Gov. Kevin Stitt made four key points in his February State of the State address to the Oklahoma Legislature on February 7.
Those four points are:
- Investing in education reforms and giving parents more school choice;
- Better regulation of the medical marijuana industry and cracking down on the black market, as well as investing in increased law enforcement;
- Making Oklahoma the most business-friendly state in the nation by reforming the tax code and eliminating the grocery tax; and,
- Delivering taxpayers more for their money through more government reform, budget transparency, and record investments in infrastructure.
Those goals are embedded in Stitt’s “Driving Hope for all Oklahomans” theme.
“Hope is not a wish or a feeling,” Stitt said. “It’s a proven science that can be measured and applied. More than 2,000 studies have shown that hope is the greatest predictor of success.
“Hope impacts everything that matters to us. [First Lady Sarah Stitt] has created the Sarah Stitt Hope Foundation to bring the science of hope to communities across Oklahoma. Over the next two years, we’re training every state employee how to apply the science of hope to their agencies.”
Part of his education reform package is to give parents more school choice and Stitt supports the Oklahoma Empowerment Act.
“Oklahoma students can’t be the best without the best teachers,” Stitt said. “That’s why I’m proposing matching funds so that our best teachers can make six-figure salaries and stay in the classroom.”
He wants to develop the state’s workforce.
“Our state’s workforce needs to grow at the same pace as our businesses,” Stitt said. “Our entire education system must be aligned and motivated to meet this challenge head on. Let’s tear down the silos between K-12, Career Techs and Higher Ed to train the next generation. Every student needs to be college ready or career ready.”
Stitt wants a crackdown on the marijuana black market in Oklahoma.
“I’ve directed our law enforcement to crack down hard on the black market,” Stitt said. “Agents have been in the field making arrests. Let me be clear: drug cartels, organized crime and foreign bad actors have no place in Oklahoma. We will find them, and we will bring them to justice.”
And part of his emphasis on law enforcement is competitive pay for officers and creation of a “Wellness Division.”
Stitt wants to cut income taxes and end the state’s portion of the sales tax on groceries. Only 13 states place sales tax on groceries.
Another key issue is reform of state agencies to make them more efficient.
“From day one, I’ve challenged my agency heads to deliver taxpayers more for their money,” Stitt said.
“We’re doing it by making agencies more effective and responsive to our citizens, not by growing government. We have 2,000 fewer state employees than just a few years ago, and we’ve invested into technology to provide better results.”
Stitt said his request for a state audit of the Oklahoma Department of Education is a step forward in accountability.
He also has given a priority to roads and highways.
“The future of our economy will depend on having a modern highway system that manages congestion and has reliable travel times,” Stitt said.
“I’m calling to invest $13 billion in transportation over the next 10 years.”