Representative Mike Dobrinski

R

District 59

Hi, I'm Mike Dobrinski and I represent the people of Oklahoma's 59th District.


representative

Leadership

Assistant Majority Whip

59th Legislature

News & Announcements

Sep 18, 2026
Recent Posts

Dobrinski Studies 522 EMS Funding and School Fund Balances

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene, on Thursday, led an interim study examining Oklahoma’s 522 Emergency Medical Services' districts, including funding structures and service sustainability in rural communities. He also participated in a study analyzing public school districts' General Fund balance penalties and funding structures for schools that do not receive funding through the traditional School Funding Formula, known as off-formula schools. The latter study was hosted with Rep. Dick Lowe, R-Amber, who serves as the chair of the House Common Education Committee. "Both emergency ambulance services and public school funding are incredibly important issues to constituents both in my House district in northwest Oklahoma and in multiple communities throughout the state," Dobrinski said. "In both cases, we must make sure we have the right laws in place to ensure fairness when appropriating taxpayer dollars and to allow local officials the latitude to best meet the needs of those they serve." A 522 EMS District (named after State Question 522, approved by Oklahoma voters in 1976) is a locally organized, voter-approved special district that provides dedicated public funding and local board governance for emergency medical and ambulance services. Interim Study IS26-056 reviewed how EMS district funding in Oklahoma is administered, including the role of county governments and the Oklahoma Tax Commission. The goal was to identify funding disparities; assess challenges facing rural ambulance providers, including rising costs; review how various counties manage EMS funding; and evaluate potential strategies to improve long-term reliability and emergency response times. Study presenters included Bobby Stem, with the Oklahoma nonprofit EMS System, Brandi Pond, executive director of Oologah-Talala EMS, and Brian Norton, executive director of Bryan County EMS. Each discussed EMS funding, service costs and emergency response times and procedures. Marie Schuvel, director of Tax Policy Research with the Oklahoma Tax Commission detailed how EMS and ambulance districts are funded and how things have worked historically in the state. Presenters in Interim Study IS26-021 gave a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative review of General Fund balance penalties for Oklahoma public school districts. The study relied largely on data requested from the Oklahoma State Department of Education that was organized in a digestible format by study authors and House staff. Similarly, a review was conducted on the number of school districts off-formula currently, in recent years, or that are within a defined margin of changing between off- and on-formula. An examination of the effects of recent legislative actions on funding for off-formula school districts and financial stability also were part of the study. Presenters in the study included BJ Ryan, chief financial officer and executive director of finance for Moore Public Schools, who gave an overview of the state School Funding Formula. Ethan Worley, government relations associate with the State Department of Education, answered funding and carryover questions. Rob Friesen, superintendent of the Thomas-Fay-Custer Unified School District spoke on what change is needed regarding carryover funds. Kevin Sims, superintendent of Minco Public Schools, detailed implications for off-formula schools. Kyle Hilterbran, superintendent of Watonga Public Schools, spoke of legislative changes that would help to avoid penalties for off-formula schools. Presenters commented on how best to treat the data to support schools equitably through funding and legislative changes. The underlying goal is supporting predictable financial health in school districts to produce quality student learning outcomes. One goal of the study was to determine if current policies regarding General Fund balance penalties have a notable benefit or harm to students and districts. Outlining potential legislative changes will be the next action item, the lawmakers said. Both studies can be viewed on the House website, okhouse.gov , under News & Media, Live Proceedings. Search the calendar for Sept. 17 then for individual studies.

Jul 17, 2026
Recent Posts

Dobrinski Responds to USG's Announced Closure

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene, today commented on the announcement that U.S. Gypsum (USG) plans to close its Southard plant in northern Blaine County in November, affecting over 250 employees. "USG has been one of the largest employers in this area for over a century," Dobrinski said. "This is devastating news for these employees, their families and our area as a whole."  Dobrinski said he is working alongside Rep. Carl Newton, R-Cherokee, and Sen. Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher, both of whom have affected constituents. "We are working to ensure these employees will have much needed resources such as state unemployment benefits, along with additional workforce training and education to help meet their needs. We are engaging our area CareerTech centers of Chisholm Trail, Northwest, Autry and High Plains to begin coordination and communicating opportunities that can provide new careers right here at home. We are fortunate to have many businesses in diverse industries here in Northwest Oklahoma that are actively expanding their workforce every week. While this news was not expected and certainly disappointing, we will continue doing all we can to ensure other businesses see our area as a valuable place to locate their operations." Dobrinski said the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission offers the Oklahoma Works Rapid Response program, which provides on-site employee workshops, job search assistance, career counseling, training opportunities, food assistance resources and more. The commission also can assist with filing for unemployment benefits, including for large groups facing mass layoffs. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce and area chambers of commerce also are being tapped for assistance.  USG, purchased by German-based Knauf Group in 2019, operates a major gypsum mine and processing plant in Southard. The company announced July 16 that it will begin to idle its manufacturing facility and phase out a majority of the industrial products portfolio manufactured at this plant, with plans to close the plant in November. In a statement, USG said its decision was based in part on the escalating complexity and cost to mine and manufacture the specialized products in the company's portfolio. The company said it would support impacted employees by offering career transition resources, relocation opportunities for those interested in transferring to another USG facility and severance packages. Dobrinski said while he appreciates these resources being offered, he hopes those affected will be able to remain in the communities where they now live. "We don't want to lose any families to other areas of Oklahoma or other states," Dobrinski said. "We want them to stay right here and thrive in a place that has strong and safe local schools, rural healthcare, friendly neighbors and an excellent way of life."

Jun 1, 2026
Recent Posts

Dobrinski Comments on Pocket Veto of Bill Prohibiting Solar, Battery Tax Exemptions

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene, commented today on the governor's pocket veto of legislation that would have prohibited solar generation facilities and battery energy storage systems (BESS) from qualifying for the Five-Year Ad Valorem Exemption for Manufacturers, beginning in January 2028. Dobrinski is chairman of the House Utilities Committee and House author of Senate Bill 237 . The governor had until midnight May 29 to take action on the bill. Because he did not sign it into law, and because the 2026 legislative session is adjourned sine die, the bill became pocket vetoed.  "I'm extremely disappointed the governor chose not to enact this legislation that had widespread support from constituents and legislators alike," Dobrinski said. "He overruled the decision of more than 100 representatives and senators to protect taxpayer money from going to out-of-state developers taking advantage of a forty-year-old tax incentive originally designed to add quality jobs investment to our state. I represent thousands of constituents involved with the energy industry, both petroleum and renewables. Landowners choose whether they participate in various energy projects based on their own operations and unique family situation. What most agree on, however, is they support President Trump's decision to put an end to federal subsidization of the renewable industry, and Oklahoma should do the same!"   Dobrinski explained the five-year exemption was eliminated for wind in 2015 with Senate Bill 498 . In 2021, the Legislature recognized data centers were costing the state $46 million annually through the exemption, so that eligibility was removed with Senate Bill 609 .  "Eliminating this tax exemption for wind and data centers has obviously not deterred those types of new development projects in Oklahoma," Dobrinski emphasized. "We are talking about hundreds of millions of dollars over the next several years that could go toward much-needed projects and services for hard-working Oklahomans. I look forward to working soon with our next governor to end this corporate welfare as quickly as possible."