In the wake of destructive tornadoes across Oklahoma and tension between House and Senate leaders over the need for an income tax cut, Gov. Kevin Stitt is proposing an unusual summit next week to forge agreement on next year’s state budget.
The governor sent an email late Wednesday afternoon to Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat and House Speaker Charles McCall inviting both to a meeting at 2 p.m. Monday to hammer out budget details.
“As session is coming to a close, it’s important that we get together to finalize a budget. Both of your transparency efforts have been very encouraging this session,” the governor wrote.
With just 30 days remaining before the second session of the 59th Oklahoma Legislature adjourns, members of the legislature are truly beginning to feel the crunch of the budget writing process. House and Senate budget negotiators continue to wrangle over how to spend the roughly $13 billion available. Key issues include whether or not to cut the personal income tax, how to rewrite state funding policy and following through on efforts to make the entire budget process more transparent.
What seemed to be a smoothly moving legislative process earlier this session hit several snags this week, including the abrupt exit of Sen. Roger Thompson as the Senate’s budget chair, the violent weekend storms that will call for significant state disaster assistance and the distraction of a controversial Republican bill to arrest and remove immigrants recaching Oklahoma without proper documentation. The immigration bill sailed through both the House and Senate with big majorities and was signed by the governor to a chorus of objections from Democrats, Hispanic leaders and churches.
Time, it seems, is running out for state lawmakers.
Coloring Monday’s summit meeting will be a terse and difficult relationship between the governor and the Senate Republican leader Treat − a political fight that goes back several years and which came to an apex this year over Treat’s refusal to hear legislation that would cut the personal income tax. With both Stitt and McCall in favor of the cut, Treat has said he favors keeping more money in the state’s reserve accounts − and that was before the recent tornado damage.
“I know both chambers are working diligently to come to agreement on budget numbers, and will once again reiterate my priority to pass an income tax cut for all four million Oklahomans,” Stitt wrote in his email to Treat and McCall. “I hope that continues to be a topic of conversation in your negotiations.”
Giving the House and Senate just Thursday and Friday to come to a budget agreement, Stitt offered his help.
“Should both chambers not reach an agreement by the end of the week, I want to assist by facilitating a meeting between my office and the House and Senate budget negotiators to come to terms on the budget. I want to invite you to a meeting in my office on Monday (5/6/2024) at 2 p.m.”
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 every member of.the Legislature on his response.
“Governor, thank you for the invite. I look forward to the opportunity. The budget will not be complete this week, so I and the Senate team will be there at 2,” he wrote. ” Please know that you are welcome to use the Senate Assembly Room to better accommodate members of the legislature, public and the media to be able to observe and so it can be live-streamed, closed captioned and archived. My staff will be more than happy to assist in getting the word out to the media and the public.”
Treat’s email noted he had informed the Senate Chair and Vice Chair of Appropriations, the Floor Leader, and every member of the legislature, Republicans and Democrats alike, about the Monday conference, “because I hope this is a productive and insightful meeting.”
Treat added: “We haven’t had an opportunity to visit this entire session, so I look forward to sharing the Senate perspective and getting your perspective and the House perspective Monday. I think it is a great idea and we will fully participate.”
Treat’s reply and his inclusion of every state legislator, ensures that several of the governor’s budget proposals, including his call for cut in the personal income tax, won’t go unchallenged.
Late Wednesday evening, McCall said House leaders would accept the governor’s invitation.
“The House’s current budget proposal has been posted for several weeks, and is available for anyone to access via the House Budget Transparency Portal,” McCall said in a text message to The Oklahoman. “We accept the governor’s invitation to conduct joint budget negotiations. The House will send people authorized to negotiate a tax cut for the people of Oklahoma, support law enforcement and finalize a budget.”
The House would also welcome members of the media to be in attendance, McCall said, and prefers that these negotiations be live-streamed.
The 2024 legislative session adjourns at 5 p.m. May 31.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Governor Stitt calls for leadership meeting on budget for Monday