A&A Advocates, NASL member firm, provides an update on the latest legislative news below:
The Oklahoma State Board of Equalization’s recent report shows the state has enough revenue growth to fund some type of tax cut; however, state leaders disagree on whether the report shows enough growth to fund both the personal income tax and the state’s portion of the grocery sales tax. The report also gave a glimpse of a slowing state economy. Gov. Kevin Stitt released a statement, championing tax cut legislation following the report, while Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, released a statement encouraging lawmakers to “be sober-minded and realize we cannot have both a grocery tax cut and an income tax cut this year.”
Only one member of the public spoke on Thursday at an open hearing, required by law, held by the Oklahoma State Department of Education to receive comments on proposed new rules by State Superintendent Ryan Walters that would tie school accreditation to the academic performance of students. Under the proposed new rules, starting with data from the current academic year, a school district would receive an academic deficiency if fewer than 50% of its students tested at or above the basic performance level in either English Language Arts or Mathematics.
Gov. Kevin Stitt signed on to the state’s latest tobacco tax compact with the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes on Monday – the fifth tobacco compact reached by Gov. Kevin Stitt since the start of the year. The compact, which took effect this month, retains a 50-50, state-tribal split on tax money generated from tobacco products sold on tribal land.
Oklahoma lawmakers are considering the prohibition of ranked-choice voting in state elections. Rep. Eric Roberts, R- Oklahoma City, introduced House Bill 3156 to the House Elections and Ethics Committee, Monday – a measure that would ban listing candidates for public office in order of preference on their ballots, and election boards from certifying race results determined that way. The measure was approved in committee with a 5-2 vote and can now be heard by the Oklahoma House.
“I think that Oklahomans have the answer. We are incredibly talented people. We have incredible educators that dedicate their lives to the development of our children. There isn’t anything they wouldn’t do to give our children what they need. I haven’t met one person that isn’t absolutely determined in education to provide children with the education they need — not one.” – Oklahoma’s new education secretary Nellie Tayloe Sanders
What We’re Watching
The Senate Republican Caucus selected State Sen.Greg McCortney as their designee to become the upper chamber’s president pro tempore in 2025.
State Rep. Tammy Townley, R-Ardmore, authored House Bill 4038 – a bill that would incentivize manufacturers to hire laid off manufacturing employees will keep skilled workers in the state if it were to become law.
The House Education Subcommitteespent Monday morning talking about more than a dozen bills to improve school safety.
