLAHOMA CITY – The True Grit Trail in eastern Oklahoma will become a reality now that House Bill 1411 has been signed into law by the governor. Rep. Jim Grego, R-Wilburton is the author of the legislation. "I think everyone in Oklahoma and probably in the nation is familiar with the story of 'True Grit,' either from the novel written by Charles Portis or through the movie adaptations," Grego said. "Because the story takes place partly in Oklahoma, we thought it would be great to memorialize this trail and perhaps attract some additional tourism to this area. Oklahoma already has popular golf and fishing trails as well as a new Civil Rights Trail. This will add to the reasons for people to come and visit our great state." HB 1411 creates the True Grit Trail in eastern Oklahoma. The measure requires the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) to post signs along Oklahoma state highways directing visitors to sites along the trail. Towns and places of interest along the trail include: Sallisaw, Spiro, Bokoshe, McCurtain, Kinta, Quinton, Krebs, McAlester, Hartshorne, Wilburton, Red Oak, Bengal, Talihina, Robbers Cave State Park, and the Talimena National Scenic Byway. ODOT and the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department will be required to collaborate to maintain information regarding the True Grit Trail on an online platform. "True Grit" follows the story of 14-year-old Mattie Ross who hires U.S. Marshall Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn and a Texas Ranger to avenge the murder of her father. The trio trace the murderous gang into what was known as "Indian Territory" in 1878. The movie role of Rooster Cogburn was first played by John Wayne in 1969 and in a 2010 remake by Jeff Bridges. Kim Darby played the original Mattie Ross. Hailee Steinfeld played the character in the 2010 film. Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, is the Senate author of the bill.

Mar 5, 2026
Recent Posts

Effort to Improve Mental Health Care in Rural Areas Passes House

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Jim Grego, R-Wilburton, on Wednesday passed a bill in the Oklahoma House of Representatives that is hoped to recruit more mental health professionals to serve rural residents. House Bill 2947 would credential behavioral health clinical interns to provide services that are eligible for Medicaid reimbursement under the state's Medicaid plan, provided they operate within their clinical scope of practice under the supervision of a licensed behavioral health provider. The bill also would create a small income stream for clinics to be able to attract interns through financial incentives such as mileage reimbursement, small stipends or hourly wages.  "Our rural areas are struggling for licensed mental health care providers," Grego said. "This legislation would provide some relief for clinics trying to attract graduate students and new professionals. With so many of our behavioral health workforce retiring, this kind of measure is essential to strengthen our capacity to serve Oklahomans who live in our rural areas." Grego reported that 37% of Oklahoma's population lives in rural areas, and almost 90% of the state's landmass is considered rural. "Recruiting behavioral health professionals to these areas is a high priority for our state," he said. Research shows the return on the state's small investment should be strong, Grego said. The hope is that between 30% and 60% of graduate students serving in rural areas will stay to begin their first post-graduate jobs within 100 miles of those locations. He said he examined new data showing that at least four Oklahoma counties currently have no licensed providers, and 10 counties have five or less. Grego said providing services as a clinical intern is a common part of their graduate level training. To ensure the highest level of oversight, these interns would only serve in clinical sites that are also national accredited or certified through the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health. Under the bill, behavioral health clinical intern providers must only provide services that are billable through accredited clinical sites in good standing. On-site supervisors may only supervise up to six behavioral health clinical interns at any time. The bill passed the House on a vote of 81-8. It now moves to the Senate where it is authored by Sen. Tom Woods, R-Westville. 

Oct 27, 2025
Recent Posts

Truth in Food Labeling Law to Take Effect

OKLAHOMA CITY – A new law requiring cultivated- or manufactured-protein food products – including those derived from plant or insect proteins – to be clearly labeled as distinct from meat takes effect Nov. 1. Rep. Jim Grego, R-Wilburton, authored House Bill 1126 . The measure requires food manufacturers to clearly disclose that cell-cultivated or cultured products or those that come from a lab, plants or insect proteins are not meat. Those convicted of false advertising could face a misdemeanor.  "This law is an effort to help the buying public distinguish between what is real meat from an animal and what has been grown or manufactured in a lab or from a nonanimal source," Grego said. "This also will protect our state farmers and ranchers against the flood of products claiming to be meat." Grego said consumers will still have the freedom to purchase lab-grown or nonanimal products if they wish, but this new law adds clarity for how they were produced to be clearly stated on the product's label. "This is truth in labeling," Grego said. Under the provisions of the act, "Agricultural food animal" means any domesticated animal belonging to the bovine, caprine, ovine or porcine species, or any domesticated chicken or turkey. "Cultivated-protein food product" means a food product having one or more sensory attributes that resemble a type of tissue originating from an agricultural food animal but that, in lieu of being derived from meat processing, is derived from manufacturing cells or nonanimal sources, including processes in which one or more stem cells are initially isolated from an agricultural food animal, are grown in vitro, and may be manipulated, as part of a manufacturing operation. "Manufactured-protein food product" means a cultivated protein food product, insect-protein food product or plant-protein food product containing more than a trace amount of plant-protein food products. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry will be responsible for investigating all credible complaints that food products are falsely advertised or misbranded as meat products. Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington, is the Senate author of the bill. -END-   Jim Grego serves District 17 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes Latimer County and part and Pittsburg County.