Melissa Elder

While this is primarily a federal fight, I believe Oklahoma’s state legislature has a role to play. Oklahoma’s public universities are engines of economic growth, workforce development, and health innovation for our state. I would support state-level bridge funding mechanisms to help our public universities absorb federal funding disruptions, advocate for our congressional delegation to oppose any permanent cap, and push for transparency from our university systems about how cuts are affecting research capacity and jobs in our state. Oklahoma can not afford to let federal policy decisions hollow out the research investments we have spent decades building.

Keywords: Oklahoma can not afford to let federal policy decisions hollow out the research investments we have spent decades building.

Oklahoma’s tribal nations are among our most experienced stewards of land and water, and the state has an interest in seeing that expertise supported, not undermined. I would support dedicated state funding for tribal environmental monitoring programs, particularly for water quality, and advocate for meaningful government to government consultation between the state and tribal nations before decisions affecting tribal lands are made. I believe the state should be a partner, not an obstacle, in tribal environmental capacity. I will work to learn more about the specific legislative tools available at the state level and commit to consulting directly with tribal nations before taking positions on bills that affect them.

Keywords: Oklahoma’s tribal nations are among our most experienced stewards of land and water, and the state has an interest in seeing that expertise supported, not undermined.

Oklahoma has made real progress this session with the passage of landmark water legislation and nearly $73 million in infrastructure investment. I applaud those steps. But progress on paper is not the same as water in the ground, and I believe we still have work to do. I would support continued full funding of the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan recommendations, particularly the voluntary agricultural water conservation programs that help farmers reduce usage without punishing them for it. I would also push for expanded investment in water monitoring and data infrastructure, because we cannot manage what we cannot measure, and the state’s own plan acknowledges major data gaps that leave decision makers flying blind. For rural communities, I believe the new Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Investment Program is a good start, but smaller and underserved communities need guaranteed access to low-interest capital, not just competitive grants they may not have the staff capacity to apply for. Balancing agricultural, rural, and economic development needs means bringing all stake holders to the table BEFORE decisions are made, not after. I commit to doing that.

Keywords: Balancing agricultural, rural, and economic development needs means bringing all stake holders to the table BEFORE decisions are made, not after.

Oklahoma’s orphaned well problem is one of the most significant long-term environmental liabilities our state faces. With an estimated 20,000 or more documented abandoned wells and a plugging timeline that could stretch over 200 years at current rates, we cannot afford to treat this like a background issue. I support the Well Repurposing Act and the bipartisan instinct behind it: turning a liability into an opportunity where the geology allows it. Converting suitable wells for geothermal energy or energy storage is a practical, market-friendly approach that can take pressure off the plugging backlog while creating new economic activity. I would support strengthening that framework as a state senator. That said, repurposing will not reach every well, and we cannot let it become a reason to slow down plugging the ones that cannot be converted. I would also support requiring stronger financial bonding from operators before they drill new wells so that future generations are not left holding the cleanup bill, and I would advocate for continued state and federal investment in accelerating the plugging of the highest-risk wells first, prioritizing those near drinking water resources and overburdened communities like those in Arcadia, Fort Gibson and Kingfisher. Oklahoma’s energy heritage built this state. Cleaning it up responsibly is part of honoring that heritage.

Keywords: Oklahoma’s energy heritage built this state. Cleaning it up responsibly is part of honoring that heritage.

For Oklahomans, severe weather is not an abstract policy issue. It is a matter of life and death. I know this personally. I lived through the 2013 EF5 tornado in Moore. The warning I received through the National Alert System gave me and my family the chance to take cover. That warning existed because of the research and forecasting work done right here in Norman. I do not take that for granted, and I will not stand by while the infrastructure that made it possible is dismantled. The National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman has been protecting lives, like mine and my 2 kids, since 1964. The research programs housed there, including systems that gave Elk City residents a 30 minute tornado warning in 2017, are exactly the kind of investment that saves lives and money. I strongly oppose any federal budget action that would close the NSSL or eliminate the University of Oklahoma’s Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research. As a state senator, I would advocate loudly and publicly for our congressional delegation to protect these facilities, and I would support state level efforts to bridge any funding gaps if federal cuts move forward. At the state level, I would also support dedicated appropriations to maintain Oklahoma’s own severe weather monitoring infrastructure, including the Oklahoma Mesonet, so that our forecasting capacity does not become entirely dependent on the strength of federal commitment in any given administration. Oklahoma has experienced $115 billion weather disasters since 1980. We cannot afford to defund the science that keeps Oklahomans alive.

Keywords: We cannot afford to defund the science that keeps Oklahomans alive.

I have serious concerns about the pace and scale of data center development and the risks they bring to Oklahoma. These facilities consume enormous amounts of energy and water, place real strain on local infrastructure, have the potential to harm livestock and upset ecological balance, and the jobs they create are often fewer and less accessible to local workers than the economic development promises suggest. I do not believe Oklahoma families should subsidize that tradeoff. I would support strict ratepayer protections, mandatory environmental impact assessments before any large scale data center is approved, enforceable water use limits and genuine community input with real veto power, not just a seat at the table. I would oppose any tax incentives or subsidies for data center development. Until we have a clear and honest accounting of the full costs to Oklahoma communities and the risks to natural resources, I can not support the construction or development of data centers on Oklahoma land.

Keywords: I can not support the construction or development of data centers on Oklahoma land, period.

This issue is personal to me. I grew up in a working poor family that depended on programs like WIC and food assistance to get by. My parents struggled to provide healthcare coverage for my siblings and I. I know what it means when a family cannot get the care they need, and I know what it costs them when the system fails. The Medicaid cuts in the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill” are not abstract policy. Oklahoma health care leaders estimate they will cost our state’s hospitals nearly $6.3 billion over the next decade. Two rural Oklahoma hospitals have already closed this year. Twenty-two more are at immediate risk. When a rural hospital closes, everyone in that community loses access to emergency care, not just Medicaid patients. As a state senator, I would support the following policies to protect rural healthcare access in Oklahoma: first, I would advocate forcefully to our congressional delegation to reverse the most damaging Medicaid cuts and protect the Rural Health Transformation Fund dollars Oklahoma is entitled to receive. Second, I would support expanding the state’s rate floor protections beyond 2028, so that providers in rural communities are not driven out by inadequate reimbursement. Third, I would push for expanded investment in telehealth infrastructure for rural communities, so that distance is not a barrier to basic care. Fourth, I would support workforce pipeline programs that incentivize doctors, nurses, and mental health providers to practice in rural and underserved Oklahoma communities. Healthare is not a partisan issue. It is a survival issue for rural Oklahomans and I will treat it that way.

Keywords: Healthcare is not a partisan issue. It is a survival issue for rural Oklahomans and I will treat it that way.