TRANSCRIPT
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Dick Pryor: This is Capitol Insider - taking you inside politics, policy and government in Oklahoma. I'm Dick Pryor with Quorum Call publisher Shawn Ashley at the state Capitol. Shawn, the state Board of Equalization met Friday to certify funds available for the legislature to appropriate in the next fiscal year, which begins in July. First, remind us of who is on the Board of Equalization and its purpose.
Shawn Ashley: The board, which is created by the Oklahoma Constitution, is chaired by Governor Kevin Stitt. Its members include Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell, Attorney General Gentner Drummond, Treasurer Todd Russ, State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd, Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, and Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur. The board determines, based on numbers prepared by the Oklahoma Tax Commission and other agencies, how much money the state is expected to collect in the upcoming fiscal year that begins July 1st. That determines how much money the legislature can appropriate.
Dick Pryor: So, what did the board determine at this latest meeting?
Shawn Ashley: Lawmakers will have a total of $12.4 billion to appropriate. Now, that's a little more than the $12.3 billion forecast in December. And just a few million dollars less than what was actually appropriated for the current fiscal year.
Dick Pryor: How did the governor and other elected officials react to the certification?
Shawn Ashley: Stitt, Lieutenant Governor Pinnell, and Treasurer Todd Russ noted the strength the numbers show in the Oklahoma economy because most of the improvement from December comes from individual income tax collections and gross production tax collections on natural gas. Stitt also spoke to reporters after the meeting and said there is plenty of money for his proposed one half of one percentage point reduction in the individual income tax.
Dick Pryor: Attorney General Gentner Drummond did not attend the December meeting, but he questioned the validity of the process the board follows in forecasting revenue for the state. Was Drummond present at this February meeting?
Shawn Ashley: No, he was not. Drummond announced about an hour before the meeting that he would not be attending and again questioned the numbers. Drummond said in a press release Friday, “Last December we were told one amount. Then two months later, it was a new number that magically was enough to help pay for the governor's tax cut. Now the governor is pushing an even more precarious plan, using unreliable economic projections and one-time cash on hand to pay for it.”
Stitt, of course, took issue with Drummond's assessment, saying “it is not irresponsible to let people keep more of the money that they earned.” And Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell, as well as other members of the board, went out of their way during the meeting to point out that the numbers are independently prepared by the Oklahoma Tax Commission and its economist as well as more than 20 other agencies who report proposed revenue collection numbers.
Dick Pryor: Governor Stitt and State Superintendent Walters have been at odds lately, and the governor is replacing three members of the state Board of Education. Now, Stitt and Walters both serve on the Board of Equalization, as you mentioned earlier. Did those two interact at the meeting?
Shawn Ashley: No, they didn't. Because Walters wasn't there. Walters did not attend Friday's meeting, just as he did not attend the meeting in December. And the State Department of Education, of course, receives the largest share of state appropriations. Stitt noted neither Drummond nor Walters had informed him or the board staff that they would not be at the February meeting. “They should be here,” said Stitt.
Dick Pryor: So now we know the certified numbers. What's coming up in the week ahead at the state Capitol?
Shawn Ashley: Lawmakers are focused on committee work right now. So, around a dozen committees and subcommittees are meeting each day and will consider from around 75 bills on a slow day to more than 150 on a busy day. And some of those involve money that will be appropriated during the 2025 legislative session.
Dick Pryor: What is the pace of the session so far?
Shawn Ashley: It is very, very brisk because lawmakers move through that large number of bills on a daily basis.
Dick Pryor: All right. Thank you, Shawn.
Shawn Ashley: You're very welcome.
Dick Pryor: For more information, go to quorumcall.online and find audio and transcripts at kgou.org. Until next time, with Shawn Ashley, I'm Dick Pryor.
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