Articles
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Budget & Tax
Lawmakers exempt themselves from budget sacrifice
One thing was never aggressively pursued as a cost-saving measure: forgoing a 35 percent increase in legislative pay set to take effect in November.Ray Carter | May 20, 2020
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Budget & Tax
Citing wasteful spending, Stitt vetoes bills
Continuing his emphasis on fiscal conservatism, Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed four measures on Monday and called on lawmakers to instead eliminate wasteful spending.Ray Carter | May 18, 2020
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Budget & Tax
Lawmakers vote to raid pension assets for benefit increase
Lawmakers voted Friday to approve an unfunded increase in state workers’ retirement benefits.Ray Carter | May 15, 2020
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Budget & Tax
Stitt: The Legislature ‘owns’ future budget problems
A day after having his vetoes of budget bills quickly overridden by state lawmakers, Gov. Kevin Stitt said he has no regrets.Ray Carter | May 14, 2020
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Budget & Tax, Education
Federal cash, reduced costs, boost K-12 funds
This year’s budget legislation technically reduces state appropriations to the K-12 school system by 2.55 percent, or $78.2 million. But during floor activity on related legislation, lawmakers have repeatedly noted Oklahoma’s school system will nonetheless see an increase in total funding due to a flood of federal COVID-19 money.Ray Carter | May 14, 2020
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Budget & Tax
Stitt vetoes budget; Legislature overrides
Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed the state’s “general appropriation” bill and several associated measures on Wednesday, but lawmakers voted to override those vetoes within hours.Ray Carter | May 14, 2020
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Budget & Tax, Health Care
Tax/fee on health care, state savings, to fund Medicaid expansion
Facing a July 1 expansion of Medicaid, members of the Oklahoma Senate voted Wednesday to fund the expansion of the welfare program with a de facto tax on health care and by drawing down an undetermined and open-ended amount of state savings.Ray Carter | May 14, 2020
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Budget & Tax, Education
Budget chair: State superintendent did not ‘help on anything—period’
The chair of the House committee that drafts the budget for Oklahoma’s K-12 school system said Tuesday that State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister refused to provide meaningful assistance in this year’s budget process.Ray Carter | May 12, 2020
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Budget & Tax
Stitt says he will veto bills that redirect pension funds
Gov. Kevin Stitt announced he will veto two bills that redirect money from state pension systems to education. That will remove a substantial share of funding lawmakers used to avoid making larger cuts to state agency budgets and potentially force a redrafting of the state budget.Ray Carter | May 11, 2020
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Budget & Tax
Ex-lawmaker Mike Jackson selected for spending oversight position
An oversight committee voted Friday to hire a former legislator-turned-lobbyist to head a newly created agency tasked with auditing and reviewing state spending.Ray Carter | May 8, 2020