Today marks the beginning of National Police Week – a week that occurs every year to appreciate and thank our law enforcement officers, as well as remember and respect those officers whose lives were taken in the line of duty.

My thoughts and prayers remain with our neighbors as clean-up efforts continue in our area following the devastating tornadoes that occurred nearly three weeks ago. The resilience and unity shown by our community in the face of adversity is truly inspiring. While there’s still a long road ahead, I firmly believe that our communities will come back stronger. I’d like to again share appreciation for those who have assisted with the response, from emergency management and law enforcement to the news outlets who’ve kept us informed, to the non-profits and individuals who’ve brought supplies and set up temporary shelters, and so many more people in between.

Let’s face it, if you know what touch typing is and you can use it, you may not be a spring chicken. It’s that simple.

The end of our legislative session is approaching, and we have a few remaining bills left to address. We're hearing many of them on the House floor, but two of my bills have to go through the conference committee process.

This week, the Senate is putting a priority on appropriating millions of dollars to help Oklahoma communities recovering from the recent severe storms. The Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget met Monday to set aside $45 million to help tornado-impacted localities like Sulphur, Holdenville and Barnsdall. Although this funding will only help the seven counties that have been approved for FEMA disaster assistance so far, state and local resources remain available for other counties recovering from the severe weather. The governor has declared a state of emergency in more than 25 counties, including McClain and Cleveland counties. The Senate and House plan to fast-track this $45 million for FEMA matching funds through both chambers this week so the Department of Emergency Management can use it to help communities in need as soon as possible.

Over the past few months, we have watched violent, antisemitic, un-American, and pro-terrorist mobs take over college campuses across the country, endangering Jewish students and other innocent bystanders. Yet, for months, many Democrats have refused to speak out against the protests.

The governor signed two more of my bills last week. The first, House Bill 3327, would protect school nurses from liability in the event a student with diabetes experiences a health crisis outside of school hours.

For my constituents in Senate District 43 who were affected by the recent severe weather, one of the most important things you can do is to report your damage online at damage. ok.gov. Many local officials have already assessed storm damage in the district. But reporting the damage to your home, business or farm will help state authorities understand the areas of greatest need across Oklahoma. Having a better idea of the scope of the damage can also help state officials seek federal aid, such as FEMA assistance, for hard-hit counties and storm victims.

Last weekend marked the annual Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, serving as yet another reminder of the tragedy that ensued on April 19, 1995, but more importantly, the response that occurred in the days following. The presence of the Oklahoma Standard is as apparent today as it was 29 years ago.

I brainstormed frequently this week trying to decide upon a suitable subject for this column, and I came up with absolutely nothing. So, I decided, “When in doubt, ask Siri.” Now, I’m pretty sure Siri is feeling neglected these days, because most of the time I forget that she’s even there, but this week I did consult her for a writing topic, and these are some of the ideas from Siri’s selected websites: “Give advice on turning 30.” Well, that ship has certainly sailed.