Oklahomans to get ‘a front row seat’ to budget process as historic public hearings slated

Flanked by House Speaker Charles McCall, left, and Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, right, Gov. Kevin Stitt speaks about a statewide grocery tax cut during a bill signing ceremony on Feb. 27. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY – Legislative leaders and Gov. Kevin Stitt’s office are expected to sit down Monday in what could be a historic public meeting on budget negotiations.

House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, on Thursday appeared more optimistic on a forthcoming budget agreement than his counterpart, Senate Pro Tem Gerg Treat.

Treat, R-Oklahoma City, earlier this week fired Senate Appropriations Chair Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, a month before lawmakers are set to adjourn. Treat blamed the House for prompting closed-door negotiations.

“Deals made in the dark will not be honored,” Treat said Thursday.

Meanwhile, several Senate appropriations subcommittees met Thursday to reconcile budget proposals that each chamber has shared publicly.

The Senate’s education subcommittee remained firm that money for school support staff stipends, student teacher wages and a separate teacher maternity leave fund should make the final cut of the state Department of Education’s budget.

But the committee’s chair, Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, said the House doesn’t want to raise education funding after last year’s major increase.

“What was said to me is, ‘Education has enough money,’” Pugh said during the meeting.

McCall said good work has been accomplished to reconcile differences between the two chambers.

McCall and Treat both asked that the Monday budget negotiation be live streamed so the public could watch.

“If you weren’t quite sure how this process worked … you’re going to get a front row seat to it next week,” McCall said.

For years, critics have complained that the budget is largely negotiated behind closed doors with very few people involved and trotted out just before the end of session for an up or down vote.

Both chambers this session have worked to make the process more transparent.

“I still believe we are close on the budget,” McCall said, adding that there are only a handful of things to discuss.

McCall said the House wants a tax cut.

“We think that is warranted on a lot of fronts,” McCall said.

The Senate has resisted an income tax cut after agreeing earlier this session to eliminate the state sales tax on groceries.

“We have a strong record in the Oklahoma Senate of supporting tax cuts that are reasonable, rational and sustainable,” Treat said.

Treat said Senate leadership will listen to Stitt and House leaders’ support for an income tax reduction.

“But we have made a very firm statement earlier this year that we were going to figure out which tax cuts we could afford,” Treat said. “We passed the grocery tax elimination, and we moved on to looking at the budget.”

Treat said he has some real concerns about “pet projects” the House tried to insert into the process last week.

He expects to bring those up during Monday’s meeting and let House leadership defend them, he said.

McCall said it is possible a deal could be reached Monday.

“No,” Treat aid. “That is not going to happen.”

He said a forced deadline shouldn’t be inserted into the process.

Lawmakers must adjourn by 5 p.m. May 31.

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