Rep. Gann applauds Inola trustees’ unanimous vote to extend smelter moratorium

Gann Applauds Inola Trustees’ Unanimous Vote to Extend Smelter Moratorium

INOLA, OKLAHOMA (Sept. 15th) — State Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, today praised the Inola Board of Trustees for unanimously extending the town’s moratorium concerning the proposed $4 billion aluminum smelter through April 7, 2027.

Gann said the vote represents an important exercise of local self-government and protects the right of Inola citizens to help determine the future of their own community.

Gann criticizes House leaders for censoring and denying study requests on Inola smelter, AI surveillance, and House rules

I have noticed a recurring pattern when it comes to the Oklahoma State House leadership under Speaker Kyle Hilbert: they do not like conservative State Rep. Tom Gann and his reform-minded watchdog bent.

Gann Raises Concerns After House Leadership Blocks Hearing on  Controversial Proposed Oklahoma Smelter Project 

OKLAHOMA CITY (July 27th) — State Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, condemned Oklahoma State House  leadership Tuesday for rejecting three key interim-study requests, including a proposed hearing on the controversial Inola aluminum smelter, the ongoing rollout of automated AI surveillance technology, and a study on reforming the rules governing House activity and conduct. 

Gann also said House officials prevented the House press office from distributing his public statement criticizing the denials. Members ordinarily submit news releases through the taxpayer funded office for distribution to news organizations and publication on the House website. 

“This is censorship, plain and simple,” Gann said. “House leadership first used its power to  prevent an elected representative from studying matters of enormous public importance. It then used its control of a taxpayer-funded press office to suppress criticism of that decision. That is an abuse of institutional power, and it shows a disregard for the people, the free press, and the principles of open and free discussion of policy.” 

Rep. Gann wants to repeal bill that failed to land Panasonic plant, calls it 'largest corporate welfare in state history'

Gann Files Bill to Repeal LEAD Act

OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 6th) – Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, has filed House Bill 1381 to Repeal the Large-Scale Economic Activity and Development (LEAD) Act of 2022.

Last year, the Legislature passed House Bill 4455, the LEAD Act, which promised investment rebates for the cost of qualified capital expenditures for certain establishments based on creation of new direct jobs. HB 1381 will repeal the law to keep it from activating in the future.

Gann called this "a failed attempt to entice business to Oklahoma using corporate welfare."

State Rep. Tom Gann announces bid for third term

Oklahoma State Representative Tom Gann Announces His Run for a Third Term

Oklahoma State Representative Tom Gann, House District 8, announces his run for a third term with the Oklahoma House of Representatives.  First elected in 2016, Gann became one of only two elected state representatives that do not take lobbyist or PAC money.  Gann has remained true to that pledge and will continue to represent the 8th House District by principled voting.

In 2018, Gann served on the House Special Investigative Committee where waste and mismanagement by the Oklahoma Department of Health was exposed.  In 2019, Gann followed up on the audit findings of that committee by co-authoring Senate Bill 316 with Senator Nathan Dahm. Senate Bill 316 requires greater transparency of agencies with regards to state funds and the relationships agencies form with each other.  The bill was signed by Governor Stitt and became law November 1st, 2019.

With the election of Governor Stitt, stronger oversight and accountability was established by the legislature by giving the executive branch authority over key agencies. Gann said, “Governor Stitt’s leadership is changing the culture of State Government from a patronage culture to one of performance.” Recently, Governor Stitt issued an executive order requiring state agencies to reduce regulations by 25%. Gann said, “As Chairman of the Administrative Rules Committee that deals directly with the regulatory code for Oklahoma, I support the initiative to reduce the regulatory burden on business and industry. In House District 8, the emerging industry along the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System and in the MidAmerica Industrial Park in Pryor, could be the first to feel the impact of those reductions.”

A press release on October 19, 2019, from Speaker of the House, Charles McCall, announced the House will be increasing its own efforts at responsible oversight. Speaker McCall has assigned House members to committees to regularly monitor governing boards of more than 36 state agencies.  Speaker McCall said, “The legislature has been too deferential and hands-off with these governing boards for most of state history, and the House is going to change that.”  Gann said, “The initiative of leadership to monitor governing boards of state agencies meets the public’s expectation for elected leaders to perform and assume their rightful role over state agencies.”

“It would be a privilege to continue to represent the voters of the 8th House District.  With your vote and support, I will keep working diligently to reduce the size of and scope of government interference in the lives of Oklahomans.” Gann added.

Tom and Debbie Gann have been married for 41 years. They live on a small acreage in Inola, Oklahoma.  Tom retired from Tulsa International Airport where he served as the Airport Auditor for 10 years. Tom and Debbie have 3 children and 8 grandchildren.

The 8th House District covers Wagoner, Rogers and Mayes Counties.  

Reps. Tom Gann, Rick West Call on Fallin to Abandon Tax Hikes, Refocus on Efficiency

L: State Rep. Tom Gann; R: State Rep. Rick West

State Representatives Call on Governor to Abandon Tax Hikes and Refocus on Efficiency

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Reps. Tom Gann, R-Inola, and Rick West, R-Heavener, are calling on Governor Mary Fallin's administration to abandon its drive for tax increases and to instead return their focus to eliminating the many costly inefficiencies in state government.

The representatives said they are alarmed at the findings of today's legislative hearing by the House Government Modernization Committee.

The representatives asked for the hearing after state employee constitutes began informing them of costly and wasteful inefficiencies within a key state purchasing contract.

Testimony to the committee was provided by individuals from a variety of state agencies and revealed the following findings:

State agencies are not taking advantage of savings opportunities available through a key state purchasing contract; and

Other agencies are forced to use a massive purchasing contract that appears to be costing the agencies money (state purchasing officials have indicated a plan to re-negotiate this contract);

A year-over-year increase of more than $100,000 in the Department of Education's appropriation is being spent on to the Department's propensity for making color copies instead of the black and white copies utilized by the previous administration;

A review of the Department of Corrections found $150,000 in savings opportunities that could be realized through very basic reforms in the management of department assets. One state vendor testified that there are a number Department of Corrections' assets that no one appears to be responsible for -- including a 60" WII entertainment system and numerous computers that have not been used in months; and

Some state officials appear to have an attitude of "it's not our money so we don't care" – this according to a vendor who testified of the many savings opportunities.

"After this hearing and with the breaking news of the alleged fiscal mismanagement at the Department of Health, there is no doubt that the executive branch's consuming focus on tax raises is taking them away from their foremost responsibility: streamlining and making state government is efficient," said Gann, the vice-chair of the committee.

"I've already had a number of state employee constituents explain this waste and show me the costly inefficiencies of state government. We need to let these employees do their job to save the taxpayers money, and that's why we asked for this hearing," West said. "This is just the start. The chairman of the Government Modernization Committee has ensured me that he will allow us to continue exposing these inefficiencies with more hearings like this one when the legislative session gets under way next spring."

The representatives indicated they are going to continue to monitor the re-negotiation of the costly state purchasing contract, the implementation of the Department of Correction's reform plan and the other issues raised during today's hearing.

Ted Cruz endorses Carl Parson for HD8

Texas Senator and former presidential candidate Ted Cruz has waded into the four-man Republican primary in House District 8, and endorsed candidate Carl Parson.



House District 8 is currently held by term-limited Democrat Ben Sherrer. HD8 (map) covers portions of Mayes, Rogers and Wagoner counties, including the towns of Pryor, Choteau, Locust Grove, and Inola.

Carl Parson is running against Republicans Tom Gann, Steven Dill, Rick Kibbe, and Democrat Darrell Moore.