By Senator Jay Paul Gumm of Durant

Hello again, everybody! Over the next several weeks, the celebration of Oklahoma’s Centennial will be in full swing.

Compared to most of our neighboring states, Oklahoma is young. In fact, most communities in my Senate district are older than Oklahoma. As young as Oklahoma is, it is remarkable what we have achieved.

During my recent tour of area schools, one question almost always came up. “What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Oklahoma?”

For me, the answer is simple. Our biggest challenge is simply believing in ourselves and our state. For much of our short history, Oklahomans have been convinced that our state cannot compete and win – except on the football field. Read more…