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. Shawn, it's barely April and already Governor Kevin Stitt and Republican leaders in the Oklahoma House and Senate have produced a budget agreement. That normally does not happen until late April or even early May. How did this agreement come together so quickly?
Shawn Ashley: There were a few factors. Governor Kevin Stitt and Republican leaders have said, and stressed again Wednesday, it's a tight budget year, so that limited their options. You can see that in the results. The budget totals $12.8 billion, an increase of only 1.52% or nearly $200 million over the current fiscal year's budget. It also appears legislators were already in agreement on a number of issues that had budget implications. Such as launching a new program to improve public school students' literacy. And it seems Republican legislative leaders agreed with some of the proposals outlined by Governor Stitt in his State of the State speech in February, such as the $250 million in additional funding for the state's Medicaid program, rather than the nearly $500 million requested by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority.
Dick Pryor: Lawmakers had several hundreds of millions of dollars less to appropriate this year than last year, but they say there are no across-the-board cuts and various departments and programs received increases of some kind. So, beyond what you just told us, what are the highlights?
Shawn Ashley: Well first of all, budget writers had to move around a lot of money, well over $1 billion. First, they eliminated one-time appropriations, ranging from $300 million that was used to purchase a private prison in Lawton, to funding for things like replacing agency buildings’ heating and air systems. They will also take money from the Revenue Stabilization Fund, which helps smooth out declines in oil and tax revenues and corporate income tax collections. And they tapped several agency revolving funds that had excess balances from taxes and fees.
Now, the budget agreement increases funding to the State Department of Education by $208.7 million, including almost $80 million for reading and math programs and a $2,000 across-the-board teacher pay raise, totaling $85 million. And some of the other increases in the proposed budget include $12 million to the State Election Board to upgrade its software, $38.9 million to the Department of Human Services for its Advantage Waiver Program, and $25.5 million to DHS for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs. That would be the SNAP program. And $5 million for a plan to allow foster children to receive state benefits until the age of 21.
Dick Pryor: Democratic leaders expressed concern about what they saw as lack of transparency in the process. That frequently is cited as a problem, even by members of the majority party. The legislature has taken steps to improve transparency the last few years. How well did those measures work in this year's negotiations?
Shawn Ashley: Well, House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson said she saw what the public saw, which wasn't much. She also noted there were some rank-and-file Republican members who didn't know what was in the budget agreement until after it was announced. Now, the legislature's initial review of agency budget requests took place in the open, in open meetings, back in December and January. But after that, things kind of went dark until Wednesday.
House Appropriations and Budget Chair Trey Caldwell and Senate Appropriations Chair Chuck Hall took issue with the idea that the process was not transparent, saying they were available to talk with members about budget issues at any time during the process. But we know from 2024, when the governor, House and Senate held open budget negotiations that a lot of wheeling and dealing takes place in those discussions. So, we're still trying to figure out what some of those deals were. We do know, for example, that the Senate agreed to hear Chairman Caldwell's two proposed state questions regarding the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust as part of the budget deal.
Dick Pryor: With the early resolution of the budget, is there any indication the session will end early? It is, after all, an election year when lawmakers like to wrap up their business quickly so they can hit the campaign trail.
Shawn Ashley: You would think so, but House Speaker Kyle Hilbert and Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton said Thursday, they're not planning to rush the end of the session. In 2018, which was also an election year, there was no formal budget agreement announced. The general appropriations bill passed committee April 24th, then both chambers and the legislature adjourned sine die May 3rd. The general appropriations bill is expected to be taken up Monday by the Joint Committees on Appropriations and Budget.
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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