Pro Tem Treat wants Governor to explain special session call before Appropriations Committee

Once again, the fight looks to be on between the Governor and the Senate, with the House seeming to lean more toward the Governor than against:

Pro Tem Treat Calls on Gov. Stitt to Appear before Appropriations Committee

Pro Tem Treat wants the governor to better explain special session call

OKLAHOMA CITY – During a media availability this afternoon, Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, called on Governor Kevin Stitt to appear before the Senate Appropriations Committee to explain his goal with his recent special session call.

The pro tem said the Appropriations Committee will convene on the first day of special session on Oct. 3 and plans to have a seat reserved for the governor.

“Governor Stitt’s special session call was extraordinarily vague,” Pro Tem Treat said. “That is why I am calling on him to come and sit before the Senate Appropriations Committee to explain what his goals are and where he wants us to make cuts. From our estimate, he wants budget cuts somewhere in the neighborhood of $4 billion. I would like to know which specific taxes Governor Stitt proposes on raising to cover the hole his plan would create in the state budget.  

“Are we going to close schools? Are we going to undo the recent teacher pay raises? Are we going to tax oil and gas and businesses more? Are we going to close hospitals? Are we going to raise property taxes? These are all questions the governor needs to answer directly to Oklahomans instead of just sending out an ambiguous special session call.

“Absent having a better understanding, I personally cannot support what looks on the surface to be an ever more disturbing singular focus on dividing Oklahoma without any viable and strategic long-term strategy.”

To watch the full press conference, click here.