Oklahoma lawmakers release details of budget

Oklahoma lawmakers said they reached a deal on the $9.7 billion budget for fiscal year 2023 on Tuesday that includes tax rebates but no cut in the sales tax on food.

Lawmakers agreed to spend $181 million to give taxpayers who file as single a $75 tax rebate and those who file jointly a $150 tax rebate, according to a news release from Republican House and Senate leaders.

The budget does not include any of the proposals submitted by Democrats and Republicans that would cut the grocery tax.

The budget is 9.7% higher than the fiscal year 2022 budget of $8.8 million. The Republican leadership said they plan to send the budget to Gov. Kevin Stitt this week.

Education gets the biggest piece of the budget, about 44%, according to lawmakers. Funding for education increased by 11.6% from $4.17 million in fiscal year 2022 to $4.65 million in this year’s spending plan, according to a summary of the general appropriations bill.

The increase is still not enough, said Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, a former teacher.

“Half of our classroom teachers are leaving the state or leaving the profession entirely at the end of this school year,” Hicks said in a news release. “With no new investment in common education, we are falling further behind and we are already $1.2 billion behind the regional average in per pupil investment. In a year where we have $1.4 billion in surplus, it’s time to fill the gap.”

The budget includes $700 million in incentives proposed by Stitt. While a specific company is not confirmed, Panasonic is allegedly considering Oklahoma as the site for an electric car battery manufacturer.

“Important to note that Panasonic has not made an announcement on whether they’re coming to Oklahoma or not, but there is $700 million in the state budget for them anyway,” Rep. Emily Virgin, D-Norman, said in a Twitter post.