The Senate adjourned Sine Die on Friday, ending a productive four-month legislative session. We passed hundreds of policy bills and fulfilled our constitutional duty by passing a balanced budget that takes effect July 1. This marked the end of my first full year serving as the Senate’s Appropriations Chairman, a job I take very seriously. I’m still deeply honored that the Senate President Pro Tem appointed me to this position.
I want to highlight a few of the investments this budget makes in public education. This budget increases common education funding by $121 million, which includes a $26 million increase that goes directly into the school funding formula. This funding increase is tied to legislation extending the minimum teacher salary schedule to ensure our most experienced teachers receive a salary that’s commensurate with their years of service. Another new appropriation ensures that the children of teachers with at least ten years of experience are eligible for Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship.
This budget also allocates $5 million for a new program that strengthens the teacher pipeline. The Grow Your Own Educator initiative will bring more qualified teachers into the classroom by providing districts with matching funds to support local school employees pursuing an undergraduate degree in education and a teaching certificate. Additionally, there’s a modest appropriation that will offer grants to schools that commit to going cellphone-free for at least three years. This appropriation complements a new law that requires all public schools to restrict student phone use throughout the 2025-2026 school year, which is an important step toward eliminating classroom distractions. Finally, this budget includes an increase in funding to support teachers’ benefits, such as paid maternity leave.
Also included in the state budget is a tax reform package that will simplify Oklahoma’s tax code and return money to all taxpayers. The state will restructure its six income tax brackets into just three brackets on taxable income. This will make our tax system easier to understand and fairer for taxpayers at all income levels. It will also put Oklahoma closer to having a flat tax.
As part of the Senate’s commitment to making the state budget process more open, we recently launched the Senate Budget Transparency Dashboard. This interactive website offers the public a clear and detailed look at how all taxpayer dollars are being spent. The dashboard breaks down funding for each state agency and every line item in the budget. It also includes the details of past budgets so people can see how state spending has changed over time. I appreciate the Senate’s staff for all the hard work they put into bringing this tool to fruition. You can see the Senate Budget Transparency Dashboard at oksenate.gov/appropriations.
In the final days of the session, the Senate confirmed dozens of the governor’s appointments to various positions within state government. It was truly an honor to guide several outstanding Oklahomans from my district through the Senate confirmation process. I carried the nomination of Dennis Casey, who was appointed to the State Regents for Higher Education after more than three decades working in public education. I also carried the nominations of Dr. Shannon Ferrell to the Environmental Quality Board, Dr. Preston Morgan to join the State Board of Behavioral Health Licensure and Robert Moses to serve on the Commission on Consumer Credit.
As always, it’s an honor and a privilege to serve the people of Senate District 20.
Please feel free to contact my Capitol office with any questions or concerns you may have about legislation or other issues impacting our state at 405-521-5628 or at Chuck.Hall@oksenate.gov.
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