TRANSCRIPT
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. The new school year is underway around Oklahoma and teachers from some states are now being required to pass a test developed by PragerU - an organization headed by conservative talk show host Dennis Prager - before they can be hired to teach and certified in Oklahoma. This test is being pushed by State Superintendent Ryan Walters to combat what he calls “leftist ideology” in the classroom. In Oklahoma. Has this test as a condition of employment been properly approved?
Shawn Ashley: No. The State Board of Education has not adopted the test and state law neither requires nor authorizes the department to administer such a test. Now, the State Board of Education in 2024 did approve an administrative rule that would have required new teachers and those renewing their certifications to take and pass the U.S. naturalization test, but the legislature rejected that rule during the 2025 session. I reached out to the State Department of Education on Friday morning and asked for more information about how the test will be implemented, utilized, and for a copy of it. As we record this, I have yet to hear from them.
Dick Pryor: This is a developing story and it is receiving national attention. The Office of Management and Enterprise Services has wrapped up fiscal year 2025 and moved into fiscal year 2026. Now, among other things, the office oversees the state's general revenue fund, which is the largest source for legislative appropriations. Shawn, what do the final numbers for FY25 show?
Shawn Ashley: General revenue collections for fiscal year 2025 totaled $8.7 billion. That was $224.7 million or 2.6% above the estimate on which those legislative appropriations were made and $279.1 million or 3.3% above the prior fiscal year's collections. Sales tax collections, which were reduced by the elimination of the state portion of the sales tax on groceries, which took effect at the end of August 2024, were lower in FY 2025 than they had been the previous year. Now, what is important, I think, is that sales tax, use tax and gross production taxes on oil and natural gas production came in below the fiscal year's estimate. Only individual and corporate income tax collections exceeded the estimate. The FY 2025 increase in individual income tax collections of $227.6 million accounted for 95.1% of the total growth in general revenue fund collections.
Dick Pryor: In the latest legislative session, lawmakers approved and the governor signed a bill that reduces the individual income tax rate and places the state on a path toward elimination of the tax. How long that will take is dependent on year-to-year economic growth. So, what do these latest revenue figures tell us about how quickly that may happen?
Shawn Ashley: Well, it could take quite a while. Even under the best conditions, hitting the revenue growth trigger year after year, it would take more than 15 years to eliminate the tax. If revenue growth continues at the same pace as in FY 2025, particularly if much of that comes from the individual income tax, that will add several more years to the process.
Dick Pryor: The State Ethics Commission has issued an advisory opinion about how elected officials can use campaign funds for safety and security. What prompted this discussion and what did the Ethics Commission determine?
Shawn Ashley: Republican and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate pointed to the recent attention on elected official safety, particularly after the assassination of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman. The commission determined that office holders could use leftover campaign funds for safety and security measures when the dangers or threats are a direct result of and closely related to the office they hold.
Dick Pryor: That raises another question, Shawn. Beyond safety and security, how can elected officials use their campaign funds?
Shawn Ashley: They can use them for what are considered office holder expenses. Often this involves travel to conferences, membership in various organizations, and other related expenses. But over the years a number of office holders have run afoul of that rule by using their campaign funds for personal expenses.
Dick Pryor: Thank you, Shawn.
Shawn Ashley: You’re very welcome.
Dick Pryor: For more information, go to quorumcall.online. You can find video of Capitol Insider segments on the KGOU You Tube channel. Audio and transcripts are at kgou.org and look for Capitol Insider where you get podcasts. Until next time, with Shawn Ashley, I'm Dick Pryor.
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