Gov. Kevin Stitt’s budget sets aside $200 million in savings, pumps an extra $203 million into public education and gives teachers an annual pay hike of $1,220.

The House passed the budget on Friday and now it goes to the Senate.

The budget has an additional $157.7 million for common education (K-12) and $28 million for higher education. The budget includes an extra $37.7 million for state employee raises (up to $1,400). In the 2019 fiscal budget, employees were given raises up to $2,000 a year.

Stitt, who is in his first year as governor, imbedded some firsts in his initial budget.

“This year’s budget is historic,” Stitt said. “Holding firm to my commitment of no new taxes, we will put away $200 million more in savings while also increasing the state’s investment in core services by more than five percent.

“For the first time in state history, we will increase Oklahoma’s savings account, in order to protect core services in the future, without the law forcing it.

“For the first time in state history, we will give Oklahoma teachers a pay raise for a second year in a row.

“For the first time in state history, we will fully fund the Reading Sufficiency Act while also putting an additional $74 million into the funding formula for local classroom needs.

“For the first time in state history, we will fully fund our roads and bridges, and we will also make the largest deposit into the Quick Action closing fund, helping Oklahoma compete for new jobs.”

Stitt addressed prison overcrowding by devoting more funds to drug courts, diversion programs and modifying funding for county district attorneys.  “We will reform district attorneys’ funding model so they are not reliant on high fines, fees and court costs that have created a debtor’s prison,” Stitt said. “We will prioritize funding for oversight, transparency and audits as well as funding to modernize the delivery of state services, making it customer-focused and cost efficient.”

“This is an amazing budget deal that makes huge investments in classroom funding, teacher pay, mental health, corrections and other critical areas all while holding back $200 million in savings,” said President Pro Temp Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City. “We can make investments in core services, while still showing fiscal restraint to prepare and save for tougher economic times. Working together, we’ve accomplished an incredible amount this session. When history looks back at this session and this budget deal, it will be recorded as one of the most significant in history.”

Legislators hope to lessen the teacher shortage with higher pay for classroom teachers.

“We believe increasing teacher pay directly addresses the teacher shortage by incentivizing new teachers into the classroom and keeping the veteran teachers we already have,” said Speaker McCall, R-Atoka. “The Legislature has now increased the common education budget by more than 26 percent during the last two years. We are also prioritizing funding for county roads and bridges, nursing homes, concurrent enrollment programs for high school juniors and seniors and pay increases for corrections officers in our prisons and all other state employees.”

Oklahoma budget details:

• $200 million in Oklahoma’s savings account with the goal of reaching $1 billion in that fund.
• $203 million increase for public education.
• $157.7 million for common education:

The budget will require school districts on the funding formula, which is 97 percent of teachers, to deliver an on average $1,220 pay raise. It will require school districts to report how those pay raises will be executed and sustained within districts, and the reports will be made available online for the public to view.

• $5.5 million for the Reading Sufficiency Act, fully funding the third-grade reading initiative for the first time in state history.
• An additional $74.3 million for local schools to use to hire additional teachers, counselors, social works or address their unique needs in their districts.
• $18 million for career tech centers to increase pay for employees and teachers.
• $28 million for higher education for research programs and a salary increase for college teachers.
• Graduate Medical Education funding for of physician residency programs for Oklahoma’s teaching hospitals.
• $500,000 to fund a public-private partnership to maintain clean water in Northeast Oklahoma and areas with high poultry density.
• $90,000 to hire an additional state veterinarian.
• $1.1 million for Wildfire mitigation funding and additional resources for rural fire fighters.
• $1.5 million to improve rural flood control dams.
• $37.7 million for an additional state employee pay raise of up to $1,400.
• $15 million for digital transformation of state government services for transparency and customer service.
• $1.7 million for the creation of the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency
• $700,000 to hire more auditors and increase the State Auditor’s office capability to conduct more regular audits across state agencies
• Full funding for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s 8-year plan.
• Restored $30 million in funding for county roads.
• Funding for two new state trooper academies, putting an estimated 80 more troopers on the roads in 2020.
• $2 per hour pay increase for correctional officers, which is a 14 percent raise. This will bring correctional officer pay to the regional market average and help fill vacancies.
• $1 million to reduce the backlog of untested rape kits.
• $20 million to reform the funding of District Attorney offices.
• $10 million for Smart on Crime programs through the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
• $1.5 million for the Women in Recovery program.
• $1.7 million to address increasing demand for mental health services.
• $19 million for the Quick Action Closing Fund for economic development.
• $1 million for job growth and economic development in the automotive industry and in aerospace through the Department of Commerce’s Aerospace Commerce Economic Services (ACES) program.
• $1 million to assist new entrepreneurs and small business innovators through the Oklahoma Center for Advancement of Science and Technology.
• $5.3 million to modernize and expedite the Oklahoma Corporation Commissions’ permit processing for energy development.
• $62.8 million for Graduate Medical Education program to support physician training for rural hospitals.
• $105 million reallocation to increase provider rates for physicians, hospitals and nursing homes.
• $29 million saved to a new preservation fund to preserve Medicaid provider rates when the federal government’s 3-year rolling average results in a rate decline.
• $10 million to decrease the Developmental Disability Services wait list and increase provider rates.
• $4.6 million to increase immunizations and staff county health departments throughout the state.

Democrats criticized the budget deal because it doesn’t spend all the money in state accounts and didn’t include tax increases.

“This budget fails to make these agencies, including the state department of education, whole,” said House Minority Leader Emily Virgin, D-Norman.