State of the...Stitt?
Governor Kevin Stitt delivered his third State of the State address this past Monday, a tradition that also kicks off the beginning of the annual state legislative session. Normally we’d be discussing the pros and cons of the various policy priorities outlined in the speech, but this year the Governor opted to lean away from tangible policy and instead embrace abstract political rhetoric. Despite COVID-19’s effect on nearly every aspect of life and government operations during the past year, the pandemic received only cursory mentions by the Governor, with acknowledgements of the virus’ negative personal impact often being paired with positive economic messages. One important policy area did get a mention - the hotly-debated Medicaid Managed Care - and the Governor’s comments were conspicuously met not with applause but with with absolute silence in the chamber.
At the bottom of this post you’ll find the full text of the Governor’s speech and I encourage you to read it for yourself. Even if you listened to it live, reading it back is surely to illuminate it differently. For additional context, check out this article by Oklahoma Watch which contains the speech text along with annotations and fact checking from their reporters. And for even more context, listen to the latest episode of our podcast, in which we discuss the speech. You can find Let’s Pod This in virtually all podcast apps or simply listen to the episode below:
2021 State of the State (full-text)
Mr. Speaker, Mr. President Pro Tem, Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell, Chief Operating Officer John Budd and members of my cabinet, Mr. Chief Justice, members of the 58th Legislature, my best friend – First Lady Sarah Stitt, my six children, my parents, and most importantly, my fellow Oklahomans.
It is a great honor to stand before you, and to partner with you to lead our state through unprecedented times.
I respect the constitutional authority of both of these legislative bodies.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Pro Tem, members of the House and Senate, I stand here in your chamber today and pledge to work with you, and to have the best and most productive session in state history!
I’d also like to recognize each of the 15 new representatives and the eight new senators who are just starting their service.
I look forward to partnering with you as we continue to lead Oklahoma to becoming a Top Ten state.
Two years ago, I took the oath of office in front of my family, my fellow Oklahomans and most importantly my Heavenly Father.
I promised to support and defend the constitution and perform the duties of my office to the best of my ability. I take that promise as seriously today as the day I made it.
My colleagues in the Legislature made the same promise to their constituents.
Today I’d like to talk about the promises we’ve kept – and the promise of tomorrow.
Oklahoma, the state of our state is strong because we are resilient and well-positioned for a bright future.
Before we look forward, let’s look back.
2020 was a year unlike anything we’ve experienced in our lifetimes.
If we think back to a year ago, who could have ever imagined the toll COVID would take? This pandemic is unprecedented in modern times.
We’ve felt the impact of COVID-19 on every level -- on our families, our jobs and our day-to-day lives.
We’ve lost more than 3,000 Oklahomans to this virus. Each one of those has a name, a story, and a family who is mourning their loss. Like Paul teaches us in Romans 12, we mourn with those who mourn.
Throughout this past year Oklahomans rose to the challenge: as individuals, as families and as neighbors. We made sacrifices; we took care of our most vulnerable; we shifted; we innovated, but we were not defeated.
For the last 11 months, my promise has been to protect the health and lives of Oklahomans, to keep our businesses open safely and to get our kids safely back in school.
I’m so proud of Oklahoma, our team at the Health Department, and the Governor’s Solution Task Force.
We successfully opened our economy on June 1st and safely restarted most schools in August.
It appears now other states are waking up to the stark reality of double-digit unemployment, huge budget deficits and the fact that our kids are safer at school than anywhere else.
They’re realizing we took the smart approach in Oklahoma.
Even Governor Cuomo in New York has seen the light. Just a few weeks ago he said, “We simply cannot stay closed until the vaccine hits critical mass. The cost is too high. We will have nothing left to open.”
Oklahoma faced the same decisions as every other state.
I’ve kept my promise to follow the data and make the right decisions for Oklahoma at the right time. And now we are months and months ahead of other states.
Across Oklahoma, doctors, nurses and health care workers have delivered on their promise to care for Oklahomans. They risked their lives to care for their fellow citizens and help them fight an unknown virus.
I’ve met with Chief Medical Officers and other frontline health care workers, both in my office and in their hospitals. I’ve witnessed their professionalism, their endurance and their compassion on full display.
Amy Petitt, the ICU Nurse Leader at Saint Anthony hospital, was one of the heroes we met. She told me about nurses and doctors working so hard to offer human touch to those who can’t see their families. No matter how tough the conditions are, they’re treating their patients with dignity. They’re caring for them like they’d want their own family members cared for.
We will forever owe them a debt of gratitude because they have been magnificent.
When testing was a challenge around the world, we leveraged the resources we had here in Oklahoma. We quickly converted a diagnostic lab in Stillwater, which dramatically raised our testing capacity in the early stages. Our State Health Department partnered with County Health Departments to stand up 80 test sites across the state.
We’ve made sure any Oklahoman who needed a test could get one for free, and we’ve completed more than 3 million tests so far.
We quickly overcame a global PPE shortage and refilled our stockpile. We continue to distribute millions of masks, gloves and other protective items across the state. We’re delivering to nursing homes, to first responders and to school districts in every part of our state.
I ask all Oklahomans to join me in thanking Secretaries Jerome Loughridge, Dr. Kayse Shrum, Kevin Corbett and Elizabeth Pollard; Commissioner of Health Dr. Lance Frye, Gino DeMarco, Director Mark Gower and his team at the Department of Emergency Management, the men and women of the Oklahoma National Guard, our teams on the front lines at the Department of Corrections and the Department of Veterans Affairs and our many other state and local partners.
I want to specifically thank my Chief Operating Officer, John Budd.
He’s in the gallery, representing the Governor’s Solution Task Force and everyone who played key roles in protecting Oklahomans.
John, we cannot thank you enough.
Oklahomans across the state played a key role in our response as well.
Together, the three W’s became part of our daily life. We’ve washed our hands frequently; we’ve watched our distance from others, and we’ve worn masks in public places.
We took the personal responsibility to protect our families, our neighbors and our most vulnerable.
Our 7-day average of new cases is down 45% from its peak. Our hospitalizations are down 35% as well.
We can see the finish line in our fight against this virus. Rather than coast our way in, let’s continue together with a final sprint.
To the Oklahomans who have made so many sacrifices to slow the spread, I thank you, and I ask everyone to join us as we put this virus behind us.
I promised Oklahomans we would bring efficiency to state government. We are doing just that with our vaccine rollout.
Thanks to the hard work of Deputy Commissioner Keith Reed and his team at the State Health Department, local public health workers and our state’s medical community, we are seventh in the nation – Top Ten -- in vaccines administered per capita!
I’ll never forget watching Hannah White, a nurse at INTEGRIS Health in Oklahoma City, be the first Oklahoman to get the vaccine.
Once it was over, she hugged the nurse who gave it to her. She said, “Hopefully this is the start of something better.” As I speak to you today, more than 356,000 Oklahomans now have that same hope.
We’re accelerating our efforts --- more supplies of vaccines are on the way. I assure you we will be relentless.
My vision is to get our summer back, and we can do it by continuing to lead the nation in vaccinations.
Because I am committed to getting all kids back in their classrooms, I made sure we prioritized teachers to get this vaccine. Many teachers over 65 have been vaccinated already, and many more teachers will be eligible this month.
In almost every district in Oklahoma, parents and students have an option to choose to go back to the classroom. To the school districts that have innovated and followed the data to offer safe, in-person instruction -- on behalf of your parents, and the future of our state, I can’t thank you enough.
You’re providing an important safety net to our children, and you’re the glue that holds many of our communities together.
I’ve heard stories of teachers doing everything they can, but they’re worried about their students not being in the classroom.
Kathryn Szallar teaches kindergarten in Deer Creek. She’s a phenomenal teacher who goes above and beyond for her students.
Her school is on an A/B schedule, and she told me how hard it is to teach young kids through distance learning. She feels it’s essential for young people to have the option to be in the classroom with their teachers.
A child’s education is a building block, and it starts in their youngest years.
Ms. Szallar, and many other teachers, are worried that keeping students from their classrooms could set them back for years.
Can you imagine being a first grader and trying to learn to read on Zoom?
Distance learning is perfectly fine for some students, but when we force it on everyone, it widens achievement gaps and jeopardizes our future as a Top Ten state.
Our kids deserve the option to be in their classrooms. I promise to keep fighting for our students every day!
We’ve kept our promise to thousands of business owners by allowing them to stay open safely.
As you know, some states shut down completely for months at a time.
But we found the right balance between protecting public health and protecting Oklahomans’ right to provide for their families!
We went to Phase 1 of the Open Up and Recover Safely plan April 24th. We went to Phase 3 – fully reopen – on June 1st.
Back then, I said by reopening safely and responsibly, we’d be months ahead of other states. Our June unemployment rate was fifth lowest in the country – 40% lower than the national average – and almost 60% lower than New York.
Because of that, almost 100,000 more Oklahomans were back to work compared to the national average.
Everywhere I go across the state, small business owners and workers tell me how grateful they are for being able to keep their businesses open, to provide income for their employees and their families and to provide the services their communities rely on.
The other day I stopped in at Eddie’s Restaurant in Edmond.
I got to meet Eddie, who drove across town to see me before I left. He shook my hand, sat down, and looked me in the eye. He said, “Thank you. Keep doing what you’re doing. It’s made a huge impact on our life.”
Like so many small business owners across the state, Eddie and his wife started with nothing but hope. They took out their life savings to buy a restaurant on the corner of Coltrane and Second.
After years of sacrifice and hard work, they expanded. They now own three restaurants, a catering company and a food truck.
Eddie told me that when the pandemic hit, like many business owners, they were worried.
He said, “My daughter’s college tuition needs to be paid. I don’t have a private investor, a bank. I have to continue on.”
Eddie said because of the decisions we’ve made; he and his 100 employees can continue on.
They can feed their families. They can pay for their children’s education. They can continue to live.
I’m proud to tell you Eddie plans to open a new location next month, and I can’t wait to be there to support him.
Through the Oklahoma Business Relief Program, we invested $143 million in 8,661 small businesses just like Eddie’s.
This program touched 344 different communities throughout all 77 counties.
25 percent of the businesses were minority owned, including the Black Wall Street Liquid Lounge, a coffee shop in Tulsa’s Greenwood District; TS&H Shirt Company in Seminole and Azteca Mexican Restaurant in Oklahoma City.
Azteca’s owner, Alejandria Camarena, opened her restaurant three years ago. She had always dreamed of owning a business.
COVID-19 threatened that dream, but thanks to our Business Relief grants, she kept all 12 employees on her payroll. And she continues as a successful Hispanic female business owner in Oklahoma.
Small businesses like these are the lifeblood of our communities. Their continued success is key to making Oklahoma a Top Ten state.
The pandemic isn’t over --- but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
As Will Rogers once said, “Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.”
The people of Oklahoma have sent us here to make their lives better. They expect us to work together, and they expect us to do things for the right reasons – never for personal gain or political purposes.
For the past few months, we’ve been working on a legislative agenda to deliver on the promises we’ve made to our constituents.
Secretary Bingman and I have been meeting with Speaker Charles McCall and President Pro Tem Greg Treat. We’ve worked together to craft not the governor’s agenda, not the House’s agenda, not the Senate’s agenda, but the people’s agenda!
The people of Oklahoma made their voices heard loudly in November.
They gave House Republicans five more seats, and the strongest supermajority in state history!
More than 80% of the House and the Senate are now led by conservative Oklahomans.
We will keep burdens low on our taxpayers.
We’ll support our oil and gas industry and protect it from radical liberals in Washington.
We’ll fight for our farmers and ranchers and the Oklahoma way of life.
We’ll enact business friendly policies.
We’ll protect the rights of unborn children and stand up for the personal and religious freedoms of Oklahomans!
“The People’s Agenda” for this legislative session has three main pillars:
Number one, Make Oklahoma a Top Ten state for business, number two, deliver taxpayers more for their money and number three, invest in our fellow Oklahomans.
I know so many of you in the chamber -- and those watching -- believe we can be and should be a Top Ten State for Business. What we need is more taxpayers, not more taxes.
I’m proud to say Oklahoma is open for business, and we’re seeing results.
More companies are looking to relocate to our state than ever before.
We’ve been aggressive. We’re reaching out to companies in states that are keeping businesses locked down and dictating their citizens’ personal freedoms.
In the past two years, we’ve had many meetings with companies in California.
They all say the same thing: “We want out.”
Over the last year, I’ve worked together with the Department of Commerce and the Oklahoma Business Roundtable to get those companies free from California’s anti-business policies.
PAS MRO, an aerospace company based in California, announced last summer it would be moving its operations to Bristow, Oklahoma.
Company President Jim Agee said the decision was easy. He said it was because of Oklahoma’s business-friendly policies, availability of highly trained workers and the lower costs of doing business in our state.
One of our key tools we have in Oklahoma to close deals like these is the Governor’s Quick Action Closing Fund. It lets us recruit new industries and growing companies.
We also need to invest in innovation by using accelerators for entrepreneurs and supporting startups statewide.
A few weeks ago, I was at the Cattlemen’s Congress at the fairgrounds in Oklahoma City.
The folks in Denver turned their back on the Ag industry. They wouldn’t let them have their major national cattle show because they insisted on keeping their state locked down.
That put the stability of the U.S. beef industry in danger.
So we started a new tradition here in Oklahoma City, and the Cattlemen’s Congress brought $50 million to our economy!
We can’t have a strong economy without a skilled workforce and a strong education system.
Right now, we have the opportunity of a lifetime. We have a chance to rethink and reimagine the future of education in Oklahoma.
One of the ways we can do this is by looking at how schools get their funding. The current formula lets schools pick their highest number of students over the last three years.
Here’s what that means.
Say you lived in Tulsa and moved to a new district to make sure your kids could go to school in person. Your kids could be counted by both districts.
They’re called “ghost students.”
We’re sending money to districts to educate kids who don’t go there, and that’s simply not fair.
There are more than 55,000 “ghost students” in our funding formula right now. That means we’re allocating close to 200 million of your tax dollars to students who don’t exist.
This is unacceptable.
It’s time for schools to be funded based on how many students they have now -- not how many they had in the past.
COVID-19 has also shown us that every child has unique needs. Being in a physical classroom is so important for most students to succeed.
By not giving our parents and children an option for in-person learning, schools have tied their hands.
It’s now been 325 days since Tulsa students in 4th through 12th grades have been allowed to be in their classrooms. 325 days!
Meanwhile, just a few blocks away, the rest of the Tulsa metro has been safely in session most of the year.
Union, Jenks, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Owasso, Sapulpa, Sand Springs, Sperry, Skiatook, Collinsville. The list goes on. They’ve all found ways to put their students first and give them the choice to come back to the classroom.
The only difference between schools that stay closed and those that have safely reopened is the mindset to find a way to make it happen.
My heart breaks when I hear stories like Abby Cavness’s.
She said, “I’m a Tulsa Public Schools lifer and never in a million years thought I’d be uttering these words.”
“My kids are miserable. They beg every day through tears to not do distance learning anymore. My 4th grader is begging to switch to any school that is actually open.”
“It is devastating to watch our beloved school lose family after family.”
Abby finished by saying, “I’m scared for what Tulsa and the school system is going to become after this.”
Stories like Abby’s are why students and parents need the choice to transfer to public schools that best fit their needs.
If a school district has space available and is a better fit for a child, the government should make that happen – not stand in the way.
We have to put our students first. Period.
Another way to make Oklahoma a Top Ten state is to have an infrastructure that grows and attracts businesses.
Last year, we hit a major milestone as we reached Top Ten in bridge conditions -- an incredible achievement considering we were near the bottom just a few years ago.
Tim Gatz, Secretary of Transportation, is doing a great job working with the teams at ODOT and the Turnpike Authority to modernize their agencies. That lets us focus on projects that link our cities and towns and provide access to new areas for economic development.
A strong infrastructure is the backbone of any strong economy.
Another key to a strong economy is letting businesses grow without fear of government overreach.
In his first week in office, President Biden issued 22 Executive Orders. Many of them will kill jobs and put burdensome regulations on our businesses.
It’s a different story here in Oklahoma. We must continue our focus on cutting red tape.
By working together to get rid of excessive regulation, we’ll unlock Oklahoma’s full economic potential for workers, business owners, farmers, and families.
Instead of letting Washington strangle Oklahoma’s businesses, we need to unleash them!
The government’s job is not to slow things down. It’s to get out of the way!
Thanks to the support of our legislators, we built our savings account to $1 billion in 2019.
Some folks criticized us for wanting to save this money, but that’s proven to be a lifesaver during the tough financial season we had last year.
I also want to credit my colleagues in the House and Senate for their wisdom and careful thinking during last year’s session. Our state was reeling from a massive drop in oil prices and 13% unemployment, but you recognized the uncertainty and wisely held the budget to 78% of the spending authority while still providing core services.
Your fiscal prudence is one of the reasons why we have the opportunity we do today, and I thank you for the challenging decisions you made.
It’s because of these tough decisions – reopening our economy, how we spent our COVID Relief Funds across the state, and the Legislature’s careful budget – that the Fiscal Year 2022 predictions are much better than many states.
We’ll be able to invest in strategic places while avoiding cuts.
We can also significantly replenish our savings account, so we stay prepared for whatever comes our way.
Now our challenge is to make sure Oklahomans get more for their money.
A perfect example of this is our Department of Human Services. Secretary Justin Brown and his team did a great job innovating this year.
DHS is prioritizing service over brick and mortar office space. Its closing 25 offices but embedding those staff members in more than 100 community spaces.
The result is Oklahomans get better access and more services instead of paying for real estate.
I thank the hardworking men and women at DHS and all our state agencies for innovating to get more for our money.
Another way to deliver taxpayers more for their money is to make sure hard work gets rewarded.
Like many of you in this room, my background is in the private sector. When I was building and running my business, I recruited and hired talented people.
I could pay and promote them based on their experience, capability and work ethic. But that can’t happen in state government.
Agency leaders have their hands tied in who they can hire and promote because of outdated restrictions. State agencies should be able to hire the best people and promote good employees.
2020 showed us how dramatically our world can change overnight. Our state agencies need to be able to adapt and change in real-time.
Thousands of our state employees are stuck in a system where qualified, dedicated and hungry employees are often waiting years to be promoted, all because they’re stuck behind someone in line.
I want to tell you about one of our hardworking state employees named Cody.
Cody has worked at OESC for 22 years. He’s down in the Idabel office.
Cody was doing way more work than his title and job description indicated, but factors out of his control made a promotion nearly impossible.
One of those factors was location. An agency policy required directors to live in Oklahoma City.
Generations of Cody’s family had lived in Idabel and a promotion wasn’t worth leaving his family.
It took a pandemic -- and my Executive Order to have state employees working from home -- to change the policy so he could become a director.
There are men and women like Cody across state government -- talented, dedicated to serving our state, and stuck in an outdated system that keeps them from being rewarded like they deserve.
To be a Top Ten state, we need a system that rewards our state employees and gives us the flexibility we need to serve our citizens more effectively.
Finally, my team will continue to find ways to partner with the members in this room to invest in our fellow Oklahomans.
America’s Health Rankings puts Oklahoma 46th in the country in health outcomes.
We’re one of the worst in the country in obesity and diabetes rates. We have the third most deaths from heart disease.
That’s unacceptable to me, and I know it’s unacceptable to all 4 million Oklahomans.
Oklahomans hired me to bring a fresh set of eyes to all areas of our state government.
As governor, I can’t stand by and continue with business as usual when the system isn’t working.
We have an obligation as leaders to do better for our citizens. I think its implicit in the promises we made when we all assumed office.
With Medicaid Expansion now in our Constitution, this is the perfect opportunity to reimagine health care delivery in Oklahoma. It’s time to focus on outcomes and not just paying invoices.
40 states have found managed care is the best way forward: Texas, kansas, Iowa, Tennessee, Florida. Even California and Illinois.
It’s not a red state or blue state thing. It’s the smart thing to do.
In fact, almost every other state with Medicaid expansion also uses managed care.
Oklahoma, this is the right path forward.
Now, we need to talk about the most pressing issue for our state’s future.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma questions the sovereignty of the state as we’ve known it since 1907.
The Court overturned the conviction of a child rapist on the grounds that the Creek Nation’s reservation was never disestablished for criminal jurisdiction. State courts no longer have the authority to prosecute crimes committed by or against Oklahomans who are also tribal members.
Hundreds of criminal cases are being dismissed.
This ruling also raises many other unanswered questions. Do tribal members living in eastern Oklahoma pay income tax and sales tax? If not, the Oklahoma Tax Commission estimates a potential loss of $200 million every year.
Another potential issue is who regulates agriculture? Water? The energy industry? Zoning?
Who has the right to tax businesses?
What is the state of Oklahoma’s ability to enforce the laws? In Muskogee County, a convicted serial rapist named Leroy Smith was recently released. The Muskogee County District Attorney said he can’t be retried because of the federal statute of limitations.
We need to resolve the many unanswered questions from this ruling.
I’ve invited the leaders of Oklahoma’s sovereign tribes to join together and work with the State of Oklahoma. Together, we must create the certainty, fairness and the unity we’ve enjoyed since 1907.
Where we go from here will define the state’s future.
We have a shared responsibility to live as one Oklahoma regardless of your race or where you live. We drive on the same roads; our kids go to the same schools and we benefit from the same programs.
It is critical -- while embracing the tribal heritage of many Oklahomans -- that we don’t lose sight of the fact that we are all Oklahomans.
As one Oklahoma, we will become a Top Ten state. If we are divided, we will not.
We must come together.
This year has tested the resiliency of our state and all 4 million Oklahomans. We’ve all faced challenges and made difficult sacrifices, but at the root of it all, we’ve endured.
Oklahomans are no stranger to hardship. We’ve lived through dust bowls, tornados, floods, a bombing, and now a pandemic. But we’re going to make it through, just like we have time and time again.
It’s been two years since I stood on the steps of the Capitol and was sworn in as governor.
On that day, I shared something my dad told me.
He’d tell us, “Don’t ever give up. Don’t ever quit. The future doesn’t just happen. You make it happen, so dream big.”
With big dreams and bold decisions, we’ll capitalize on the promise of tomorrow.
We must always focus on the next generation and not the next election. If we allow selfish ambition to drive decisions, the moral fabric of our system starts to break down.
I’m calling on every elected official to continue serving with self-sacrifice, always putting the needs of 4 million Oklahomans ahead of the few and the powerful.
I encourage us all today to renew our promise to the people of our great state. Our decisions have consequences, and as we go, society follows.
Let’s lead Oklahoma to becoming a Top Ten state, and let’s deliver on the people’s agenda. Together.
The turnaround Oklahomans demanded is well underway.
God bless you, and God bless the great state of Oklahoma!
How to Track Legislation
Today is a big day for the 58th Oklahoma legislature - it’s the annual Bill Filing Deadline, which means that all bills must be pre-filed by 4:30pm to be considered this year. Just over 1,700 bills and joint resolutions have been filed thus far, and it’s reasonable to expect another 500 to 1,000 more will be filed today. Now, just because a bill is filed doesn’t mean we know what it will actually do, much less whether or not the bill will even get heard in committee. Let’s break down the legislative process, clarify few key terms, and show you how to keep track of legislation as it moves through the Capitol.
THE PROCESS
Once filed, nearly all bills follow the same path to becoming a law: pass out of committee, pass the floor in the chamber of origin, pass committee in the opposite chamber, pass the floor of the opposite chamber, and be signed into law by the Governor. (There are a lot of caveats in that process; we’ll have a longer post outlining the full process soon - stay tuned!)
BILLS vs JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Typically the term “bills” refers to pieces of legislation that are statutory changes - that is, they pertain to the the Oklahoma Statutory Code (i.e. the “regular” state laws). These differ from “joint resolutions,” which are pieces of legislation that will amend the Oklahoma Constitution and therefore are placed on an upcoming ballot for a vote of the people. Bills and joint resolutions are numbered sequentially and identified by the chamber in which they originated (e.g. HB = House Bill, HJR = House Joint Resolution, etc.)
SHELL BILLS
Legislation that has been filed with a title but without any substantial language in the body are called “shell bills.” And there are a lot of them; according to eCapitol’s Shawn Ashley, more than a third of the bills filed thus far fall into this category. Only members of the House are allowed to file shell bills, and most are filed by members of the House leadership. Some shell bills are filed because the member is still working out the final language with the intent of inserting the language later (usually before it is heard in committee). Other shell bills are filed to serve as placeholders for what will become appropriations and budget bills later in the process. That’s why many shell bills have a generic title, like this one, the “Transportation Modernization Act.”
JOINT COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS AND BUDGET (JCAB)
As the name suggests, the Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget (JCAB) is a large committee comprised of members of both the House and Senate who deal with - you guessed it - appropriations and budget bills. However, in practice JCAB ends up being the conduit for all kinds of bills near the end of session. It is the exception to all the rules. Bills that were thought to be dead earlier in session will suddenly show up on the JCAB agenda, full of new life and new language (thereby earning the macabre moniker “zombie bills”). JCAB meets with increasing frequency as the legislature nears sine die, often staying late into the evening hours. Typically this culminates in the final days of session with the budget itself, which is often presented just hours (or even minutes) before a vote is held, often with very little time questions or debate. It is the epitome of “how the sausage gets made” and arguably as gross as that phrase suggests.
TRACKING LEGISLATION
There are a number of methods for tracking legislation, both free (e.g. LENS, LegiScan) and paid (e.g. eCapitol). Many people use a combination of sources to keep tabs on bills. We made this brief video to walk you through how to (1) lookup bills on the Legislature’s website, (2) how to track bills using LENS, and (3) how to search for and track bills using LegiScan.
STAYING UP-TO-DATE
Tracking legislation on your own can be fun, helpful, and rewarding, but sometimes things don’t quite go according to plan. This is especially true near the various legislative deadlines and generally anytime there is an important or contentious bill being considered. In these situations, it’s helpful to be connected with an advocacy organization that focuses on a particular issue area. Many of those organizations have lobbyists or other “Capitol insiders” that may know the most current status of bills, which can be key.
keeping an eye on the legislature
I’ll end with an important reminder during these Covid times: it sounds like the Capitol will be operating with a reduced capacity during session this year, including the House & Senate galleries, which may make in-person advocacy more difficult. However, you can watch all committee meetings and floor proceedings on the House and Senate websites and you can always contact your elected officials by phone and email.
Remember: Decisions are made by those who show up. If you don’t show up (virtually or in person), someone else well…and you may not agree with them! Don’t let them be the only voice in your legislator’s ear. Take a few minutes to send an email and start to build a relationship with your elected officials. They’re more accessible than you think!
What the 2020 Election Means for Oklahoma
If you woke up this morning expecting to learn the definitive outcome of the presidential election, you’re going to need to hang on a little while longer. All the votes have been cast but the counting will continue for several more hours (and quite likely, days). It appears there was a polling error in a number of states, and undoubtedly the reason for it will be debated ad nauseam for weeks and months to come. One thing is abundantly clear: more voters made their voice heard in this election than in any presidential election since 1900.
“More voters made their voice heard in this election than in any presidential election since 1900. ”
Here in Oklahoma, all of our votes have been tallied and the Republican party was the big winner, netting an additional seat in Congress as well as an even-more-super supermajority in the state House. Having an 75% seat majority in both chambers of the state legislature, combined with control of the Governor’s office, means Republicans have the numbers to pass any legislation they want. However, as anyone who has ever coached their kids’ soccer team can attest - the bigger your team, the harder it can be to manage. Republican leadership must balance their priorities against the priorities of their caucus, some of whom may be further to the right than the last couple of years. You may recall the impact of the conservative “Platform Caucus” in 2016 2017; some of them ran for the legislature again this year
As we discussed with Senator Greg McCortney on our live podcast last night, in the coming session the Oklahoma state legislature will have to contend with a dire budget situation, a raging viral pandemic, and the politics of redrawing the state legislative and Congressional district maps, not to mention the ~2,000 other bills that will be filed over the next two months.
Since his election two years ago, Governor Stitt has benefitted from a warm relationship with the Trump administration, but that, too, may change before next session if Joe Biden is elected President. As we’ve discussed on Let’s Pod This, while the Governor enjoyed a relatively smooth and successful first year in office, this year he got crossways with a whole bunch of folks - the legislature, the Five Tribes, the medical community, the State Superintendent, and the Attorney General - just to name a few. Consequently, the Governor’s approval rating has dropped 16 points, from 57% in March to 41% in October, according to polls conducted and published by Amber Integrated. That’s a tough spot from which to start, and Governor Stitt must then chart a path to achieve his policy goals while also facing the same challenges as the legislature and with the added pressure of being the state’s chief executive and all the fame and blame that comes with the position.
The 58th legislature will be sworn in later this month or early December and then things get rolling pretty quickly. Here’s the legislative calendar for the next few months:
Dec 11: Bill Request Deadline
Jan 5: Organizational Day
Jan 21: Bill Introduction Deadline
Feb 1: First Day of Session / State of the State Address
Mar 11: Deadline for bills to pass out of chamber of origin
Apr 22: Deadline for bills to pass out of opposite chamber
May 28: Deadline for legislature to adjourn sine die
With little change to the state legislature or other statewide elected offices, I’m somewhat inclined to say that the election doesn’t “mean” much for Oklahoma, at least as far as state government is concerned and how things will play out in the spring. However, if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that anything is possible.
2020 State of the State (full text transcript)
On February 3, 2020, Governor Kevin Stitt delivered his second State of the State address to a joint session of the Oklahoma legislature. Below is the transcript of his remarks.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. President Pro Temp, Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell, members of my cabinet, Madam Chief Justice, members of the 57th Legislature, my best friend — the First Lady Sarah Stitt, my children, my parents, and my fellow Oklahomans …
It is a great honor to stand before you to today, and I thank my heavenly Father for allowing me to be in this position of service to Oklahoma.
Let me get right to the point. The state of our state is growing in strength, stability, and new opportunity for generations to come.
We are moving in the direction we all want to go: Top Ten in the Nation.
And we are getting there because of the hard work of Oklahoma’s entrepreneurs, because of the dedication of teachers in the classroom, because of the generous givers and compassion coming from Oklahoma’s non-profits, because of the community involvement of churches, and because of those in this room, and across our state agencies, who are making the tough, selfless decisions for the future of our great state.
I want to take a moment to highlight a few of those individuals, who are my special guests in the Chamber today:
First Lieutenant E.J. Johnson, Technical Sergeant Rebecca Imwalle, and Staff Sergeant Joy Mahan. These proud Guardsmen represent the hundreds of Oklahoma’s finest called to duty during record flooding in the State this past May.
Under the leadership of Major General Michael Thompson, they walked levies, filled sandbags, performed rescues, and conducted countless other tasks day after day.
Engineers in the Oklahoma National Guard also partnered with ODOT to build a temporary road that provided evacuees in Braggs a way out of their flooded community.
In addition to their duties within the State, the Oklahoma National Guard is also fulfilling their federal mission. More than 400 Oklahoma Guardsmen are currently fighting overseas on behalf of our state and nation at this very moment. I ask that every Oklahoman keep these brave men and women in your thoughts and prayers.
Also in the Chamber with us today is Dr. Tomas Diaz de la Rubia, the University of Oklahoma’s new head of research. I am committed to partnering with our state institutions in recruiting the best talent in the nation to Oklahoma. We will compete, and we will win.
This past year, the University of Oklahoma not only won its 13th Big 12 Football Championship, it also won the talent of one of the best researchers in the nation.
Dr. Tomas is an internationally renowned researcher who is bringing his impressive background at Purdue University, and with companies, such as Deloitte, to play a key role in identifying innovative opportunities that will elevate OU’s research reputation to Top Ten in the country. Thank you for choosing the best state in the nation to move to and make an impact.
Today, we also recognize an Oklahoma son from Tuttle — CEO of Paycom, Chad Richison. Chad founded his company, Paycom, right here in Oklahoma City in 1998, and through his vision and leadership, Paycom now serves as one of the largest employers in our great state.
Just this past month, Chad hit an incredible milestone when Paycom was added to the S&P 500 list.
Thank you, Chad, for reminding us that the American dream is still alive, and Oklahoma is the best place in the nation to accomplish it.
To all my guests, thank you for being here today.
We all know that Oklahoma’s economy, and quite frankly our state budget, is built on the backs of the hardworking men and women in the oil and natural gas industry.
When I delivered this address last year, 60 percent more drilling rigs were operating in Oklahoma than exists today.
Our first budget together was blessed by a thriving industry. Now, we must look at the realities of a changing and evolving market that is becoming more efficient and less influenced by international volatility.
As a result, our State’s general revenue fund is estimated to be down almost one percent versus fiscal year 2020, and our total spending authority is very close to the same amount.
But we have nothing to fear. We will remain vigilant in recognizing our needs, planning for our future, and shedding waste where operations are outdated or redundant.
In fact, the greatest challenge before us today is not Oklahoma’s economy. There are two reasons why:
First: The fiscal discipline displayed by many of you in this room last year has allowed the State to garner its largest savings account in Oklahoma’s history at $1 billion.
As a result, Moody’s Investor Service changed Oklahoma’s outlook from “stable” to “positive” in October. Their decision reflects an expectation that Oklahoma will maintain “strong fiscal management” and “a commitment to increasing reserves.”
Let’s follow through on that commitment.
Senator Joe Newhouse has filed legislation that would give Oklahomans a voice this year on increasing the Constitutional cap on our State’s Rainy Day fund to 30%. Let’s get it to a vote of the people!
And while we wait on this vote, I am also asking for elected leaders to join me, again, in setting aside $100 million in additional funds as part of the Fiscal Year 2021 budget.
Thanks to our strong pension plans, low bond debt and progress in savings, Oklahoma is ranked as the fifth most solvent state in America. Let’s take this to #1.
By saving in the good times, we are demonstrating our commitment to protect the taxpayer, the job creator, and the citizen who depends on core services.
Second: Oklahoma’s economy is more diverse than ever before.
When the City of El Reno faced the closure of a major facility, Oklahoma’s Department of Commerce quickly went into action.
We deployed two career fairs, and more than 350 Oklahomans were offered employment with companies in aerospace, finance, manufacturing, healthcare and more.
This was possible because Oklahoma’s economy remains on good footing.
Our unemployment rate remains below the national average. Oklahoma’s household income has risen by nearly 4% in 2019.
And sixty companies moved to our state or made significant expansions in Oklahoma this past year, with more than $2.9 billion in new capital investments announced.
One of our strongest industries this year was tourism, led by the vision of our own Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell – Imagine That!
In 2019, Oklahoma’s tourism website achieved a #1 ranking in web traffic. We beat states like California and Colorado.
And tourism will continue to grow. This year, we are welcoming the largest movie production in state history with Killers of the Flower Moon.
You gave us the tools last year to bolster our recruiting efforts, and the Lt. Governor was an exceptional partner in landing this deal for Oklahoma. Once again, beating states like Texas and New Mexico.
The film production’s presence is expected to inject tens of millions into our economy.
Thousands of Oklahomans will be hired as local talent and through contracts for lodging, transportation, hardware, food and more.
Oklahomans, our economy is competitive. And in this administration, we will keep it that way!
The greatest challenge before us today is government bureaucracy.
In my first year of public service and as the chief executive, I have found government too big and too broken.
The state of Oklahoma spends roughly $20 billion annually. The Legislature has a strong handle on the 40% managed through the appropriations process.
Then, we — working together — provide oversight of the 60% that goes directly to state agencies from apportionments, fines, fees, and federal funding.
Last year, we delivered the greatest transparency to the State’s budget by publishing Oklahoma’s checkbook online.
With the new system, we are providing user-friendly access to recent spending data.
In partnership with my office and Oklahoma Treasurer Randy McDaniel, we took Oklahoma’s 47th ranking to 7th place in online budget transparency.
And we will continue to fine tune how citizen interact with it in order to compete for first place in transparency.
Most importantly, the Legislature delivered the strongest accountability in state history when you sent to my desk legislation to reform five of our state’s largest agencies.
This action strengthened our budgeting oversight.
Time and time again, state agencies would ask you for more money as the solution.
But I’m here to tell you it’s not all about funding. It’s about focus. It’s about leadership.
Your reforms have allowed me to go recruit the best talent, to break down silos between agencies, and to deliver the Legislature with budgets that are results-oriented.
When good policy meets the right leadership, anything is possible!
Just look at what transpired in 2019 between two key agencies.
When I came into office, I was told that a change in our prison system wasn’t possible without an immediate injection of $1 billion dollars.
I was told the Pardon and Parole Board could not take on an increase in casework without more employees and more funding.
I was told that it would be logistically impossible to accomplish a large commutation docket to give low-level, non-violent offenders a second chance.
What did we do? You passed better policy, and we changed leadership in both agencies.
As a result:
Pardon and Parole Board consolidated its investigators with Department of Corrections.
This streamlined the case work all while increasing it by 118% over 2018. They did this without a single dollar more.
The Department of Corrections launched its first-ever re-entry fairs across 28 facilities for individuals that were part of the HB 1269 commutation docket.
The idea originated from the First Lady, and it will become a permanent practice at the agency moving forward.
The number of Oklahomans in our state prisons declined by 7.6% from 2018. As a result, the number of those incarcerated is the lowest level since 2009. This is reducing the strain on our prison facilities and giving us the opportunity to reimagine the future of housing inmates.
And in conjunction, the Department of Corrections withdrew its year after year request for more than $1 billion in additional funding and submitted a FY’21 request that addresses the critical needs of tomorrow.
It is now time to complete this successful consolidation effort.
I am calling for the Legislature to protect the Constitutional mandate for Pardon and Parole Board appointments yet pass legislation that absorbs the remainder of the operations with Corrections.
Collaboration is already taking place, thanks to the leadership of Director Scott Crow and Director Steve Bickley. It is time we make this official in law to prevent future bureaucracy from creeping back in.
When government is working and is unified under one vision, we can change the lives of Oklahomans for the better.
Here in the Chamber with us today is Tara. Tara is a mother of four children who was serving a 10-year sentence due to a relapse with a drug addiction.
Prior to her release, Tara met Chris Linder from Center for Employment Opportunities at the transition fair.
When she was commuted under the HB 1269 docket, Tara was immediately connected to sober housing at Exodus, began working a temporary job for CEO, and within a month of release was hired for a full-time position by a local Tulsa company where she is finding stability and opportunity again.
Tara, we believe in you. The State and our community partners want to help you keep a tight hold of the hope and future you and your family deserve.
Friends, agency consolidation must not stop there.
Sec. Tim Gatz has done an exceptional job leading both the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.
Sec. Gatz is beginning the process of combining all back office and common functions into one shared service entity for both agencies.
We will maintain separate general management for unique functions, while streamlining operations that are duplicative in nature so we can deliver the highest quality of transportation possible.
We will operate with one, unifying vision for infrastructure as we continue to move towards Top Ten status. Thank you, Sec. Gatz, for your leadership.
When Oklahoma is in crisis, it is most often our Office of Emergency Management (OEM) that is at the center of restoring us back to normal.
OEM has the ability to call upon whatever resource it needs to help Oklahoma’s communities prevent, respond, or recover from a major crisis.
Homeland Security is a key part of that effort, proving valuable coordination to support our first responders.
By merging these two agencies, we will bolster response capabilities, streamline coordination, and leverage existing resources for stronger prevention programs.
As we prepare to recognize the 25th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing in April, we must continue to set the standard for our nation in how to respond to and manage crisis when tested by tragedy.
Oklahomans deserve it and this merger will help us achieve that goal.
Thank you to OEM Director Mark Gower and Homeland Security Director Kim Carter who are committed to working with the Legislature to get this done right.
Some will cry that consolidation is disruptive. Let me be clear – it will-be for political insiders and those that find comfort in big bureaucracy.
But it is what we need to do to improve decision-making, deliver better accountability, and target dollars directly towards helping our citizens instead of paying for administrative bloat.
Oklahoma has the 20th highest land mass among states, the 28th largest population, and yet, we have the 9th most state agencies out of all 50 states. This is unacceptable.
There is no value to having more agencies than other states; it has not solved our Bottom Ten rankings in critical categories.
As we reduce bureaucracy, we must also provide necessary relief and enhanced opportunities for our dedicated public employees.
President Pro Tem Greg Treat and Representative Mike Osburn have already filed legislation to begin the conversation again on civil service reform.
It is time we get this done in 2020!
The state’s current civil service program is broken.
High quality employees are forced into a system that doesn’t maximize their professional growth and potential.
Agency leaders have their hands tied in who they can hire and promote due to outdated restrictions.
Today, I am calling for reform that requires all new hires in state government, moving forward, to be unclassified.
I am requesting language that allows agency directors discretion to offer bonuses, within the confines of their budgets, for employees to receive a promotion out of their restricted classified positions.
Through this attrition model, I am casting a vision for the majority of the State’s work force to be unclassified in the next five years.
As part of civil service reform, I am calling for a 3-person panel in the Human Capital Management Department to maintain whistle blower protections and to provide due process to state employees who have serious grievances, whether these employees are classified or not.
Let’s make the state’s largest employer a place where we can hire the best; where we reward good performers; and where we are building a training ground for an exceptional workforce that can transition beyond public service if they so choose.
With a long-term focus on agency reform, we will lay a new, stronger foundation for the State of Oklahoma. Any policy that the Legislature sends to my desk to further this effort will be signed. This is how we will actually get the tax-dollar directly back to the citizen - through better services.
One of the most significant areas where we need reform is health care.
I just returned from Washington, D.C., where I stood with the Trump administration to announce that the State of Oklahoma will be pursuing new flexibilities through the Healthy Adult Opportunity.
With these new flexibilities, Oklahoma will begin the process in the coming weeks to rollout SoonerCare 2.0.
Under this reformed Medicaid program, we will seek to close the gap of those uninsured in Oklahoma.
We will deliver much-needed accountability in the Medicaid system to focus on rewarding health outcomes and stronger performance in care.
With HAO flexibility, we will deliver personal responsibility to new enrollees under SoonerCare 2.0.
We will seek to establish moderate premiums and work requirements.
We will encourage able-bodied adults to transition towards a path of maintaining private insurance and pursuing educational or employment opportunities that advances their full personal potential.
With HAO flexibility, we will seek to establish programs that enhance accessibility of health care in rural Oklahoma.
And we will seek to expand targeted treatment for opioid addiction and substance abuse.
But I can’t do this without you.
Oklahoma is currently positioned to be the first in the nation to be granted the Trump administration’s waiver to achieve unprecedented flexibility and accountability in delivering Medicaid to adults.
No one who is currently eligible will lose coverage; actually, more than 180,000 Oklahomans would gain coverage under SoonerCare 2.0.
State Auditor Cindy Byrd is in the middle of auditing our Medicaid rolls, a request I filed last year. Her auditors expect to be done this spring, which will allow us to address abuse in the system and ensure that the reformed SoonerCare 2.0 will truly help those who need it the most.
But Washington needs to see support from the Oklahoma State Legislature to feel confident that this plan is on solid financial standing.
Today, I call on the House and the Senate to send to my desk legislation to give certainty that the Oklahoma Health Care Authority can use the full 4% of the SHOPP assessment to fund SoonerCare 2.0, while protecting reimbursements.
We must also reform TSET. Let’s protect the current corpus yet reallocate future funds towards improving the delivery of rural healthcare.
Help me keep Oklahoma #1 in competing for this new opportunity through the Trump administration.
Any other effort to enact a clean expansion of Medicaid, to include putting it in the State’s Constitution, will create significant restrictions.
With straight Medicaid Expansion, Oklahoma will be left with the same ineffective and unaccountable program that has failed to bring us out of Bottom Ten rankings.
The time is now to innovate, to focus on outcomes, and to make Oklahoma a national leader in the delivery of healthcare.
To make this sustainable, we must also move forward on significant reforms in the operations of our state health and human services agencies.
Did you know that Oklahoma has 10 different state agencies passing money through the Medicaid program in Oklahoma?
And 18 state entities that license health care facilities and providers?
You cannot convince me that operating that many bureaucracies is an efficient way of doing business. And it has to change.
This is why I am calling for the Legislature to begin the process of creating one central health care agency.
Let’s partner together to fully integrate, by the year 2022, the functions of the State Department of Health, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA), the Department of Mental Health, and others, as well as all of the state’s licensing boards that deal with health.
In addition, Oklahoma can no longer afford to be so far behind other states with regards to using and protecting health data.
Within the next couple months, we will select a vendor to establish a statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE).
This effort has been a long-time in the making and with the right leadership in place, more progress has been made in 10 months than in the last 10 years. Thank you OHCA Director Kevin Corbett and Secretary Jerome Loughridge.
A functional HIE will protect Oklahomans’ health records while ensuring these records are portable and accessible at all times, and I appreciate Senator Greg McCortney’s legislation that will enhance and protect the hard work underway in our agencies.
And this is just the beginning of health reform in Oklahoma.
Many of you in the Legislature are spearheading legislation that will help to create a better healthcare system across the board, to include legislation that will create pricing transparency for medical bills, and Representative Marcus McEntire’s legislation to put an end to surprise billing practices.
Thank you. Let’s continue to work together and push the envelope on improving health care delivery and outcomes for all 4 million Oklahomans.
In this administration, we will continue to focus on becoming Top Ten in education.
It is why the Legislature put more funding into the funding formula this school year, bringing the total taxpayer investment in common education to the largest in state history.
We will protect it. But we must also reform it by taking a hard look at our state’s funding formula.
We should allow voters to unlock more local dollars. With reform, we must also address any mechanisms that are preventing tax dollars from getting directly to today’s classroom.
The path to Oklahoma’s future prosperity will be achieved by promoting the profession of teaching and focusing on students’ advancements and opportunities.
This is why the Legislature rallied last year to give our teachers a second year of much-deserved pay raises. I am glad to report that not only did districts give pay raises of at least $1,220 last year, but some went beyond, like Owasso Public Schools, where now a first-year teacher can expect a beginning compensation of $42,000.
It is why this Legislature continues to build a competitive and solvent Teacher Retirement System, by investing more than $300 million annually above the $750 million that taxpayers support through employee and employer contributions.
Our dedication will continue so that teachers know that when they retire, their pensions will be funded.
But more state revenue is not the answer alone.
We must also continue to recruit the best teachers and confront our teacher shortage. I support legislation that would direct the State Board of Education to issue a teaching certificate to anyone who holds a valid out-of-state teaching certification, with no other requirements except a criminal history record check.
This year, we must get across the finish line proven solutions to enhance learning opportunities for students.
Now is the time to raise the cap on the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship to $30 million, to allow Oklahomans to be rewarded for investing their funds directly to our students and schools
In the Chamber, as my special guests, are Ms. Alegra Williams and her sixth- and eighth-grade sons, Chaves and Sincere.
Ms. Williams’ sons were struggling in school, making all C’s and D’s until she had the opportunity to enroll them in Crossover Preparatory Academy, a private all-boys school in north Tulsa.
Crossover prep was started as a key initiative to restore their community through education for young men. Crossover Prep is a tuition-free school because they believe that a child’s access to a quality education shouldn’t be dependent on their parent’s ability to afford it.
In the boys’ first semester at Crossover, Chaves jumped three reading grade levels, and Sincere jumped two-and-a-half reading levels.
Chaves and Sincere, will you stand? And will everyone join me and their mom in applauding their hard work this year?
Chaves and Sincere were able to get the help they needed because of the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act.
Increasing the tax credit cap will provide additional incentives for donors, resulting in more public-school grants and private-school scholarships.
Thank you to Senator Dave Rader and Representative Jon Echols for leading the charge.
Let’s work together to make sure all students at all schools have access to an innovative, enriching curriculum, regardless of ZIP code.
Because we believe in all students and helping them succeed, I am also launching a program this year called Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG).
JAG is a state-based national non-profit organization dedicated to preventing dropouts among young people who have serious barriers to graduation and employment.
In more than three decades of operation, JAG has delivered consistent, compelling results – helping more than one million young people stay in school through graduation, pursue postsecondary education and secure quality entry-level jobs leading to career advancement opportunities.
While we are on the topic of education, let me take a brief moment to address one critical matter.
In 2019, 1.3% of the common education funding came from the State’s exclusivity fees on Class III games on tribal casinos. These dollars, which are first deposited to the Oklahoma Education Reform Revolving Fund, equal roughly $130 million compared to public education’s total funding of $9.7 billion, as sourced by the 2019 School District Revenue Report.
The Model Gaming Compacts have been a success, greater than anyone predicted.
Unfortunately, we have an expired Model Gaming Compact, a compact in which notable tribes have previously called “dated” and “unsuitable” for current and future business.
After 5 offers from the State for all stakeholders to come together to modernize the Model Gaming Compact, three tribes instead sued the State on New Year’s Eve.
While we wait for the federal court’s decision, I am calling for the Legislature to join me in protecting public education. I am asking for legislation that will allow the remaining cash balance from 2019 and funds from the Revenue Stabilization Fund to be leveraged, if needed, to compensate for any temporary pause in Class III gaming fees.
As Governor, I remain supportive of the sovereignty of the State of Oklahoma and our right — and your duty as the Legislature — to oversee all industries operating in the State.
I also remain confident the State and Oklahoma’s tribes can hammer out a compromise that is a win-win for all four million Oklahomans, and we can accomplish this without putting public education in the crosshairs.
As I said last year, and it bears repeating, we need more taxpayers, not more taxes.
Everything we do has a dotted line back to growing our economy.
It is why my budget calls for the funding of the Closing Fund by another $3 million, as well as a $200 million financing plan with a majority prioritized towards rural roads and high-volume interchanges.
Oklahoma has moved from 49th to 13th in bridge conditions within 15 years, and while we work towards Top Ten in this critical category, we are going to start moving the needle on our ranking of super-two roads and pavement quality.
Oklahoma is the crossroads of America, and our roads are key to attracting future job creators whether it is to Altus, Enid, Broken Bow or in the heart of Tulsa.
Today, I am also filing an executive order to address Oklahoma’s excessive red tape.
Oklahoma’s administrative code is double the size of the state of Kansas and 20 percent more than Missouri and New Mexico.
My executive order will call for the first-ever comprehensive review of the State’s administrative code and will instruct agencies to remove two regulations for every new one created.
The intent is to reduce red tape by 25% in the next three years, providing relief to Oklahoma’s job creators and farmers and ranchers while also strengthening our recruitment efforts to diversify and grow Oklahoma’s economy.
We must also continue our progress on occupational licensing reform.
Speaker Charles McCall and Senator Adam Pugh made it a priority last year to reduce barriers to work for military families.
And Senator Julie Daniels and Rep. Zach Taylor passed meaningful second-chance legislation to expand occupational licensing opportunity for those who have previously encountered the justice system.
This year, let’s get universal licensing recognition across the finish line too. We can continue to make progress on economic prosperity when we remove unnecessary and antiquated barriers to entry.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Oklahoma is competing. Oklahoma is winning. Oklahoma is undergoing the Turnaround that voters demanded.
It may not be comfortable at times. It demands hard decisions and boldness. It requires long-term planning and commitment to one vision.
But we are making inroads that will last for generations… that will make us stronger… more prosperous… Top Ten.
There is no place I would rather be than Oklahoma.
There is no better team than the ones elected in this room.
There is no better time in our State’s history than now. Let’s do this together.
God bless you. And God bless the great State of Oklahoma.
This is how we fix this
We have huge news.
Today, in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Oklahoma we helped launch People Not Politicians, a new organization that is entirely focused on ending gerrymandering in Oklahoma. [Read the press release here.]
If you’ve been listening to our Gerrymandering Oklahoma podcast series, you know that the term “gerrymandering” refers to the process where politicians draw voting districts for personal gain. And, as we’ve discussed, while the Supreme Court has ruled that racial gerrymandering is unconstitutional, the issue of political gerrymandering continues to plague our country. People Not Politicians wants to eliminate gerrymandering of all types.
The problem with gerrymandering is simple: when politicians get to pick their own voters, they pick the ones they know will vote for them no matter what. That means they can pretty much do (or not do) whatever they want while they’re in office. And when you realize that…well, suddenly it makes a lot more sense why our state continues to be at the bottom of the list when it comes to education funding, health outcomes, life expectancy, crumbling bridges, etc. When politicians aren’t held accountable to voters, the darn wheels come off and the state kinda begin to fall apart.
Politicians have been gerrymandering for their personal gain forever. Consequently, they are the only ones who don’t want to change the law. In fact, both parties have attempted to create independent redistricting commissions in the past - but every time they tried, the other party blocked it. It seems clear that the legislature is not going to do the right thing on their own - and that’s why we, the people, have to do it ourselves.
Beat ‘em at the ballot
Today People Not Politicians filed a petition with the Secretary of State to place an initiative on the ballot that would create an independent redistricting commission - comprised of regular citizens, not politicians or their cronies - to be the ones who draw voting district lines. This is the best way to end gerrymandering - by removing politicians from the process altogether.
This commission will be fully open and transparent to public. We’ll have input into the process up front and we will know exactly how and why the lines are being drawn the way they are. This will result in a redistricting process that is not just transparent but more fair and more representative of the people of Oklahoma.
In order to get this issue on the ballot, People Not Politicians is going need your help. You can sign up on their website or simply text PEOPLE to 33339.
What about Let’s Fix This?
We’re not going anywhere. We will continue to do what we do best - keeping you informed on issues facing our state and what’s happening at the State Capitol, creating new and fun ways for you to connect with politics and engage with your elected officials, hosting watch parties for The West Wing, etc. And even more exciting than that - we’re growing! We have more folks coming on board to help us create an online civics education program, build out our events calendar, and more! And to do all those things, we need your support!
People Not Politicians is an entirely separate organization, but our passion is the same - to build a better democracy. Our hope is that this is the first of many ways in which we can be involved in helping do just that.
![2019 State of the State [full text]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/575053f820c6473bd3e6aba3/1549321061764-9SMDZV0AKD1TWGMNTKZ5/Copy+of+state+of+the+state.png)
2019 State of the State [full text]
Below is the full text of Governor Stitt’s first State of the State of address, which he delivered earlier today. We will provide our response to the speech later this week on Let’s Pod This; stay tuned for that release on Friday or Saturday.
It is such an honor to be with you today. I’d like to take a moment to recognize the honored guests with us:
Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell, statewide elected officials, President Pro Temp Greg Treat, Speaker Charles McCall, Speaker Pro Temp Harold Wright, members of the 57th Legislature, cabinet members, Chief Justice Noma Gurich and members of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, tribal leaders, friends, guests, my beloved First Lady – Sarah, my six children, my parents, and the most important audience – my fellow Oklahomans.
I stand before you today to offer a vision for Oklahoma’s future that gives purpose and direction for how our new administration will lead the state. My vision for Oklahoma is very clear and simple: to make Oklahoma Top Ten. My purpose is to work with you to deliver a turnaround that ensures a better future for all four million Oklahomans. I believe it is a purpose we all share in this room today.
Before we get into the details of my very first budget, I want to discuss how we position Oklahoma well for a “turnaround” by defining the term and the expectations for this vision.
Oklahoma’s “turnaround” is when our state stops moving in the direction of decline and begins moving in the direction we want to go: to be Top Ten in the nation. To get there, it will require three steps:
First – We must bring together people from across the state, with various backgrounds, skills and talents, to serve in critical leadership roles.
Second – We must set measurable goals and put metrics in place so every state employee, agency leader, member of my administration, and each of you in our Legislature can be part of one team with one vision.
Third – We must hold ourselves responsible for delivering results and reimagine the possibilities. I’ve said it before, Oklahoma’s challenges are no different than any other state – and Oklahoma’s opportunities, I believe, are the best in the nation.
Going through this process will put Oklahoma on the path to be Top Ten. And if anyone thinks that becoming Top Ten is just a campaign slogan, let me tell you, this turnaround is already under way with individuals who are delivering Top Ten outcomes in their own classrooms, communities, and industries.
Consider Donna Gradel – An environmental teacher in Broken Arrow Public Schools. Two weeks ago, she was named one of the Top Four teachers in the nation. Donna reimagined the classroom. She moved beyond the textbook by taking her classroom outside to partner with the city of Broken Arrow to clean public water and by taking the classroom to the world by developing a system to provide sustainable food sources to orphans in Kenya.
Donna, thank you for being here today.
Consider the Gathering Place – USA Today named it the number one place in America to visit in 2019. It is an example of public-private partnership. Where 55 acres stretched across the Tulsa river front, the George Kaiser Family Foundation reimagined a free park that is bringing together all ages, races, and categories of people to enjoy Tulsa.
Consider the Oklahoma Youth Expo Community. In the early 2000s, this youth livestock show was struggling to survive, but donors, Oklahoma families, and the Legislature came together, assessed their resources, and reimagined the program. Today, OYE is not just the #1 junior livestock show in America, it is the largest in the world. Today, OYE garners young participants from all 77 counties, awards hundreds of thousands of dollars in education scholarships and has shown a $22 million economic impact on Oklahoma City.
These are just a few examples of Oklahomans who brought together a team, set measurable goals, reimagined the possibilities, and executed on their vision to deliver Top Ten results.
Today, as I present my first budget, I ask you to join me in reimagining. Today, as we consider the state of our state, Oklahomans are presented with revenue growth of potentially $600 million, a 3.6 percent unemployment rate, rising wages and a spirit of optimism.
This is because of Oklahomans who are working hard, taking risks, opening new businesses, and creating jobs. The government does not create wealth, only the private sector can. In my administration, every policy decision will promote a healthy economy.
I want to also recognize President Pro Temp Greg Treat and Speaker Charles McCall who provided committed leadership over the past few years to make hard decisions to demonstrate our state’s support of core services that Oklahomans and job creators rely on. As I promised on the campaign trail, I brought them in to our process of reimagining the budget.
As I outline my administration’s priorities this year, I want to make it clear: as elected officials, we will not always agree on the specifics of every policy – and that’s ok. We are each elected for different reasons and because of specific issues.
But you will always find my office willing to work with you and to be open minded on policy differences, because what unites us in this room is that we are committed to reimagining how we can do state government better and deliver a brighter future for Oklahomans.
First, let’s reimagine state government. Our state Constitution vests supreme executive power in the Office of the Governor, but too often that executive power has been delegated by statute to boards that are not directly accountable to the citizens of Oklahoma. State government today is much larger than it was 112 years ago. As a result, accountability for those in power is spread too thin and, at times, it seems as of no one is really in charge.
The Health Department’s crisis in 2017 taught us this lesson, and the Legislature wisely restructured the agency’s board into an advisory role and gave the executive branch the authority to fire and hire a new leader. Let’s not wait for another crisis to start making this necessary reform across our largest agencies.
Oklahomans want three things: accountability, transparency, and results. I know the legislature wants it too.
Both Senate and House leadership are committed to addressing the structure of our state’s largest agencies so that government is held more accountable to the people. By granting the governor hiring authority, you will know exactly where the buck stops – at my desk.
But reform should not stop here. We will also seek to remove board members across state government when they have conflicts of interest. And we will look to sunset and consolidate boards and commissions where there is overlap and duplication. This is common sense reform.
My budget will prioritize funding to continue performance audits of the top 12 agencies. We will fund this effort by immediately recalling the $30 million that was given to the Health Department after the agency misrepresented their financial standing to the Legislature.
We will also reimagine state government so that our customers – Oklahoma taxpayers – are the primary focus. This is why I have placed a special emphasis in my administration on the digital transformation of state agencies. Today, I am calling for the Legislature to fund a $20 million grant program where agencies can apply to receive funds to bring their services into the 21st Century and to make government more customer-centered and efficient.
Imagine digital driver licenses that are Real ID compliant. Imagine titles available electronically. Imagine one site to obtain occupational licenses and one site to pay taxes. It is time to get it done.
It is time to improve our government’s “D+” ranking in digital transparency and for the state government’s checkbook to be online, up to date, and easy to navigate. It is time for an online dashboard where you can monitor my administration’s progress on performance metrics we will set for delivering state services.
Turning our attention to education, my administration is committed to public education and understands that the large majority of our students attend public schools. Over the next few years, we will move the needle in outcomes. We will set high standards. We will enact reforms. We will invest in the classroom.
But we must first continue our investment in the teacher, because it’s not programs, curriculum, or resources that students will remember. The magic happens between the student and the teacher in the classroom
We are confronted with a nationwide teacher shortage. This is not a problem unique to our state, but Oklahoma was among the hardest hit. With recent revenue growth, I aks the Legislature to bring our teachers to number one in our region in pay and benefits. This amounts to a $1,200 increase per teacher.
I am also calling for the Legislature to funds a bonus recruitment program, up to $5 million, to encourage certified teachers to stay in Oklahoma after graduating college, to return to the classroom after a hiatus, or to move to Oklahoma for the first time.
I applaud Representative Rhonda Baker’s collaboration to get this effort underway, and I appreciate House Minority Leader Emily Virgin and her caucus for their support of a continued pay increases for our teachers.
We must also standardize the certification test for Oklahoma’s teachers, get rid of the five-year renewal fee, and reduce unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy on high-performing schools and instead shift resources to help schools who need it the most.
But these reforms and continued investment from the state will not be enough to make Oklahoma’s education system competitive. We must do the hard work of reimagining education.
Consider Cecilia Robinson-Woods, the Superintendent of the Millwood School District in Oklahoma City. After assessing the resources and unique challenges of her district, Cecilia reimagined ways to recruit and retain talent in her classrooms. It was important that teachers were not just skilled in their profession, but that they also were passionate leaders who could shape the culture of their schools and district. Cecilia partnered with Teach for America, utilized opportunities offered under state law, and implemented a new reading program. Today, the Millwood School District has seen dramatic, positive progress in outcomes.
Cecilia, thank you for being here today.
We must also look at ways to better stabilize the funding of public education. The fact that Texas is preparing to pass a teacher pay increase – at a cost of $3.7 billion – compels us to review and reform our state’s funding formula and to take the handcuffs off local communities wanting to compete, recruit, and retain the very best teachers. We must chart a bold course that allows for communities to do more for their students without being penalized with the loss of state support.
State government cannot fix education’s funding needs alone. We must stand arm-in-arm with communities, cities, and counties. Oklahoma is stronger when we are all working together.
The process of reforming the formula demands a reimagining of school districts so we can ensure not just equal funding per student, but also equal opportunity. This will take time to study what other states are doing, what is working, and what challenges we must address that are unique to Oklahoma. I am committed to be a continuous learner in this area and a leader in the discussion.
We must not forget that education should be first and foremost about our students, not about systems. I will sign into law any legislation that seeks to break down the silos between common education, career techs, and higher education so that we can better align the education experience for Oklahoma’s children and prepare them for tomorrow’s workforce of machinists, computer programmers, engineers, and more.
Next, let us take a moment to reimagine our state’s criminal justice system. We are number one in the nation for incarceration. To move the needle, it will require us to change the way we see the person who is in a cycle of incarceration for non-violent crimes.
Many years ago, I was introduced to Melinda who held the titles of daughter, mom, and fellow Oklahoman – but to the prison system, she was a drug offender. When I met her, she was looking for hope, for a better life for her son, and for an opportunity to change course.
Today, she has been an employee at Gateway for more than 13 years. Her entry into the workforce was key to remaining sober and to becoming a thriving individual in our society. Melinda’s story of redemption was possible because of a community of people who stepped in, walked with her, and gave her opportunity.
Melinda, you are why I believe in second chances. Thank you for being here today.
There can be more stories of redemption like hers. It is why my budget requests:
$1.5 million to Women in Recovery, a public-private partnership to help women identify the roots of their addictions and develop life skills, and $10 million to the County Community Safety Investment Fund, a criminal justice reform initiative the people of Oklahoma approved with SQ 781.
But money is not the sole action government must take. I am encouraged by legislation in the House to accomplish licensing reform for those with a felony. We must give Oklahomans re-entering society more opportunities to be gainfully employed and we must give employers more discretion on who they can hire.
We must also remember the people who work hard every day to keep our correctional facilities clean, safe, and operating. They are on the front lines of delivering core government services, and as revenue continues to improve, I urge us to consider ways we can better improve their work conditions and compensation.
In my budget, we will also use revenue growth to address two critical healthcare programs in Oklahoma: The Graduate Medical Expense Program to train doctors, a cost of $62 million, and the Children Health Insurance Program, a cost of $14.8 million.
These programs remind us why we must be judicious and thoughtful about seeking federal funds. In Fiscal Year 2020, these two programs alone will cost the State of Oklahoma $77 million that the federal government once paid – a 6.8 percent increase to the healthcare authority’s budget. When Washington, D.C. wants to end a program, we are left holding the bag and covering the cost.
While Medicaid expansion currently stops at a 90 percent federal match, we cannot assume that it will remain this high forever. The estimated $150 million price tag today for Oklahoma to expand Medicaid could leave us down the road fronting more than $1 billion when the federal government pulls back on its commitment. They’ve done it before and they will do it again.
Medicaid is the fastest growing expense in our state budget, and before we commit our state to accepting even more Medicaid dollars, Oklahomans deserve accountability and transparency with our state’s management of the Healthcare Authority.
Oklahoma is the only state in the nation where the governor does not have the authority to provide oversight of this agency. We are sticking out like a sore thumb, and this must change.
Healthcare is also preventative, promoting wellness through education, personal responsibility, and raising awareness. Today, I am announcing my partnership with the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon to hold a Governor’s Relay Challenge, and I invite you to join me! I’ll be forming my own team to compete in the relay, and the team that wins will join me for lunch at the Governor’s Mansion later this year.
Let’s now move to the economy. In order to make our efforts in state government sustainable, we must first grow Oklahoma. We need more taxpayers, not more taxes.
We will reimagine our economy by diversifying our marketplace, strengthening our workforce, and encouraging Oklahomans to start new businesses. Our rules must be clear, our regulations must make sense, and our tax code must remain competitive with our neighbors.
At the Department of Commerce, I have hired the very best talent in the state to lead this critical agency, and they have set measurable goals and are running hard to tell the world Oklahoma is open for business.
To best equip the agency’s mission, I ask the Legislature to support additional funds for the governor’s Quick Action Closing Fund. Since its inception, the state has granted $11 million in total awards which attracted high paying jobs with the Macy’s large distribution center in Owasso, with Boeing’s relocation of the Aircraft Modernization and Sustainment business unit, and with the Commercial Metals Company in Durant and many more.
Today, the balance of Oklahoma’s Quick Action Closing Fund is $4.3 million. By comparison, the latest legislative report for the Texas Enterprise Fund indicates the state has awarded $609 million from its Quick Action Closing Fund, resulting in 94,347 jobs. In Arkansas, their fund has awarded over $120 million, resulting in 26,684 jobs.
You can help me sign on the dotted line for new opportunities to grow Oklahoma and demonstrate to the nation that Oklahoma is not afraid to compete with our neighbors and that we intend to win!
As we close our time together, let’s end by reimagining our state budget. I promised Oklahomans that we would get to the bottom of every tax dollar and I promised to be transparent and open about the budget process.
For the first time in recent history, the governor’s budget provides you with every tax dollar we could find across the 12 largest agencies, which are spending 90 percent of the state’s total budget. It is important we talk in total dollars. This was the one consistent request I heard from Oklahomans across the campaign trail.
In this budget packet I have also included agencies’ current performance goals. As we move forward together this year, my administration will be working with agencies to hire the best people, raise accountability, and deliver measurable results.
My vision for the budget is for it to become a meaningful resource each year, to establish a common language for lawmakers and tax payers and create a transparent budget process.
Now, as we dig into the numbers, instead of across the board increases in FY’20, my budget addresses more than $230 million in obligations and another $151 million in critical needs.
My budget also casts a bold goal for our state’s savings account, I have said often why I believe the state needs $2 billion in savings.
When we look at states where the economy depends on the price of oil, they place a strong emphasis on saving during the good years. One thing we know is true, oil prices are going to go up and oil prices are going to go down.
When energy prices tumble, it directly impacts the state’s Sales Tax collection, the state’s Income Tax collection, the Gross Production Tax, and various other revenue streams. We must be honest with ourselves and recognize that last year’s tax increases made us more dependent on the price of oil. We must be good fiscal stewards of this decision by creating more stability through savings.
At the end of FY’19, our Rainy-Day Fund will have approximately $874 million with no additional support from a stabilization fund often seen in oil-rich states. Meanwhile, Texas has $12.5 billion in total savings to weather another economic downturn. North Dakota’s total savings is more than $5.8 billion.
This is why I am setting a goal for Oklahoma to have $1 billion in our savings by the end of FY’20. To get there, we must set aside an additional $250 million from revenue growth.
Being conservative with our budget surplus today will protect Oklahoma from having to cut core services in the future.
As I close, let us remember, the future doesn’t just happen. We make it happen. As public servants, our responsibility and purpose are to ensure a better future for all four million Oklahomans. This will require us to be good listeners, continuous learners, committed communicators, and bold leaders – both inside the building and around the state.
Our vision is to make Oklahoma Top Ten.
Join me! As we work together, we will move our whole state forward.
God bless you and God bless the State of Oklahoma!
Podcast Ep. 52 | Capitol Reporters, Vol. 1 (with Grant Hermes and Sean Murphy)
In this episode we visit with two of Oklahoma's intrepid journalists, Grant Hermes (News9) and Sean Murphy (Associated Press) to get an inside look into what it's like to cover the State Capitol and politics in general in today's political climate.
NOTE: As you’ll hear at the beginning of the episode, we had an issue with the initial audio export and thus had to cut out the first five minutes of the original recording. So, we jump in near the beginning of our discussion of the second news article listed below.
News Round-up
New Election Board service allows voters to change registration information online (State Election Board)
GOP nominee for Oklahoma Senate flipped between parties during campaign (NewsOK)
Editorial: Health Department should honor open records requests (NonDoc)
“Overkill,” Town Board guts draft ordinance on Medical Marijuana (Luther Register)
Democrats Don’t Care About Policy Compromise Anymore — Just Like Republicans (FiveThirtyEight)
Live From the Battleground Districts: Polls of the Key Races for House Control (NY Times The Upshot)
Take-Aways
For all of us who have jobs and cannot be at the Capitol all day, every day, the journalists that comprise the Capitol press corp are our eyes and ears inside the building. However, they are merely observers of the process, not active participants. Because of that, they have a unique insight and perspective into what goes on there, and we thought it would be interesting to hear from them directly.
Journalists have come under fire during the last couple years, largely without warrant. Both Grant and Sean do a great job explaining how the see their role in politics today and the process that goes into investigating, researching, vetting, and writing the news. These are not cable news talking heads - these are local people reporting on local things, working their tails off to ensure that they get it right. They also share the most challenging aspects of their jobs as well as their favorite Oklahoma political stories from the past couple of years.
We included “Vol. 1” in the title because we will be doing additional interviews with other reporters at the State Capitol for future episodes down the line. Stay tuned!
Podcast Ep. 49 | Labor Commissioner 101 with Leslie Osborn
Summary
We discuss the Oklahoma Capitol Restoration Project and sit down with Oklahoma Representative and GOP candidate for Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn to find out what, exactly, the position does in our state.
Takeaways
- The restoration project is an enormous undertaking and the craftsmanship of the work is impressive. (See pics below!)
- The Oklahoma Labor Commissioner is responsible for workplace safety and development, which includes working with education & training organizations to educate the next generation of Oklahoma workers.
- Osborn's
- Remember to vote in the primary run-off election on Tuesday, August 28th!
2018 Session: Week 2 Recap
Hey guys! Welcome back to blog...this week we’ve got some great articles you can check out, a recap of the major legislative activity this week and some more details about what happened with HB1033XX. We’ll also preview the upcoming week in the legislature and look ahead to our first Capitol Day of 2018 on February 22nd.
Hey guys! Welcome back to blog...this week we’ve got some great articles you can check out, a recap of the major legislative activity this week and some more details about what happened with HB1033XX. We’ll also preview the upcoming week in the legislature and look ahead to our first Capitol Day of 2018 on February 22nd.
Don’t Miss This
Here is a list of the the articles, podcasts, blog posts and more from this week that you don’t want to miss:
Oklahoma Watch has a great article this week recapping the Q&A, floor debate and vote on the Step Up Plan. This is an in-depth, play-by-play of Monday afternoon and really is a good read.
Lots of Oklahomans are ticked off that the Step Up Plan failed, but I think teachers probably are probably the most upset and with good reason. NonDoc has a great piece focused on the response from teachers to the legislature.
If you needed any further evidence that our state is in dire straights, look no further than this story from the Enid News and Eagle. The focus here is on bridges rather than infrastructure generally (hint: it’s not good). Definitely worth a few minutes.
Here on the blog and definitely on the pod, we try to focus on things we find interesting, surprising or hopeful. Lately, it feels like there has been a lot of doom and gloom. We’re not excited about this report from The Frontier that broke on Monday afternoon and led to the resignation of Preston Doerflinger from all his government positions shortly thereafter. Despite the depressing nature of the content, it does represent some fantastic investigative reporting by the folks at The Frontier.
We’ll try to end on positive note this week with this inspirational piece from The Washington Post focused on a group of high-school students from Lawton traveling to Washington, DC to meet the legislators and learn about government. No matter how bad things seem right now, if all our high school students are like these kids, I think the future for Oklahoma is bright.
And we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the hilarity that ensued on Valentine's Day when folks on Twitter created Oklahoma legislature-themed Valentine's puns and tagged them with #oklegvalentines. Check it out for some good laughs (and a bunch of groans).
Legislative Watch
There was a lot going on at the Capitol this week. The main event of course was the failure of HB1033XX to meet the 75% supermajority threshold required of all revenue raising bills. Technically, the bill did pass the House; however, since it did not get a 75% supermajority, it now goes to a vote of the people. So, it passed - just not by enough?
So, what happened? Many people have expressed surprise that this package was unable to get through, given its similarity to HB1054 which came within 5 votes of passage in November. Honestly though, we’ve heard from many folks inside the Capitol that prospects for the bill never looked good for several reasons:
While an increase in gross production tax on oil and gas from 2-4% on all wells is a concession from Republicans (and industry), many Democrats feel very strongly that the tax needs to be at least 5%.
Taxes on tobacco are regressive by their nature. Most habitual tobacco users and cigarette smokers in particular are lower income individuals without a college degree. Philosophically, Democrats tend to be opposed to regressive taxes and while many Dems acknowledge the public health and policy benefits of using a tobacco tax to encourage smoking cessation, but they feel strongly that the state budget should not be balance on the backs of lower income individuals with an addiction, particularly without asking industry to bear a higher percentage of the load (see number 1).
I think the wind levy proved a poison pill for many Democrats. Generally, the caucus is very supportive of renewable energy and felt very strongly that this new tax would serve to discourage investment in an industry that is (comparably) younger and still developing. There was intense opposition to this component of the bill by Democrats and may have been a deciding factor, at least for some of them.
I think that many Democrats had concerns about other portions of the Step Up Plan. In particular, several of them expressed frustration over 2 other revenue bills that were scheduled to be heard if HB1033XX achieved the 75% supermajority. In particular, HB1035XX (capping the deduction taken by zero-emission facilities) and HB1037XX (lowering the standard deduction for state income taxes) were opposed by many Democrats.
Essentially, even though Republicans have a supermajority in the House, enough members of their caucus are opposed to tax increases under ANY circumstances that Democratic votes have to be brought on board to pass a revenue package. This package was able to attract 10 Democrats; that wasn’t enough.
A couple other things of note happened in the Legislature this week. HB2632, which would expand the “Stand Your Ground” statute to include “places of worship”. Some members of the Judiciary Committee who are themselves lawyers had some strong feelings about 1) whether this is a good idea and 2) how the bills is written.
Lastly, House Democrats held a press conference with State Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones endorsing his budget plan. The plan includes an increase in gross production tax to 5%; a $0.75 tax on cigarettes and little cigars; and a $0.03/gallon tax on gasoline and $0.06/gallon tax on diesel. The Democrats would like to add a cap on itemized deductions, allow casinos to use ball and dice games (which would create more taxable revenue for the gaming industry) and change hotel tax rates. The estimated total revenue for all of these measures is $622 million. House leadership has signaled they may be open to at least some of these ideas but only for FY18-19. Stay tuned.
Next Week
On Monday, the house will take up budget bills enacting cuts of 0.66% across all state agencies. 0.66% may not sound like a lot but it’s an effective cut of 2% as agencies have to implement these cuts in their entirety in the last quarter of the fiscal year. No agencies are being held harmless and the cuts equal about $40 million. The bills are expected to pass.
As I mentioned earlier, our first Capitol Day is Thursday, February 22nd and we hope to see you there! Be sure to look for next week’s episode of the podcast and accompanying blog post to make sure you’re up to date on everything that has gone down. Have a great week everyone and remember: Decisions are made by those who show up!
2018 Session: Week 1 Recap
Hey guys! Since we recorded our weekly episode of #LetsPodThis early this week for Governor Fallin’s State of the State Address, we put together a quick blog post to make sure you’re up-to-date with what has been a pretty busy first week of session.
Currently the Legislature in concurrent session, trying to wrap up the 2nd Extraordinary Session of 2017 and beginning the First Regular Session of 2018. Most of the action this week has been taken on bills filed as part of special session and most of that has been in the House.We’ve got all the details for you down below.
Hey guys! Since we recorded our weekly episode of #LetsPodThis early this week for Governor Fallin’s State of the State Address, we put together a quick blog post to make sure you’re up-to-date with what has been a pretty busy first week of session.
Currently the Legislature in concurrent session, trying to wrap up the 2nd Extraordinary Session of 2017 and beginning the First Regular Session of 2018. Most of the action this week has been taken on bills filed as part of special session and most of that has been in the House.We’ve got all the details for you down below.
Don’t Miss This
There is so much news and noise being created these days it can be hard to know where to look for good information. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here is a list of the the articles, podcasts, blog posts and more from this week that you don’t want to miss.
1. This editorial from the Tulsa World is a must-read. It is the best call to action we’ve seen in the run-up to this legislative session, both for lawmakers and citizens.
2. Governor Fallin gave her State of the State Address on Monday, February 5. In case you missed it, the great folks at Oklahoma Watch have the full text for you here. Even better, they’ve annotated the speech to give some context and analysis. This is definitely worth a read.
3. Oklahoma is making national and international news this week. This short piece from The Economist highlights our state budget crisis with a focus on education, highlighting where we’re at and how we got here. Hat tip to Grant Hermes from News9 for putting this article on our radar.
4. The Washington Post got in on the action with this admittedly partisan op-ed that takes a critical look at the idea of supply-side (aka “trickle down”) economics as it has been employed in Oklahoma and positing what it might look like on a national scale. Lots of Twitter buzz for this one throughout the week. See what you think and let us know on Facebook or Twitter.
5. The New York Times has a fantastic podcast called The Daily hosted by Michael Barbaro that you should absolutely make part of your podcast routine. Last Friday’s (02/02/2018) episode is a really interesting interview with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, formerly the Attorney General of Oklahoma. While the focus of the interview is not on Oklahoma politics per se, rumor has it that Mr. Pruitt has his eye on another statewide office in OK, possibly running for the US Senate. So, we thought this was worthy of 20 minutes of your time.
6. After you listen to Scott Pruitt’s interview on the The Daily, you may want to take a look at this article from Politico Magazine. This is an in-depth look at the Tar Creek SuperFund site in northeastern Oklahoma. Tar Creek has been in the news lately as Mr. Pruitt is accused of revealing the findings of an audit of the clean-up to the subjects of the audit.
Legislative Watch
Early in session it can seem like nothing is happening. The late nights, major bills, Twitter drama and impassioned floor speeches typically happen in the last weeks of April or May. Not this year. With the budget crisis, concurrent sessions and the Step-Up Plan, there is A LOT going on this week.
The Step-Up Plan is getting all of the attention early in session. Several bills have been filed dealing with the both the revenue and government reform portions of the plan:
● HB1033XX: House Bill 1033, this is the big one. This is a general revenue bill that combines a number of new taxes. The bill raises taxes on tobacco products, motor fuels, increases the gross production tax on oil and gas, and taxes energy production from wind. The bill passed the House Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget and passed Senate Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget shortly thereafter. We will spend some time talking through the details of this bill on next week’s podcast. We will delve into why this bill doesn’t (or at least, may not) violate the single subject rule as well as the impact this new revenue will have on our current budget crisis.
● HB1037XX: House Bill 1037 started its life as the bill representing the income tax changes proposed by the Step-Up plan. However, immediately before the bill was brought to committee it underwent a dramatic rewrite. The final bill is a restoration of the Earned Income Tax Credit and makes changes to the standard deduction. The folks at OKPolicy seem to think this is a good change, but we still have a ways to go regarding income tax reform in Oklahoma.
● HB1027XX: House Bill 1027 is the first of the Step-Up Plan’s government reform bills. The bill authorizes the Governor to make some appointments to state boards.
● HB1029XX: House bill 1029 creates the Office of Government Accountability. This another of the Step-Up Plans government reform bills. How much it would actually reform government is another question. We’ll delve into this next week.
There were other bills considered and passed out of the Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget. In particular, the committee passed new caps on deductions used by the coal, railroad and wind industries.
Next Week…
First up on the House floor on Monday is HB1033XX.We can’t really say what else will happen next week because so much depends on this first vote. We anticipate the vote will actually open later in the day after lots of off-the-floor deal-making, arm twisting and vote counting. This will likely be a long vote, and no one knows for sure whether it will pass. The bill requires a 75% supermajority in both chambers. The committee votes both met this threshold but the full House vote on the floor is another matter entirely.
If the bill passes, it will be followed by a series of votes throughout the week on the other, arguably less contentious, votes on the other measures of the Step-Up plan. If the bill fails, the rest of the Step-Up plan bills will not be heard on the floor. At that point, what happens next is anyone’s guess. Stay tuned...Monday is a big day.
We’ll see you next week for the latest edition of #LetsPodThis. And remember: Decisions are made by those who show up!