TULSA, Okla. — It's the start of a new legislative session and Gov. Kevin Stitt delivered his State of the State address on Monday.
It is his fourth and final state of the state unless he is reelected later this year.
Stitt presented his executive budget proposal and delivered his annual speech discussing some of Oklahoma's hottest topics.
Governor Stitt covered a wide range of topics including education, law enforcement, the McGirt ruling, taxes, medical marijuana and infrastructure.
All of it centered on his idea of Oklahoma becoming a top ten state.
He broke down his speech into what he calls four checkpoints on the road to the top ten.
First on that list driving hope for all Oklahoman's. That he says comes through education.
“We know education is not one-size-fits-all, and I pledge to support any legislation that gives parents more school choice, because in Oklahoma, we need to fund students, not systems,” Gov. Stitt said.
He also touched on teachers not being paid as much as administrators so he proposed matching funds so teachers can make six-figure salaries.
Second on his list, protecting Oklahomans and their way of life.
He expressed support for law enforcement and creating a system for helping them deal with trauma.
“In the same way we can attract and support teachers, we need to provide law enforcement officers competitive pay, we need to provide the best training available, and more career options,” he said.
He says the state needs to focus on securing fairness and safety in the medical marijuana industry.
Governor Stitt says when Oklahoman's approved the state question legalizing medical marijuana it was misleading which he says has tied the state’s hands in regulating the industry.
He says the cost of a commercial license is too low when compared to other states and that we have too many growers.
“Next door in Arkansas, they have 8 growers. We have 8,300. You know as well as I do that not all of that product is being sold legally," he said. "This is a perfect example why we need to make sure initiative petitions represent Oklahomans, not out-of-state special interest groups.”
Governor Stitt says Oklahoma charges $2,500 for a commercial license compared to California which charges up to $181,000.
We did some research and while Oklahoma has a flat fee, California’s is based on revenue so a fee can be as low as $1,500 or as high as $181,000.
His third idea focused on making Oklahoma a business-friendly state.
“Open for business isn’t just about recruiting new companies," Gov. Stitt said. "We’ve launched an innovative platform to help Oklahoma manufacturers solve supply chain issues. Our system connects them to buyers and sellers and keeps their money in Oklahoma."
He says more than 400 companies have already signed up to be part of this system.
Under his business plan, he also proposed eliminating the grocery tax but didn’t talk about how he would replace the money.
“Oklahoma is one of just 13 states that taxes groceries and ours is one of the highest," Stitt said. "Many Oklahoman's are already struggling under the weight of record inflation. Let’s give them more help this year. Because, after all, we need more taxpayers, not more taxes.”
He also proposed lowering income taxes according to state revenue.
His fourth and final point was also a nod to taxpayers by providing greater transparency and easier access to basic services.
“I’m calling for the legislature to partner with me to make it easier than ever for Oklahoman's to interact with state government. Let’s start with driver's licenses and vehicle registration,” Gov. Stitt said.
The budget proposal is set to emphasize healthcare, education, infrastructure, and finding new ways to bring business to the state.
A record-high $10.3 billion has been appropriated for next year's budget. That's about $2 billion more than 2021's budget.
But even with extra funds, Gov. Stitt says he expects spending to remain relatively flat which means no big changes are coming.
Gov. Stitt and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Roger Thompson say they want to keep at least $2 billion in reserves in case of future economic issues in the state.
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