COLUMN/OPINION
I’m proud to share some exciting news from the Capitol. After many long days and late nights of hard work, we have reached a responsible budget agreement that reflects our values and delivers meaningful results for the people of Oklahoma.
This year’s budget not only cuts taxes, putting more money back in your pockets, but also invests in priorities that matter to everyday families. At the heart of this budget is a simple promise: we will protect taxpayers while also protecting the most vulnerable among us.
For the second year in a row, we’ve increased funding to our public schools by adding an additional $25 million to the common education funding formula. We are also covering a $88.5 million increase in flex benefit costs for school personnel and allocating $5 million to support paid maternity leave for teachers. Teachers play a vital role in our state and in the lives of the children we entrust to their care. These changes are meaningful steps to show our educators how much we value them and to help retain these truly dedicated professionals.
I’m also glad to report that we’ve come to an agreement on House Bill 1727, which expands eligibility for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP) scholarships, more commonly referred to as Oklahoma’s Promise, to include the children of teachers. This is one more way we are working to support our educators and their families.
As you know, our special committee has spent many late nights examining the challenges within the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. I’m grateful we now have a clear funding amount to ensure these dedicated workers are paid through the end of the fiscal year and that essential services continue for Oklahomans.
We are funding a $27.4 million supplemental appropriation for the ODMHSAS. This will help ensure those who provide critical mental health services are paid through the end of the fiscal year, and that support for struggling Oklahomans is not interrupted.
This budget includes a $1 million allocation to combat human trafficking and strengthen public safety, along with major investments in Oklahoma’s future: $250 million for a new veterinary hospital at Oklahoma State University, $200 million for a pediatric heart hospital at OU Health, $41.6 million to upgrade Oklahoma National Guard facilities and $312 million to purchase the Lawton Correctional Facility, providing the state greater control and long-term savings.
Perhaps most importantly, this budget agreement preserves a healthy $3.5 billion in state savings. We are prepared for the future while meeting the needs of today.
As we enter the final weeks of session, we are now in the Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget (JCAB) process. This process is a tool used for House and Senate leaders to present and approve new legislation during the last weeks of the legislative session.
JCAB, led jointly by the Chairs of the House and Senate Appropriations committees, operates outside the usual legislative deadlines. Only bills introduced by the Appropriations Chairs or the House Speaker and Senate President Pro Tem are eligible to go through this committee.
Bills that are considered significant legislation or budget-related are referred to JCAB. Once a bill is approved by JCAB, it is placed on a special Joint Calendar for final consideration by both chambers for a Third and Final reading.
Thank you for letting me represent you at the Capitol! As always, I love to hear from you. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. My email address is cynthia.roe@okhouse.gov, or you can call my office at (405) 557-7365.
Rep. Cynthia Roe, a Republican, represents House District 42 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Her district includes portions of Cleveland, Garvin and McClain counties.
