Watch: Stitt delivers 2021 State of the State Address

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt delivered his 2021 State of the State Address on Monday afternoon to begin the 2021 legislative session.

In his third address, Stitt spoke on the COVID-19 pandemic, the state’s economy and the state’s future.

In part, Stitt said the state will have additional money to work with because they didn’t have a deficit this year.

“We reopened our economy unlike other states that have kept completely shut down,” he said. “So we’re not going to have the struggle this legislative session from a revenue perspective that most other states are dealing with, because of the way we safely kept our businesses open.”

While the Republican governor received several applause from legislators throughout his speech, House Democrats shared some of their disappointments.

“We reopened our economy unlike other states that have kept completely shut down,” he said. “So we’re not going to have the struggle this legislative session from a revenue perspective that most other states are dealing with, because of the way we safely kept our businesses open.”

While the Republican governor received several applause from legislators throughout his speech, House Democrats shared some of their disappointments.

“We heard a rosy picture painted by the Governor today, but the reality is that his actions, or more often, his failure to act, have cost Oklahomans financially, emotionally, and physically,” House Minority Leader Emily Virgin (D-Norman) said in a release following the speech.

“At times during the past year, instead of focusing on our state’s pandemic response and at times our surging COVID case numbers and hospitalizations, Gov. Stitt has been distracted by national politics and political patronage.”

She continued, “Today’s State of the State speech was no different. It was far from the call for unity Oklahomans desire. I’ve listened in the House Chamber to 11 different State of the State Addresses. Today’s speech was by far the most divisive. Unfortunately, the governor, today, chose to bring DC politics to Oklahoma, delivering more of a campaign speech than the united message that we need as a state and as a nation.”