Governor Stitt delivers 2022 State of the State address

GOVERNOR STITT DELIVERS 2022 STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS

OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 7, 2022) – Governor Kevin Stitt delivered the 2022 State of the State Address today to the 58th Legislature. Governor Stitt outlined his legislative agenda for 2022, focusing on four main pillars: Driving Hope for all Oklahomans by investing in education reforms and giving parents more school choice; protecting Oklahomans and our way of life through better regulation of the medical marijuana industry and cracking down on the black market, as well as investing in law enforcement; making Oklahoma the most business-friendly state in the nation by reforming our 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. A full transcript of the governor’s remarks can be found here.
 

DRIVING HOPE FOR ALL OKLAHOMANS

First Lady Sarah Stitt Hope Foundation:

“Hope is not a wish or a feeling. 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.”

Education Reform:

“We know education is not one-size-fits-all, and I pledge to support any legislation that gives parents more school choice, because in Oklahoma, we need to fund students, not systems. Pro Tem Treat filed a bill called the Oklahoma Empowerment Act. It makes sure that money followers the student, and it would make us a national leader in school choice.”

“Oklahoma students can’t be the best without the best teachers. That’s why I’m proposing matching funds so that our best teachers can make six figure salaries and stay in the classroom.”

PROTECTING OKLAHOMANS AND OUR WAY OF LIFE

Cracking down on marijuana black market:

“While we can’t change the past, we can learn from it and improve our future. We are getting the right leaders in place and untying their hands to enforce the laws.  I’ve directed our law enforcement to crack down hard on the black market. 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!”

Investing and supporting our brave law enforcement:

“It’s long overdue, but this year we must prioritize the health of our officers and create the Oklahoma First Responders Wellness Division. Its foundation is a peer to peer system designed to recognize the early signs of trauma and give immediate help to officers who need it.”

“In the same way we can attract and support teachers, we need to provide law enforcement officers competitive pay, the best training available, and more career options. I’m requesting that we pool our resources and build a joint statewide training facility.”

“Our state’s law enforcement also desperately needs a consolidated, unified command structure within a single department. A unified command will create the career growth opportunities that today’s recruits expect.”

MAKING OKLAHOMA THE MOST BUSINESS-FRIENDLY STATE IN THE NATION

Improving workforce development:

“Our state’s workforce needs to grow at the same pace as our businesses. 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.”

Tax reform:

“My vision is to create a taxpayer protection plan that responsibly lowers income taxes according to our state revenue. Cutting taxes based on how our economy grows ensures we’ll always have money to pay for core services like education and roads and bridges.”

“I’m proposing to eliminate the grocery tax. Oklahoma is one of just 13 states that taxes groceries, and ours is one of the highest.”

DELIVERING TAXPAYERS MORE FOR THEIR MONEY

Government reform:

“From day one, I’ve challenged my agency heads to deliver taxpayers more for their money. 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.”

Budget transparency and agency accountability:

“Last year, I worked with 22 state lawmakers to request the first-ever comprehensive audit of the Oklahoma State Department of Education, because tax dollars belong in the classrooms, not in the pockets of bureaucrats.”

“We’re launching a new budgeting process for our agencies. It’s called Transparent Oklahoma Performance. You can track our progress online at top.ok.gov.”

Record investments in infrastructure

“The future of our economy will depend on having a modern highway system that manages congestion and has reliable travel times. I’m calling to invest $13 billion in transportation over the next 10 years.”