OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and other statewide elected officials are preparing to take their oaths of office on Monday ahead of a legislative session by which lawmakers are expected to think about cutting taxes amid record revenue collections.
An inaugural ceremony can be held Monday on the south steps of the Capitol followed by an inaugural ball Monday evening on the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Separate balls were held over the weekend in Tulsa and Enid.
Stitt, a wealthy mortgage company owner and political newcomer when he was first elected in 2018, easily won reelection in November to a second, four-year term. On the campaign trail, he boasted of record-level state savings and funding for public schools under his watch, and the state’s rapid emergence from pandemic-related closures that helped the economy rebound quickly. He defeated Democrat Joy Hofmeister by greater than 13 percentage points, tallying huge margins of victory across rural Oklahoma.
Stitt is anticipated to present his proposed budget and deliver his fifth State of the State speech to the Oklahoma Legislature when it convenes Feb. 6. In his speech, the Republican governor will likely urge lawmakers to approve cuts to each the state sales tax on groceries and the person and company income tax rates that he has called for in recent times.
Stitt also is anticipated to push again for a college voucher program that may allow state funds for use for tuition at private schools, including religious schools. That issue has proven a thorny one within the Legislature, with an identical proposal failing to pass the state Senate amid bipartisan opposition. The plan is much more unpopular within the House, where many rural lawmakers contend it could siphon funding away from public schools there.
Political Cartoons
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material will not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.