Carson Veenstra returned to page in my Capitol office this past week for his second year in a row.
Carson has shown himself to be a highly motivated and capable young man. He has taken full advantage of our concurrent enrollment options, taking college courses at Southeastern Oklahoma State University while also attending Durant High School. He’ll graduate high school this year and enter college as a sophomore. Pretty incredible.
He’s already been accepted into the University of Oklahoma where he’ll study political science and pre-law. In high school, he’s achieved a 4.25 grade point average and is on the Honor Roll. He’s a member of the National Honor Society and the Oklahoma Honor Society. He’s also on the Vice President’s Honor Roll at Southeastern, where he serves in student government and has won an award in that role. He’s a member of the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature as well.
While at the Capitol, Carson was elected speaker for Pageville, a mock legislative session run by pages from across the state. Pages write, present and debate their own legislation, and they elect their own leader. It’s quite an honor to be chosen from among this talented group of young people. Carson has a very bright future ahead, and I’m excited to see what he accomplishes next.
In legislative matters, House Bill 4319, of which I am a House author, has been signed into law. The bill’s principal author, Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus, has done a great job at improving the administrative rules process these past several years. This bill is another step at ensuring our state agencies do not exceed the authority granted to them by the Legislature. Too often we find agencies expanding their authority through the rule-making process, and this law will help make sure this no longer happens.
Also signed into law was Senate Bill 1778 that will strengthen Oklahoma’s Strong Readers Act. This makes historic investments to ensure each Oklahoma public school student is reading on grade level by the end of third grade.
The legislation demands statewide early reading screenings, targeted interventions grounded in the science of reading, additional support and training for teachers, stronger accountability measures and improved communication with parents about their child’s reading progress.
Under the new law, schools will identify reading deficiencies earlier and provide evidence- based interventions to help students improve before they fall behind. The legislation also expands teacher training opportunities, increases classroom support for educators and establishes new expectations for colleges of education preparing Oklahoma’s future teachers. Data proves these programs get results.
Reading is not just another subject. It’s a survival skill, the building block for all other learning. If we want kids who are ready for the challenges of higher learning, desirable careers and a better overall life, it starts with giving them the education they deserve, and early literacy is a cornerstone.
Cody Maynard serves District 21 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes parts of Bryan and Marshall counties.
