The pro-business, politically conservative tenure of Gov. Kevin Stitt’s State of the State address Monday had a mixed bag of welcomed priorities and some cautionary elements.
Promoting the science of hope theory, developed by University of Oklahoma-Tulsa researcher Chan Hellman, is a proven framework for inspiring individual success. Many organizations, including the state Education Department, have embraced this approach.
Stitt said it would be rolled out to all state agencies. It is tied to brain health, though not as a replacement for therapy or medical interventions.
Oklahoma has acute needs in brain health. State mental health advocates have deemed a continuing spike in youth suicide and drug overdoses an “epidemic.” More must be done in access, affordability and parity.
Stitt was right to include brain health in speaking about needs for recruiting and retaining law enforcement. We would add health care workers and educators to his list.
More tax cuts on groceries and personal income are on the table. This comes after last year’s reductions on corporate and individual income taxes, taking about $137 million out of the budget. It hasn’t been seen whether those will be recouped in economic growth.
Right now, the budget is buoyed by federal relief funds. The more conservative plan would be to wait before whittling down two significant revenue sources.
Stitt called on a $13 billion investment in transportation in the next decade. We agree that keeping up roads, bridges and other pathways are critical for business and tourism.
We encourage Stitt to forge relationships with the federal government and tribal nations within the state’s borders to leverage resources for infrastructure. There is no reason for Oklahoma to go it alone.
Stitt is correct that the flawed medical marijuana law language should be fixed. However, changing the initiative petition process to prevent future grassroots, voter-led efforts isn’t the answer.
Private school vouchers is Stitt’s plan to improve public schools, citing Senate Bill 1647. No income eligibility would be required to receive the vouchers. Private schools would retain the right to deny enrollment, would not be required to show how public dollars are spent or prove academic improvements.
Stitt’s reference to boosting salaries for teachers into “six figures” through matching funds is intriguing but lacking in details.
Left unaddressed was the ongoing pandemic. More than 13,530 Oklahomans have died from COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine. Hospitals have hit capacity, and schools and businesses have been forced to close because of too many sick workers.
Criminal justice reforms were absent from the governor’s speech, including the legally mandated — but legislatively ignored — funding of State Questions 780 and 781.
Also disappointing were the continued scare tactics over the Supreme Court’s McGirt decision. Of the state’s 25,000 prisoners, only 235 were affected, and 71% of them so far have been prosecuted in federal or tribal courts.
Now is the time to form partnerships around issues such as infrastructure, education and criminal justice. Moving forward, we urge lawmakers and Stitt to find common ground benefiting all Oklahomans.
[Tulsa World Editorial]
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