40,000 plants, 1,000 pounds of marijuana seized in major drug and ICE bust

With every passing day, the choice Oklahoma made to legalize marijuana yields a progressively worse harvest:

More than 40,000 marijuana plants, 1,000 lbs. of processed marijuana seized in Organized Crime Task Force sting in Mayes, Craig counties

OKLAHOMA CITY (June 26, 2025) – Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced today that a large-scale bust of an illegal marijuana grow operation in Mayes and Craig counties led by his Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) has resulted in the confiscation of 40,723 marijuana plants and more than 1,000 pounds of processed marijuana.

Qi Wei Chen, a 35-year-old Chinese national, faces charges in Craig County for aggravated manufacturing of a controlled dangerous substance (marijuana), trafficking of a controlled dangerous substance (marijuana), and possession of a firearm in commission of a felony.

Rep. Gann warns against corporate welfare on steroids following CANOO bankruptcy

Gann Warns Against Corporate Welfare on Steroids Following CANOO Bankruptcy

OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 21st) – Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola,  an opponent of corporate welfare, today issued a stark warning regarding the ongoing misuse of public funds.

"Corporate welfare is when the government takes the public's money to manipulate the economy, choosing winners and losers in the free market," Gann said. "In recent years, this practice has intensified, creating an era of corporate welfare on steroids, as Oklahoma government has pushed massive green-energy giveaways that align more with a liberal agenda than Oklahoma's conservative values."

Gann pointed to last week's bankruptcy of the high-profile, green-energy, electric vehicle startup, CANOO, as a prime example of why government must stop interfering in the free market. Canoo's manufacturing plant in Pryor is in Gann's House district.

Rep. Gann files bill to require vote of the people to redirect property taxes to TIF districts

Gann Bill Would Require Vote of the People to Redirect Property Taxes to TIF Districts

OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 31st) – Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, has filed House Bill 1379, which would require a vote by citizens to redirect property tax through Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) Districts.

Gann explained that in Mayes County, Mid-America Industrial Park (MAIP) officers proposed redirecting county property tax through the implementation of a TIF district to benefit new corporations coming into the industrial park.