Gov. Kevin Stitt delivered the first State of the State address of his second term Monday, outlining his goals for the 59th Legislative Session, including plans to increase school choice, ban gender-confirming health care, improve the state’s economy and make Oklahoma the most pro-family state in the U.S.
Stitt started his address by outlining the three major proponents of his budget and agenda for this legislative session: improving education, making Oklahoma a more “business-friendly state,” and promoting the freedom and protections of Oklahomans.
Gov. Kevin Stitt during the GOP election night watch party on Nov. 8.
Stitt said parents spoke at the ballot box in November and supported his goals. He said he aims to increase school choice to allow parents to choose where their children go to school.
School vouchers were boasted by Stitt and Ryan Walters, superintendent of public instruction, during the last election cycle, with some teachers saying these vouchers could defund public schools. Stitt said in his address that school choice would allow children, regardless of economic status, to go to well-funded and A-rated schools.
“Every child deserves a quality education that fits their unique needs, regardless of economic status or background,” Stitt said. “Oklahoma cannot afford to be left behind because our greatest asset isn't our oil and gas. It's not our football teams. It's not our aerospace and defense. It's our kids.”
Stitt also said the state needs to create more schools, saying the aviation school from the Norman Public Schools bond proposals would improve education and help Oklahoma’s growing aerospace and aviation industry.
Stitt said he has performance-based pay increases for teachers in his agenda, which was suggested by Walters in his budget proposal in January. Stitt also proposed a reading initiative and more concurrent enrollment for high school students in his address.
Stitt said part of his plan to make Oklahoma a more business-friendly state is to expand internet and broadband access. Stitt said state universities should partner with companies to train more nurses, teachers and engineers to create more jobs.
Stitt also said universities, like OU and Oklahoma State University, need to fund more career placement services instead of diversity, equity and inclusion officers.
“I want our universities to have less DEI officers and more career placement counselors,” Stitt said.
Stitt also reiterated his plans to “finally” eliminate Oklahoma’s grocery tax, which he intended to do last year. He hopes to reduce the personal state income tax rate from 4.75 percent to 3.99 percent. Personal income tax rate in Oklahoma is a scale tax rate, with 4.75 percent being the maximum and 0.25 percent being the minimum.
Stitt hopes to “protect Oklahomans’ way of life” by stopping vaccine mandates for the National Guard, as well as environmental and social governance regulations on the oil and gas industry.
To improve these protections and promote freedoms in the state, Stitt urged the Legislature to pass bans on gender-confirming health care. Opponents of the ban of these treatments and procedures rallied outside of the capitol on Monday before the State of the State address. Afterward, they rallied on the house floor, chanting, “Trans lives matter.”
Advocates speak in front of the Oklahoma state Capitol during a rally against Oklahoma Senate Bill 129, which would ban gender-confirming care and use of hormone replacement therapy for anyone under the age of 26 on Feb. 6.
Stitt also proposed making Oklahoma the most family-centric state in the country, saying he hopes to increase fatherhood figures. He said he wants to support organizations that encourage fathers to take more active roles in families.
“Let's continue to foster the importance of healthy homes with involved parents,” Stitt said. “Let's not leave out other members of the family, like grandparents and their rights. Let's become the most pro-family state in which every member of the family is respected, loved, supported and included.”
Stitt boasted that, since being governor, crime rates and inmate numbers have declined. Oklahoma’s violent crime rate dropped by 5 percent over the last year, and the statewide inmate population dropped 17 percent between January 2016 and May 2022. He also said Oklahoma has one of the lowest recidivism rates in the country at 22.6 percent. Stitt said protecting Oklahomans includes “smart and meaningful criminal justice reform.”
At the conclusion of his address, Stitt discussed his initial 2019 plan to make Oklahoma a top 10 state, saying it has come further than expected. Stitt claimed that Oklahoma is one of the top states to start a business in the nation. Forbes ranked Oklahoma 42nd on the list for best place to start a business in the U.S. for 2023.
Stitt said Oklahoma’s future is “not in the status quo” and the Legislature and state should be ready to protect freedoms for the state and the nation. Stitt also said Oklahoma is the home of the American dream, adding that people from New York and California move to the state to start lives and build homes.
“We have brought the American dream back to Oklahoma,” Stitt said. “The truth is Oklahoma feeds the world, fuels the world and protects freedoms around the world. The truth is, everything is possible right here in Oklahoma.”
This story was edited by Alexia Aston and Jazz Wolfe. Grace Rhodes and Francisco Gutierrez copy edited this story.
