Why Democrats think Gov. Kevin Stitt is 'out of touch' with everyday Oklahomans

Oklahoma Democratic leaders called Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt “out of touch” with everyday Oklahomans after his State of the State address on Monday, saying the issues on which he’s focused aren’t the same as those they’re hearing about from their constituents.

Democrats particularly objected to both the governor’s call for a flat state budget for the upcoming fiscal year and a cut in the state's income tax. They said instead of cutting taxes, state leaders should invest in areas that include common education, higher education and child care.

“A flat budget is a cut,” said House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson, of Oklahoma City. “There’s something called inflation. There’s something called ‘fixed costs’ you have to operate as an agency. These folks are not growing government. They’re simply (providing) the very basic needs of Oklahomans.”

“We need to invest in public education and put public dollars into public schools. He talked about higher education and consolidation. You can’t build a workforce if you don’t have opportunities for students to get trained and to be highly skilled and prepare for the workforce. Right now is the time to invest in higher education after years and years of drastic cuts to our universities.”

Munson’s Democratic counterpart in the Senate, Sen. Kay Floyd, of Oklahoma City, echoed similar themes in a statement issued after Stitt’s speech.

Democrats also criticize Gov. Kevin Stitt's tribal relations, lack of discussion on child care

Munson also criticized Stitt’s “continued conflict with tribal leaders,” calling it “unacceptable,” saying Oklahoma’s tribal nations “are great partners with the state of Oklahoma who do invest in public schools … and roads and bridges and who do invest in health care. They are a shining light of what it looks like to invest in yourself and invest in your government and invest in your people.”

More: 4 things Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said he wants to see in State of the State address

“We know our greatest economic development engine is education, and we support greater investment in our public schools, CareerTechs, colleges and universities that strengthen these public institutions and provides greater opportunities for our citizens,” Floyd said.

Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater, said the governor’s omission of any mention of child care issues facing Oklahomans was notable, calling child care “a workforce development issue.”

Democrats did say they might find common ground with Stitt on criminal justice reform and the elimination of civil asset forfeiture, two ideas he laid out in his speech.

“We have always been proactive on our criminal justice reform efforts,” Munson said. “We would love to see (court) fines and fees completely eliminated, but in order to do that, you have to fund the courts, which contradicts his plan to cut income tax. We will always find ways to work with the governor and our Republican colleagues and things that we feel like make sense for everyday Oklahomans.”

Oklahoma Democrats have historically supported a cut in the grocery tax

While opposing Stitt’s call for an income-tax cut — saying it would bring the most benefit to wealthier Oklahomans — Democrats also mentioned the possibility of cutting or eliminating Oklahoma’s grocery tax.

At least two Senate Republicans also like the idea of the grocery tax cut, including Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, of Oklahoma City, who is bringing up the issue again during the current legislative session. Stitt said during his speech he’d sign any tax-cut proposal that reached his desk.

“Oklahoma is one of few states that still has a state tax on (groceries),” Treat said. “It’s where the majority of middle-income families are hit the hardest in Oklahoma. Unfortunately, it’s the top 10 in that in a bad way, in the average cost of groceries on a per-capita basis on peoples’ income. I hope that he’s serious about that and I hope that we can afford it.”

Sen. Blake Stephens, R-Tahlequah, said he supports tax reform if it’s done the right way, noting the state does need to maintain its current financial cushion.

“I’m all ears on the grocery tax and rebates with kickers,” Stephens said. “I’m interested in all proposals.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Democrats oppose Stitt's tax-cut proposal, say he's 'out of touch'