Oklahoma Senate launches interactive budget website

A year ago, Oklahoma's legislative chambers engaged in a bit of a transparency contest, with the Senate posting a spreadsheet of their budget proposal, while the House went with a full-blown website dashboard. Now, the Senate has followed suit with their own version of a webpage. You can compare the two and see which one is more clear and user-friendly: State House, State Senate.

Oklahoma Senate launches interactive budget website

OKLAHOMA CITY (May 16th) – Senate Appropriations Chairman Chuck Hall, R-Perry announced today that the Oklahoma Senate has launched an interactive budget website that gives the public an unprecedented, in-depth look at the newly proposed state budget.

Unveiled shortly after legislative leaders and the governor reached a budget agreement for the upcoming fiscal year, the State Senate Budget Transparency Dashboard is designed to make the state budgeting process more accessible and transparent than ever before. The user-friendly platform allows Oklahomans to explore the full breakdown of the proposed state budget for the upcoming fiscal year, along with historical data from previous budgets.

Pro Tem-designee Paxton names key Senate leadership positions

Pro Tem Designee Paxton Names Key Leadership Positions

OKLAHOMA CITY (November 12th) – Senate Pro Tem Designee Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, today has named key members of his leadership team after being tapped as the Senate’s next leader.

Pro Tem Designee Paxton has appointed Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, as the Senate Majority Floor Leader, Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry, as Appropriations Chairman and Sen. John Haste, R-Broken Arrow, as Vice Chairman of Appropriations.

Senate leaders comment on passage of state budget

Pro Tem Treat, Appropriations Chair Sen. Hall Comment on Passage of Budget Bill

Senate Bill 1125 first in new budget transparency process 

OKLAHOMA CITY (May 28th) – Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, and his Appropriations Chairman, Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry, today released the following statements after the state budget bill for Fiscal Year 2025 passed off the Senate floor this morning.

Senate Bill 1125 passed off the Senate floor 31-11.

Legislative leaders hammer out state budget agreement

Over the past week or so, legislative leaders - as well as Governor Stitt - have met in unprecedented public negotiations for this year's state budget (Tres Savage at NonDoc has a great write-up on the saga). Read the official press releases below:

Pro Tem Treat and Speaker McCall Comment on Budget Agreement

Agreement first in budget transparency process by both chambers

OKLAHOMA CITY (May 22nd) – Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, and House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, today released the following statements after Senate and House negotiators reached an agreement on the state’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget.

The budget agreement is the first time all meetings were hosted in public and gave Oklahomans a behind the scenes look on how the state budget is negotiated. 

Wow: Pro Tem Treat replaces Senate Appropriations chair in final month of session

Well, this was very unexpected. Treat canned Senate budget chairman Roger Thompson in the final month of the legislative session, approaching the height of budget negotiations...

Pro Tem Treat Announces Senate Appropriations Chairman Change

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, today announced a change to his appropriations chairman.

Pro Tem Treat has selected Senator Chuck Hall, R-Perry, to replace Senator Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, as his appropriations chairman.

Senator Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, will now serve as appropriations vice chair.

Joint committee advances dozens of ARPA proposals to Legislature

Joint committee advances dozens of ARPA proposals to Legislature

OKLAHOMA CITY (Sept. 20th) – The Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding on Tuesday advanced a comprehensive slate of projects to the full Legislature for consideration in an upcoming special session.

The committee's approvals, combined with previously approved projects, resulted in recommendation of over 60 projects totaling nearly all of Oklahoma state government's $1.87 billion share of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

Special session: 9 pandemic stimulus projects sent to full Legislature

The below projects, along with previously approved ones, would total approximately $510M of the $1.8B in federal pandemic stimulus funding allocated to the State of Oklahoma.

Joint committee sends nine ARPA projects to full Legislature

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding on Tuesday advanced the second slate of projects for consideration in the Legislature's upcoming special session on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

Legislature to call special session for purpose of directing federal stimulus spending

Legislature to call concurrent session for ARPA funding

OKLAHOMA CITY (May 18th) – The Oklahoma Legislature will call a concurrent legislative session to allow public input to continue to drive how $1.8 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds are spent.

The concurrent session, to begin Wednesday, allows the Legislature to immediately return in the interim to enact an ARPA spending plan as agreed to by the Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding.

Senate approves bill creating tax credit for adoption expenses

Senate approves bill creating tax credit for adoption expenses

OKLAHOMA CITY (April 27th) – The full Senate has given approval to a bill creating an income tax credit to help defray some of the costs associated with adoptions.  Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry, is the principal Senate author of House Bill 3088.  Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, is principal House author of the measure.

Gov. Stitt comments on $9.1B estimate for next state budget

GOVERNOR STITT ISSUES STATEMENT ON OKLAHOMA STATE BOARD OF EQUILIZATION CERTIFICATION

OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 27, 2021) — Governor Kevin Stitt issued the following statement today after the Oklahoma State Board of Equalization certified an estimate indicating lawmakers will have $9.1 billion in certified and authorized funds for the 2023 fiscal budget year, which begins July 1, 2022.

“This past fiscal year, Oklahoma’s economy has bounced back in a big way and continues to improve,” said Gov. Stitt “State revenues are climbing while we are cutting taxes for every Oklahoman. I am committed to investing in our future by adding to what is already the largest state savings account in history, and ensure we remain fiscally responsible with Oklahomans' tax dollars."

During the meeting, Gov. Stitt brought attention to $1.1 billion in one time carryover and special cash held over from the FY-2021 budget.