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!
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.
Podcast Ep. 71 | Religion & Politics (with Jon Middendorf)
Most of us were taught that it's impolite to discuss religion & politics, but in Oklahoma, those topics are often intertwined. In the eyes of Jon Middendorf, pastor at @okcfirst, the gospel "has to have skin on it," and by that measure, it is inherently a political conversation. Join us as we discuss the intersection of these two issues and how they define our state.
Podcast Ep. 51 | Too Close for Missiles
In this episode, Andy & Scott are joined by Commander Scott Downey, USN, Retired, for what starts out as a discussion of current events and the run-off election but what ends up being a rather vulnerable conversation between a liberal and a conservative.
Articles Discussed
hat Oklahomans Are Telling Their Legislators
State office independents running as a team on open government
Education funding remains a contentious debate
Oklahoma gave Boeing $90 million in incentive money, along with a few other breaks
Pruitt Watch
EPA watchdog faults Scott Pruitt's $3.5 million security costs
Take-aways
Honestly, the main takeaway from this episode is that most Oklahomans probably agree on a surprising number of political policies.
A point of personal privilege, from Andy: Over the past couple of years, I've grown to respect Scott Downey an awful lot. He's about twenty years older than I am, so his perspective on marriage, parenting, and navigating the workplace are personally valuable to me. Additionally, he is a former Navy fighter pilot with combat experience and, at one time, held the record for the most landings on an aircraft carrier. Those stories are very different...many funny, many inspiring, and many others just incredibly painful. General Sherman famously said "War is hell," and based on some of the stories I've heard from Commander Downey, that quote is completely true.
Scott and I would often discuss the current political climate in Oklahoma before class, and while we certainly butted heads on a few issues, we found that we agreed on policy just as often as we disagreed. Perhaps more importantly, we both made a point to listen to the other person's perspective and work to find common ground. I think we both hoped to change the other person's mind on certain issues, so we started with what we had in common first and then worked on the peripheral stuff. Did it always work? Certainly not! But we both have a better understanding of the other side, we're still friends, and our friendship is stronger because of it.
Update 9/8/18 @ 10:00am - I just received the following text message from Scott Downey, and am sharing it here with his permission:
I read your take aways at 12:41 AM, almost texted you then. That's some of the nicest things anyone's ever said about me although you give me l more credit than I'm due. And your readers, donors, board members, listeners should know that my reasonable, courteous discussions with you have altered my positions on many things, some large some small - I would say this shows that Lets Fix This is effective.
Pulling Back from Partisanship
School has started, 2018 campaigns are kicking off, and interim studies are being conducted - it's a typical fall at the Oklahoma State Capitol. This is the time of year is typically when the thrashing tide of partisan pressure recedes and we begin to see calmer heads prevail as the rhetoric on both sides of the aisle attempt to take on a more collaborative, almost hopeful tone through the winter. But this year is different.
School has started, 2018 campaigns are kicking off, and interim studies are being conducted - it's a typical fall at the Oklahoma State Capitol. This is the time of year is typically when the thrashing tide of partisan pressure recedes and we begin to see calmer heads prevail as the rhetoric on both sides of the aisle attempt to take on a more collaborative, almost hopeful tone through the winter. But this year is different. This year, the legislative leadership pushed through a revenue bill that, as expected, the state's Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional. This year, we've had a steady stream of legislators and other Capitol employees resign from their positions, many due to scandals involving ethics violations and criminal sexual misconduct. This year, the legislature has to go back into special session in order to fix the $215 million budget hole created by the aforementioned unconstitutional revenue bill.
As we stand on the cusp of that special legislative session, the familiar frustrations and stress from the spring begin to re-emerge. The finger-pointing, snark, and dueling press conferences at the Capitol are rekindling the feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and apathy among voters throughout the state.
Back in the spring, I heard the phrase "This year was so much worse than usual" from dozens of legislators, lobbyists, and advocates this summer. But why was it so bad? Was it due to carryover from the presidential election (and the ongoing political discord at the federal level)? Was it was the dominance of one party in the Oklahoma legislature? Was it was the reprehensible actions of a few individual legislators? Was it was just because there was so much focus on one high-stakes issue (i.e. yet another enormous budget shortfall)? Regardless of cause, one thing is clear: a whole lot of voters were a whole lot more frustrated with our state government at the end of May than they were when session began. I don't know anyone inside or outside the Capitol who walked away from session feeling good about how things went down.
This summer I've also heard another phrase being tossed around: "post-partisan." The term refers to an environment where legislators from both parties work together for the causes and bills that are best for the state as a whole, where they do that work without blaming, grandstanding, playing political games, or otherwise disrespecting one another, and where party affiliation is an association but not a definition. Sounds nice, right? Post-partisanship isn't a new idea in American politics - The Atlantic wrote about it during the 2008 presidential campaign, and The Washington Times penned a piece shortly after that election as well.
My hunch is that many of the people who feel like the legislative session was terrible are the same ones who desperately long for members of our various political factions to come together in some sort of post-partisan, let's-find-a-way-to-work-together way. Honestly, I've never heard anyone say they want our political system to be more partisan and divisive. Even hard-core members of each "party base" have expressed concern that the level of vitriol being spewed isn't helping fix anything - they, too, recognize that it's making things worse.
Voters feel like the guy in the middle - perplexed and disappointed at the kill-or-be-killed showdown between political parties.
A couple of months ago I attended a "Public Budget Hearing" hosted by the Oklahoma House Democratic caucus in the House chambers at the State Capitol, and although the invitation was extended to all Oklahomans - explicitly including the opposing caucus - there was nary a Republican official to be found. Nor did we see any state senators from either party. Likewise, the "working groups" formed by Republican leadership in the House lacked much in the way of Democratic involvement. Now, this lack of cooperation and teamwork isn't surprising, but it is still disappointing.
What if things were different? What if, in the case of the budget hearing, members of both parties and both chambers had come into the room, some sitting on the House floor and some up in the gallery, sitting there with the rest of us, listening to regular, everyday Oklahomans find the courage to get up and articulate exactly how the state budget affects them on a personal and professional level. I hear from voters - from both parties - complain that the legislature "either doesn't listen or doesn't care."
It doesn't have to be this way. There are a large number of legislators and other statewide elected officials who long for a post-partisan world just as much as many of you do. I mean, we're not just talking about far-off Washington, D.C. here - we're talking about right here in our home state, where our legislators live near us and work and eat and shop in the same places we do. You can meet them, shake their hand, and sit down to get to know them. Ask what matters most to them, ask why they vote the way they do, ask what their ideas are for improving our state. Find out where they want to see our state in five, ten, or twenty years. What do they envision? Tell them your side of things, too. Help them understand what matters to you, as a constituent. Look for common ground and build a relationship from there.
Regardless of party affiliation, we're all Oklahomans. C'mon Oklahoma, let's fix this!
What do we have to lose?
A guy approached me at the coffee shop this morning, asked my name, said he recognized me from a Let's Fix This event or news story or something, and struck up a conversation. Important to note that we didn't discuss politics; we discussed his thoughts on the state budget situation and what it means for the future of Oklahoma.
A guy approached me at the coffee shop this morning, asked my name, said he recognized me from a Let's Fix This event or news story or something, and struck up a conversation. Important to note that we didn't discuss politics; we discussed his thoughts on the state budget situation and what it means for the future of Oklahoma.
The guy is married, has a couple of kiddos, lives in Edmond, and works for a large oil & gas company in downtown OKC. His family hasn't been directly impacted by Oklahoma's state budget shortfall - they're financially comfortable, plenty of food, nice clothes, reliable cars, good schools, etc. Honestly, they're probably better off than 80% of Oklahomans.
And yet, he's contemplating moving to Texas. Not because he can't make a living here, but because he's frustrated and ashamed at how our state government continues to stumble and fumble and fail. He admits Texas may not be the model example of how a state should be run, but he feels like they're doing a much better job than Oklahoma. He said the reason oil & gas companies pay so well and invest in local communities is because they need to attract people to live here & work for them...but if they choose to not properly invest in the state (in reality or in the public's opinion of them), then they're going to start losing people to other states just as quickly as we're losing teachers.
That sentiment should give all of us pause. Moving is a huge hassle and costly, and if we're already losing the folks who can least afford to move, then it should be no surprise that we may start losing the folks who can most easily afford it. If you have the option, why would you raise your children in a state where they don't get a full week worth of school or where they don't have sports to play? Why would you keep living somewhere that requires you to drive for hours to get to a hospital? Why would you spend time in a state that neglects its roads, its state parks, and its people? Why would you live in a state that is widely known for having the worst health outcomes and highest incarceration rates in the entire country?
We've got to change the narrative. All of us - from the Governor all the way down to you and I - need to stop and think about where we're at as a state and where we're headed. We're at a crossroads in our history, and this is the defining moment of our generation. Our response to the co-occurring crises of identity, purpose, value, and direction of our state will surely determine what the next 10, 20, and even 50 years of Oklahoma looks like. Because when we ask ourselves "What do we have to lose," the answer is an emphatic "Everything." And based on my conversation in the coffee shop this morning, we may already be starting to lose it.
I'll end by reiterating what I said in my last post - we need leaders in our state who have a bold vision for our future and who are committed to leaving a legacy of decisive, formative, positive action on our state. We need people who are committed to the future of our state, not just the future of their careers.
Leadership, Vision and Legacy
A lot of folks, myself included, have commented on the lack of leadership among our state legislature and other statewide elected officials. That deficiency has been highlighted repeatedly this year by the legislature's fledgling attempts to fix the budget. From the Governor's highly unpopular plan to tax services to the recent communication break down among legislative leaders, the people responsible for guiding our state's financial well-being have left the public feeling, well...honestly, pretty scared about the future.
A lot of folks, myself included, have commented on the lack of leadership among our state legislature and other statewide elected officials. That deficiency has been highlighted repeatedly this year by the legislature's fledgling attempts to fix the budget. From the Governor's highly unpopular plan to tax services to the recent communication break down among legislative leaders, the people responsible for guiding our state's financial well-being have left the public feeling, well...honestly, pretty scared about the future.
That's not leadership
Leaders shouldn't make you feel scared about the future. Real leadership is making others feel confident and inspired. Leadership is being able to clearly articulate a vision for the future, identify the objectives necessary to make that vision come to life, and encouraging others to join you in the pursuit. True leaders pursue that vision relentlessly, and their legacy is defined by their achievement.
Be thou my vision
Oklahoma needs a new vision. We need something to believe in - something bigger than ourselves, bigger than this perpetual budget hole, and bigger than our reliance on the oil and gas industry. We need to believe that we're better than being 49th, that we're not just some flat, one-party, "flyover state" who can't do anything right besides play football, survive tornadoes, and try to overturn Roe vs Wade every other month. Oklahoma needs to get its groove back.
Oklahoma has a diverse population, a diverse economy, and a diverse ecosystem. We have a rich, storied past of hard work and overcoming hardships. We're a unique blend of rugged individualism that formed strong communities. We're smack in the middle of America's compass, right at the crossroads of where East meets West and North meets South. Far too often we act like that means we don't know where we belong, but I think it's time we recognize that the middle is a pretty cozy place where many Americans want to be. Oklahoma has got to stop comparing itself Texas and get out from under the shadow of the Lone Star; we need to recognize our own self-worth and embrace our Oklahomaness. Once you realize you're not the ugly duckling; being a swan is a whole lot easier. We need to embrace the vision that Oklahoma is successful and desirable, and the sooner we start believing that, the sooner we'll all be acting like it's true.
“When your self-worth goes up, your net worth goes up with it. ”
What do you want your legacy to be?
What happens in the next two weeks will define the legacy of Oklahoma's 56th legislature. I can guarantee their legacy won't be how many abortion resolutions they passed or how many times they vowed not to support something Obama said or that they voted to allow us to hunt wild hogs from helicopters. It will be this moment, right here, right now, when they choose to either pursue a vision for healthy, growing, thriving Oklahoma, or when they choose to do nothing, turning their back on their fellow Oklahomans in harmful, cold neglect.
Oklahoma's state leaders need to decide what kind of legacy they want to leave behind. If they're simply content with being known as the ones who cut corporate income taxes or filled up the Rainy Day Fund, then folks - we need to elect better leaders. We need leaders with a passion and vision for the future. Oklahoma deserves leadership that will inspire us and unlock that greatness that we all know is living deep down inside. We need leaders who want to leave a legacy of prosperity, of greatness, of success. Not for themselves, but for Oklahoma.
It's time to Save Our State
Yesterday we joined more than two dozen nonprofit and professional organizations to announce the Save Our State budget plan. This three-year budget blueprint is far more than just the gimmicky fixes that the legislature often passes - this plan puts Oklahoma on a real, sustainable path to prosperity. It steers us away from more devastating budget cuts and allows us to actually invest in education, public safety, healthcare, and transportation.
Yesterday Let's Fix This stood with nearly two dozen nonprofit and professional organizations to announce the Save Our State budget plan. This three-year budget blueprint is far more than just the gimmicky fixes that the legislature often passes - this plan puts Oklahoma on a real, sustainable path to prosperity. It steers us away from more devastating budget cuts and allows us to actually invest in education, public safety, healthcare, and transportation.
You probably know the phrase "We're all in this together," and this budget plan definitely embodies that idea. It's broad-based and reflects the ideals of the democratic republic in which we live - if everyone gives a little, we all get a lot in return. Rich and poor, sales and services, oil and wind, public and private - everybody chips in to share the responsibility for helping Oklahoma reach it's full potential.
This isn't the only budget plan out there. Governor Fallin announced her plan at the beginning of session, and it has a few strong components. The House Democrats released their "Restoring Oklahoma" budget plan a few weeks ago, and it's pretty solid, too. We chose to join the SOS Coalition because we believe this budget plan is the best recipe for Oklahoma's success. Like any good recipe, ingredients and proportions matter. We encourage lawmakers to not pick and choose just the things they like best; we encourage them to consider the plan as a whole. Think of it like baking a cake - if you leave out some of the ingredients, it's not going to work. In fact, it's going to be a disaster. You can't use just flour and sugar and expect to have a cake that tastes good; you'll just have a pile of dry powder that no one wants. Likewise, you can't just use sugar and eggs. Will it sweet? Yes, it'll also be really gross. Oklahoma deserves better.
Oklahoma deserves a DAMN good cake.
The SOS budget blueprint is based on five key things:
- Address the overall budget situation, not just the public education crisis. The plan ensures there will be enough revenue to avert further budget cuts and invest in key priorities.
- Acknowledge revenue is part of the problem and modernize the tax system while ending special interest giveaways.
- Look beyond the current crisis and propose realistic solutions to structural budget problems plaguing the state.
- Propose reforms to budgeting practices that will increase legislative oversight and reduce the potential for future revenue failures.
- Model the transparency we believe our elected officials should adopt.
Fixing a state is a big task, but it's not insurmountable. We believe that with this plan and your help, together, we can fix this. Visit SaveOurStateOK.org to pledge your support, and then use this 30-second guide to put your support into action.
A New Deal for Oklahoma
Just over 84 years ago, in the midst of the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office and delivered his first inaugural address. The speech mostly was about the Depression, which was (and still is) the worst financial crisis in American history. However, if you read it now, you'd think he was talking to us about Oklahoma's present budget situation. We've been saying things are bad, and hearing FDR's words echo across history gives our current situation some much-needed context. The familiar phrase "those who choose to ignore history are doomed to repeat it" has never felt more relevant.
Just over 84 years ago, in the midst of the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office and delivered his first inaugural address. The speech mostly was about the Depression, which was (and still is) the worst financial crisis in American history. However, if you read it now, you'd think he was talking to us about Oklahoma's present budget situation. We've been saying things are bad, and hearing FDR's words echo across history gives our current situation some much-needed context. The familiar phrase "those who choose to ignore history are doomed to repeat it" has never felt more relevant.
To help illustrate this point, I reworked parts his speech to make it sound more modern and swapped out national nuances for Oklahoman ones, while retaining key phrases to preserve the overall feel and sentiment of the original. And, because I believe we need to be inspired by strong voices and thoughtful dialogue, I will be delivering this version during our Capitol Day event this later morning.
This is a day of statewide importance. This is the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. We should not shrink from discussing the conditions that face our state today. This great State will endure as it has endured. Together we can overcome, and together we will prosper.
First of all, let me be clear: the only thing that stands in our way is our own fear of speaking up, of speaking out, and of being labeled "too political." This is an unjustified terror which paralyzes us and inhibits our willingness to lead and do what is right and what is best for the people of Oklahoma. In this dark hour, as in every dark hour of our state, we need a leadership of frankness and of humility, a leadership that understands and supports the people themselves. We need to live up to the Oklahoma Standard that we so often revere.
Year after year, we face the same problems. Revenue has declined; taxes are levied inequitably and irresponsibly. Our government's ability to pay has fallen; our progress is frozen in the currents of corporate coddling; the withered leaves of broken families lie on every side; prisons teem with huddled, neglected masses; and the very safety nets that have saved thousands of Oklahoma families are now riddled with holes. Many of my fellow Oklahomans continue to face the grim reality of unshakable poverty, and an even greater number work tirelessly, week after week, living check to check, hovering just above economic collapse. Only a fool can deny the dark realities of the moment.
And yet, we have faced this adversity before. Compared with the perils of our past - the Dust Bowl, the oil bust, the other oil bust - we have much to be thankful for. The Earth still offers her bounty and our human efforts have multiplied it. However, while there is a package of prosperity at our doorstep, greed threatens to steal it away. The leaders of our state have failed, and yet, due to their own stubbornness or perhaps their own myopic incompetence, they still refuse to admit their failure. The shameless behavior of special interests stand indicted in the court of public opinion, and they are rejected by the hearts and minds of men.
True, the Legislative leadership may say they have tried, but they continue to act in the pattern of an outworn tradition. Faced by repeated revenue failures, they have only proposed more cuts and more social control. Without the ability to promise prosperity and entice us to follow their false leadership, they have resorted to exhortations, pleading tearfully for us to trust them while placating us with platitudes of moral indignation. They have no vision, and when there is no vision, the people perish.
Yes, some of those who created this situation have fled from their high seats in this building, the temple of our state. We may now restore this temple to the truth it once held. How well we restore it requires we seek values more noble than mere monetary profit.
Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy and the moral stimulation of work should not be forgotten in the mad chase of fleeting profits. These dark days, my friends, will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to live in fear that our government may abandon us in our time of need, but to remind us that our state constitution was ordained to secure a just and rightful government, and to promote our mutual welfare and happiness.
We must recognize that lower taxes will not magically make Oklahoma successful, and that must go hand in hand with legislators giving up the false belief that the only value of public office and political position are pride and personal gain. There must be an end to the conduct by both the legislature and by businesses that places politics and profits ahead of people. I'm not surprised that people have no confidence in our state government. Confidence thrives only on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection, and on unselfish performance. Without them, confidence cannot live.
If we are to restore this state, it will require more than changes in ethics alone. This State is asking for action, and action now. As I stand before you today, our primary task is to fix the budget. This problem is completely solvable if we face it wisely and courageously. There are, in fact, many ways in which the budget can be helped, but it can never be helped by merely talking about it. We must act, and we must act quickly.
We must recognize that this will require nearly all of us to share the responsibility. However, the burden borne by each person should be fair, equitable, and proportionate to the degree of blessings each of us has received. Broadly supported measures, such as increasing taxes on cigarettes and fuel, despite their regressive nature, are a must. A surcharge on high incomes would only affect three percent of households, and they would still be paying less income tax than they did prior to the most recent round of tax cuts. Ending wind subsidies and the capital gains exemption, adopting combined corporate reporting, and increasing the gross production tax are all reasonable, viable, and totally justifiable means for reconstituting our lost revenue.
And finally, in our progress toward fixing our budget, we require two safeguards against a return of the evils of old: there must be a strict supervision of funding and how it is spent. There must be an end to automatic tax cut triggers that ignore the full context of the state's economy.
These, my friends, are the lines of attack. Through adoption of this plan, we begin to put our house in order and slowly restore the persistent optimism that has guided our state for more than a hundred years. Our social policy, though very important, must be secondary to establishing a sound state economy. I favor, as a practical policy, the putting of first things first. We all want to completely eliminate every ounce of waste, fraud, and abuse, but the emergency we face cannot wait on that accomplishment.
The basic thought that guides this specific plan of statewide recovery is the recognition of the old and permanently important Oklahoma spirit of the pioneer. It is the way to recovery, and it is the immediate way. It is the strongest assurance that recovery will endure. We must blaze a trail to solvency, to hope, to our successful future.
We must be good neighbors; we must be the neighbor who resolutely respects himself and the rights of others; the neighbor who respects his obligations and respects the sanctity of his agreements with all of his neighbors. We cannot merely take; we must give as well. If we are to move forward, we must recognize that we are all in this together.
We hope that the normal balance of authority between the House and Senate will be enough to meet the unprecedented task before us. However, in the event that the legislature fails to take a proper course; in the event that the statewide emergency is still critical, we shall not evade the clear course of duty that will then confront us. We will file, we will campaign, we will vote, and we will win each and every seat currently occupied by legislators who do not represent the best interests of the good, hardworking people of Oklahoma.
Now, we don't distrust the future of democracy. We, the people of Oklahoma, have not failed. We have registered a mandate that we want direct, vigorous action. We have asked for discipline and direction under leadership. We have made the governor and the legislature the instruments of our wishes, and in the spirit of that gift, we request, nay, we demand that our leaders stand up and lead.
We face the difficult days ahead with an increasingly warm courage of growing statewide unity; with the collective decision to seek justice based upon inclusive and accepting moral values; and with the clean satisfaction that comes from doing what we all know, deep down, is for the common good. We all want a secure and prosperous Oklahoma life.
My fellow Oklahomans, I ask you to join me in this fight. Join us in asking the legislature to fix the budget, to redeem our state. There are many in this building who already stand with us. My friends, with your help, we can do this. Grab a friend, join me, and together: let's fix this.
Breaking the Cycle
Most of my career has been spent working in the mental health field, which isn't exactly known for being lucrative. (For reference, it's likely that NASA will put a man on Mars before I will pay off my student loans.) But, it's good, honest work and I have always appreciated the opportunity to serve a group of people who have complex, sometimes painfully difficult needs. It is truly a privilege to be bear witness to the depth and darkness of a person's life, to hear their secrets and their fears, and to be a living testament to the struggles and suffering they have endured.
Most of my career has been spent working in the mental health field, which isn't exactly known for being lucrative. (For reference, it's likely that NASA will put a man on Mars before I will pay off my student loans.) But, it's good, honest work and I have always appreciated the opportunity to serve a group of people who have complex, sometimes painfully difficult needs. It is truly a privilege to be bear witness to the depth and darkness of a person's life, to hear their secrets and their fears, and to be a living testament to the struggles and suffering they have endured.
Most of the counselors I know make in the low to mid $30,000s, and they do this work because it is important, it is rewarding, and it is absolutely necessary. Same with many teachers, social workers, police officers, custodians, bus drivers, and a bajillion other jobs that allow our society to function with civility and help people support their families and pay their bills.
Except for when they can't.
Sadly, most Oklahomans live paycheck-to-paycheck. We get by so long as our paycheck is deposited on time and nothing unexpected pops up. You can pay most of your bills, but you dont' really get to save much. And then sometimes it's a cold winter and your gas bill is really high, or it's a really hot summer and your electricity bill skyrockets. Suddenly, living paycheck-to-paycheck really sucks, and you don't have quite enough to pay all the bills. If you're fortunate enough to have some money tucked away into a savings account, you might dip into it to make ends meet and hope to replace it later on down the road.
Until it's all gone. Then what?
That's where Oklahoma is right now. The state has been living paycheck to paycheck, and it simply doesn't have enough money coming in each month to pay all the bills. In fact, it was announced earlier this week that the state's Rainy Day Fund had been depleted. We had to use the last $240 million in our savings account to make it through the month...and there's still three months left in the fiscal year. The folks at the Capitol think there will be enough revenue in April to put that $240 million back in savings...but what if we they're wrong? What if we don't even have enough revenue to pay bills next month?
I'll tell you what would happen: Agencies will get cut, schools will end the year a few days short, and ultimately Oklahomans will lose their jobs. That's right. It won't be pretty. Just for reference, ending the school year early means that tens of thousands of people get paid less, plus tens of thousands of Oklahoma parents have to scramble to find childcare for a day when their kids should be in school. So, they have to take off of work (if they can), which costs Oklahoma businesses tens of millions of dollars in lost productivity. People will lose wages (or even their actual jobs), and then they'll need to state assistance so that their family doesn't starve. Tell me: How does that help the state move forward?
It doesn't have to be that way. We don't have to keep cutting and cutting and cutting until we're just a poor, demoralized, shell of a state. There's another, better option.
We need to bring in more money.
As I said earlier, the I didn't go into the most lucrative career field, and I've faced my share of personal "budget shortfalls." When things have been tight for me, I immediately reduced my expenses as much as I could. I turned off my cable, I stopped going to the movies, I started taking my lunch. When that wasn't enough, I got a second job...and sometimes a third and a forth. Shortly after grad school I worked as an adjunct professor three days a week, mowed lawns two days a week, and saw counseling clients at my office in the evenings...and I still picked up occasional odd jobs, like painting houses, whenever I could. In order to make ends meet after my son was born, I did contract work for a mental health agency in the evenings and did roofing on weekends in addition to working full-time. The point is, we've cut all we can cut, and now we need to look at ways to increase income. If we want things to improve, we must increase how much money the state takes in. If I can do it, the state can do it.
The state only gets money one way: we pay taxes. Now, nobody wants to pay any more taxes than they absolutely have to, but there's a trade-off. You pay taxes, and in return you [should] get a robust public school system that feeds the minds of our children so they can grow up and be productive members of society, roads and bridges that are safe and don't rattle your car to pieces, clean air and water that is safe to consume, laws and policies that give structure to our society so that individuals are protected and businesses thrive and grow, state parks and museums and cultural events to enjoy.
You get what you pay for.
You know it's true. Pretty much anything worthwhile costs money, and nice stuff costs extra. I don't know about you, but I'm sick of Oklahoma being among the worst at everything. Seriously, we're in the top 10 worst for: Obesity. Education. Children in poverty. No health insurance. Cardiovascular deaths, cancer deaths, drug deaths, premature deaths, Deaths at work. Infant deaths. Suicide. Diabetes. Chlamydia. Frequent mental distress, frequent physical distress. Smoking. Median household income. And, you know, just Overall.
Ugh. Let's stop doing that. Instead, let's fix this.
Running a state isn't cheap, but it is a team effort, and we need all hands on deck for this. We need you to understand that you get what you pay for, which means we're all going to need to pay a little bit more in taxes so we can pay for something better.
We need the richest 3 percent of the population to be willing to be a teensy bit less rich so that their fellow Oklahomans who are incredibly poor can not die.
We need big businesses who are making fat profits to do more to prioritize people over profits, otherwise they won't have any employees or customers.
We need legislators of both parties to stop worrying about being one of the popular kids in that big marble high school, to put people over politics, and to vote for increased revenue.
Together, we can do this. We can fix this.