Articles
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Budget & Tax, Education
Democrats call for dramatic education spending increase
This year’s state appropriation for K-12 schools was above $3 billion for the first time ever. It’s now estimated K-12 schools will have received a $638 million increase in appropriations in just two years, including money for an average combined two-year pay raise of $7,320 for teachers.Ray Carter | May 22, 2019
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Budget & Tax
Department of Health finances defy budget critics’ claims
Legislative Democrats have argued state government should not set aside $200 million into savings, as provided for in the Republican-authored budget. Instead, Democrats say the money would be better spent at agencies. But in making that case, Democrats have chosen an odd agency to champion.Ray Carter | May 20, 2019
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Budget & Tax
Total state revenue collections hit record high
Total gross receipts collected in April 2019 were $1.58 billion—an increase of 12.7 percent, or $178 million, from the same month in the prior year. The General Revenue Fund (GRF) grew 25.5 percent from the same month the previous year, collecting $509 million.Curtis Shelton | May 20, 2019
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Budget & Tax, Education
Stitt, legislative leaders announce budget agreement
Gov. Kevin Stitt and legislative leaders announced Wednesday that they have reached a budget agreement that spends more than $8 billion for the first time in Oklahoma history and includes $157.7 million more for K-12 schools, but they struggled to identify any specific measurement of student outcomes they expect will improve as a result.Ray Carter | May 15, 2019
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Budget & Tax, Health Care
Lawmakers vow to ‘keep fighting’ for tobacco-fund reform
On April 19, Oklahoma received $69.7 million in tobacco-settlement funds of which $53.3 million went to TSET.Ray Carter | May 15, 2019
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Budget & Tax
Budget impasse discussed in dueling press conferences
Gov. Kevin Stitt and House leaders announced they are at an impasse with Senate leaders in budget negotiations, but highlighted only a handful of concrete differences during a Monday press conference.Ray Carter | May 13, 2019
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Budget & Tax, Education
PLAC supports Democrats’ education budget
The Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee (PLAC) has endorsed a Democratic budget plan. The proposal put forth by the House Democrats not only spends the entirety of this year’s $570 million surplus, but would increase total spending by more than $800 million. To fill the financial gap, Democrats would raise taxes on income and investment.Ray Carter | May 9, 2019
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Budget & Tax
Economic growth, tax hikes produce record-high state revenue
Some tax consumers may try to point to the tax increases as the main driver for the recent record-high revenue collections, but the data suggests otherwise.Curtis Shelton | May 9, 2019
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Budget & Tax
Never enough: Despite record revenues, agencies want even more
No matter the circumstances, government will always want more.Curtis Shelton | May 6, 2019
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Budget & Tax
Stitt committed to state savings effort
In 2016, state lawmakers voted to create a Revenue Stabilization Fund that would hold any oil-and-gas tax collections that exceed a rolling five-year average. It’s possible the savings fund could receive a deposit of as much as $400 million next year. But Gov. Kevin Stitt says some lawmakers already want to reduce and redirect those savings.Ray Carter | April 29, 2019