How Will Lawmakers Spend $13 Billion State Budget? Here's What We Know

News 9 is getting the first look at where lawmakers are spending the state's $13 billion budget. There are still some moving pieces in the budget, as lawmakers work to finalize the numbers. But leaders in both chambers have rolled out the highlights of the budget.

Thursday, May 23rd 2024, 5:11 pm

By: News 9, Haley Weger

OKLAHOMA -

News 9 is getting the first look at where lawmakers are spending the state's $13 billion budget. There are still some moving pieces in the budget, as lawmakers work to finalize the numbers.

But leaders in both chambers have rolled out the highlights of the budget.

“Glad we have a budget deal,” said Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat. “I think you'll see the bills published tomorrow.”

Here are the highlights that lawmakers have rolled out:

Education:

$240 million for new engineering and science facilities at OU and OSU
$27.6 million for CareerTech to address its waitlist and admit more students
$25 million in additional funding into the school funding formula
$20 million for animal diagnostics lab at OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine
$1.5 million to support educational initiatives that increase awareness about the Oklahoma City bombing and its impact

“The compromise ended up being another $25 million into the formula off the record amount we put in last year when we passed school choice,” said Treat.

Health:

$30 million for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to increase long-term care provider rates
$30 million expansion for OSU Medical Center in Tulsa
$18.5 million in additional funding for the Department of Mental Health to address children’s mental health needs
$15 million additional funding for Choosing Childbirth, to provide services to pregnant women
$45.5 million to increase reimbursement rates for developmental disability service providers
$3 million in new funding to get roughly 300 additional individuals with developmental disability services

Public Safety:

$74 million to complete the Department of Public Safety’s new training facility in Lincoln County
$27.5 million for new OSBI headquarters building
$10 million in additional funding to help victims of domestic violence
$2.85 million for OETA to replace 11 rural transmitters to ensure severe weather and public safety alerts reach all parts of the state
$2.5 million for DPS academy to train more Highway Patrol troopers

“In our state we have been good at building things but we haven't always been good at maintaining them,” said Treat. “We have some deferred maintenance needs within higher ed. We have some within-state assets,” said Treat.

Miscellaneous:

$350 million for the new Oklahoma Capital Assets Maintenance and Protection Fund to cover deferred maintenance at state properties, state parks, and public colleges and universities
$308 million to cover the cost of eliminating the state portion of the grocery tax
$45 million in disaster relief to help tornado-impacted counties
$20 million for the Governor’s Quick Action Closing Fund

“We have $1 billion in cash above and beyond the traditional savings account and we delivered the largest tax cut in state history this session so a lot to be proud of in this budget,” said Treat.

Haley Weger

Haley Weger joined the News 9 team as a multi-media journalist in August 2022. She came to OKC from Lake Charles, Louisiana. Haley began her career as a producer and multi-media reporter and then transitioned to a morning anchor position. While she was in Louisiana, Haley covered an array of news topics, and covered multiple hurricanes on the coast.