The Republican caucus’ original choice for Senate Pro Tem lost his primary election in June, so the party turned to Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle), an experienced eight-year senatorial veteran, to take on the role. Paxton spoke with KRMG on Tuesday, sharing his thoughts on the unexpected position and his plans for the upcoming legislative session starting in February.
Paxton, who has lived in Tuttle his entire life except for his four years at the University of Oklahoma, is ready to embrace his new role. He visited the KRMG studios to introduce himself and discuss his expectations. He mentioned that although he did not anticipate this position, he is eager to learn and work hard to keep the state progressing.
“This is not a role I was expecting to have,” Paxton told KRMG. “I’m really kind of trying to learn a lot right now, working extremely hard. We have a lot of new senators coming in, and I think almost a third of the Senate body might be new next year when you count the Democrats and Republicans combined. And so, all those, whether they’re Republicans or Democrats, I want to meet them all, get to know them, and see who’s coming in – and also start kind of start giving them some heads up on what to expect.”
Paxton recalled his own experience as a new senator eight years ago, emphasizing the steep learning curve he faced. Now, as he steps into a significantly larger role, he acknowledges that there is still much to learn.
In addition to his work in the Senate, Paxton continues to be actively involved in his community. He runs an insurance business, serves as a volunteer firefighter, and helps manage his family farm. Paxton and his wife of 33 years have put four children through college, with three having graduated so far.
Looking ahead to the next session, Paxton expects the governor’s proposed cut to the state income tax to be a major topic of discussion. “You visit with Governor Stitt; he’s still going to be pushing for that income tax cut,” Paxton said. “And so I’m sure that we will have a discussion, and we will absolutely engage him and see if that’s what we need to be doing. So that will definitely – I do not doubt that we will be talking about that again.”
Despite the tensions of the last legislative session, where House Speaker Charles McCall and Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat clashed over the tax cut and other issues, Paxton remains optimistic. He has a good relationship with the new Speaker and believes they can work together effectively, even if they disagree at times.
Paxton also noted that unforeseen challenges are inevitable. “One thing you can count on is the unexpected,” he told KRMG. “There’s always something that we don’t know that is out there that will pop up.”
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In conclusion, Paxton emphasized his long-term goal for Oklahoma. “If our kids and grandkids want to live in Oklahoma and raise their families in Oklahoma, we need to make sure there’s plenty of opportunity here for them to do that, that they don’t leave Oklahoma because there’s a better job somewhere else.”
