In the wake of devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma and tensions between House and Senate leaders over the need for an income tax cut, Governor Kevin Stitt proposes an unusual summit next week to agree on next year’s state budget.
The governor sent an email to the Senate Pro Tempore late Wednesday afternoon Greg treats and Speaker of the House Charles McCall I invite both to a meeting on Monday at 2pm to work out the budget details.
“As the session comes to an end, it is important that we come together to finalize a budget. Both of your transparency efforts have been very encouraging this session,” the governor wrote.
With just 30 days to go before the second session of the 59th Oklahoma Legislature adjourns, members of the Legislature are really starting to feel the pressure of the budget process. House and Senate budget negotiators continue to argue over how to spend the roughly $13 billion available. Key issues include whether to reduce personal income taxes, rewrite government financing policy and continue efforts to make the entire budget process more transparent.
What appeared to be a smooth legislative process earlier this session ran into several snags this week, including the abrupt departure of Senator Roger Thompson as Senate budget chairman, the violent weekend storms that will require significant state disaster assistance and the distraction of a controversial Republican bill to arrest and remove immigrants who bring back Oklahoma without proper documentation. The immigration bill passed both the House of Representatives and the Senate by large margins and was signed by the governor after a chorus of objections from Democrats, Hispanic leaders and churches.
It appears time is running out for state lawmakers.
The Coloring Monday summit will mark a short and difficult relationship between the governor and Senate Republican leader Treat — a political battle that goes back several years and came to a head this year over Treat’s refusal to hear legislation that would reduce personal income tax. . With both Stitt and McCall in favor of the reduction, Treat has said he is in favor of keeping more money in the state reserve accounts — and that was before the recent tornado damage.
“I know both chambers are working hard to reach an agreement on the budget numbers, and I will reiterate my priority to pass an income tax cut for all four million Oklahomans,” Stitt wrote in his e-mail email Treat and McCall. “I hope this remains a topic of discussion in your negotiations.”
Stitt gave the House and Senate Thursday and Friday to reach a budget agreement and offered his help.
If both chambers do not reach an agreement by the end of the week, I would like to help by facilitating a meeting between my office and the House and Senate budget negotiators to reach an agreement on the budget. I would like to invite you to a meeting in my office on Monday (6-5-2024) at 2:00 PM”
Stitt also said he would “invite the media in an effort to continue your transparency efforts.”
Two hours later, shortly after 6 p.m., Treat replied to the governor, copying each member of the Legislature on his response.
“Governor, thank you for the invitation. I’m looking forward to the opportunity. The budget will not be complete this week, so I and the Senate team will be there at 2 p.m.,” he wrote. Please know that you are welcome to use the Senate Chamber to better accommodate members of the Legislature, the public, and the media so that they may observe and so that it may be live streamed, captioned, and archived. My staff will be more than I would be happy to help you spread the message to the media and the public.”
Treat’s email noted that he had informed the Senate President and Vice Chairman of Appropriations, the Floor Leader and every member of the Legislature, both Republicans and Democrats, about Monday’s conference, “because I hope that this is a productive and insightful meeting.”
Treat added, “We haven’t had the opportunity to visit this entire session, so I look forward to sharing the Senate’s perspective and getting your perspective and the House’s perspective on Monday. I think it’s a great idea and we will fully participate in it.”
Treat’s response and his engagement with all state lawmakers ensure that several of the governor’s budget proposals, including his call for personal income tax cuts, will not go unchallenged.
Late Wednesday night, McCall said House leaders would accept the governor’s invitation.
“The current House budget proposal has been on the website for several weeks and is accessible to everyone through the House Budget Transparency Portal,” McCall said in a text message to The Oklahoman. “We accept the Governor’s invitation to joint budget negotiations. The House will send people with the authority to negotiate a tax cut for the people of Oklahoma, support law enforcement and finalize a budget.”
The House would also like to welcome members of the media, McCall said, and would prefer these negotiations to be livestreamed.
The 2024 legislative session will adjourn on May 31 at 5 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Governor Stitt calls for a budget leadership meeting on Monday
