Sen. Garvin speaks at Rotary

State Senator Jessica Garvin told Purcell Rotarians last week that there are 82,000 residents in her Senate District 43, which includes McClain, Garvin, Grady and Stephens Counties.

But come November when the legislature in Special Session redistricts both the House and Senate Districts that and others are subject to change.

In her remarks to the Rotarians, Garvin noted several accomplishments of this session including increasing the funding for public education by the largest margin in state history.

Also passed into law this year is medical parole.

When an inmate is near death they can be released to their home but not out in the general population.

“Keeping them in prison is expensive and prisons are not equipped to provide the necessary care,” she said.

Prior to this legislative session, the Senator said, Oklahoma was one of just three states where it was not against the law for a spouse to rape their spouse.

Thanks to legislation in this session, now it is illegal in Oklahoma to commit that act.

Garvin asked for a show of hands who have heard of the McGirt case.

When all the hands in the room went up she said that’s what she figured.

The fortunes in the aftermath of that Supreme Court ruling changed when an Oklahoma attorney sniffed out that there were 2,800 tribal children that had been adopted or were in foster care.

“Many of them were adopted at birth and didn’t even know they were adopted,” Garvin said.

When the word came down that all those children would have to go back to where they came from it turned the tide on the ruling and legislation was passed in record speed to keep families together.

Of the top four measures they are dealing with this session, marijuana is number one.

Surprise, surprise.

Coming in at number two at 2300 North Lincoln Blvd. is economic development followed by the medical community and managed care and then the fostering system.

“I get a lot of calls about foster care,” she said.