Oklahoman
The Oklahoma Legislature on Thursday concluded its regular 2021 legislative session after lawmakers passed a state budget for the upcoming fiscal year and sent a record number of bills to Gov. Kevin Stitt s desk.
But like so many items voted on by the legislature, opinions about the session were divided on party lines.
Republican legislative leaders praised the accomplishments of their supermajorities in both chambers. Democrats, on the other hand, were critical of many policy priorities pursued by their colleagues across the aisle.
House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, called this session the most comprehensive, policy-focused session in the nine years he s served in the legislature. Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, called it his most successful session yet.
Budget passes with little time for review, public input By: Trevor Brown Oklahoma Watch May 24, 2021
Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, left, poses with Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, center, and House Speaker Charles McCall. (Photo by Whitney Bryen/Oklahoma Watch)
It didn’t take long for arguably the most important bill of the 2021 session to work its way through the oftentimes tedious and laborious legislative process.
A week and three hours after Gov. Kevin Stitt and Republican leaders announced the framework of the state’s $8.8 billion spending plan, the annual budget bill passed the Legislature Thursday on its way to the governor’s desk.
By: Storme Jones
OKLAHOMA CITY -
Update: The Senate passed the $8.3 billion state budget restoring COVID-19 cuts and boosting education funding in a 38-9 vote. The budget has now been sent to the governor.
Oklahoma House and Senate Democrats blasted the state budget process saying all Oklahomans lose when just a few lawmakers come up with the budget behind closed doors.
“We’re sitting in the meeting, and we are being handed bills that we are about to be asked to vote on, and this is not an exaggeration, the bills are actually sometimes warm because they just came off the printers,” Senate Minority Leaders Kay Floyd, D-OKC, said.
House, Senate Democrats Vie For Transparency In State Budget Process
Update: The Senate passed the $8.3 billion state budget restoring COVID-19 cuts and boosting education funding in a 38-9 vote. The budget has now been sent to the governor.
Oklahoma House and Senate Democrats blasted the state budget process saying all Oklahomans lose when just a few lawmakers come up with the budget behind closed doors.
“We’re sitting in the meeting, and we are being handed bills that we are about to be asked to vote on, and this is not an exaggeration, the bills are actually sometimes warm because they just came off the printers,” Senate Minority Leaders Kay Floyd, D-OKC, said.
House, Senate Democrats Vie For Transparency In State Budget Process news9.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from news9.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.