Oklahoma
Oklahoma Lawmakers Let Stitt Vetoes Stand on Three Pandemic Relief Bills – Oklahoma Watch
Oklahoma lawmakers will let Gov. Kevin Stitt’s vetoes of three pandemic aid payments stand and can wait till February to care for any funding for accepted tasks, legislative leaders stated Monday.
Home Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, stated any potential veto overrides must embrace inflation aid, together with the elimination of the state’s share of grocery gross sales taxes. The Home and Senate have been at odds over the perfect insurance policies to fight larger inflation. Inflation aid was the topic of a separate particular session known as by the governor in Might.
“The Home stands able to resume particular session if the Senate will go the Home inflation aid payments Oklahomans want,” McCall stated in an announcement Monday afternoon. “At a minimal, a moratorium on the grocery tax just like the one the Home has handed repeatedly would supply lengthy overdue aid to Oklahomans preventing historic inflation.
“The Home is open to any choices to offer the inflation aid Oklahomans deserve. Absent that motion by the Senate, the Home doesn’t plan to be again in particular session for overrides or some other goal.”
Alex Gerszewski, spokesman for Senate Professional Tempore Greg Deal with, R-Oklahoma Metropolis, stated lawmakers will act on excellent pandemic aid payments within the common session that begins in February. Deal with stays dedicated to learning the state’s tax insurance policies and tax cuts on a broader foundation than simply the grocery gross sales tax, he stated.
The Legislature’s particular session for the approval of tasks beneath the federal American Rescue Plan Act will robotically adjourn on Friday based mostly on a beforehand accepted joint Home and Senate decision.
Stitt final week vetoed three payments that supplied federal aid funds for arts nonprofits, Oklahoma Academic Tv Authority transmitter upgrades and regional facilities for emergency response. The Legislature gave itself till Oct. 14 to return again and override any vetoes.
In veto messages, Stitt stated none of these three tasks met his purpose of utilizing federal aid cash to fund “long-term strategic investments that may change the trajectory of our state.”
In a two-day session on the finish of September, lawmakers accepted greater than $1.6 billion in federal aid funds for broadband, water and psychological well being tasks, in addition to scores of different tasks that have been vetted by lawmakers over the summer time. Additionally they accepted greater than $250 million for rural financial growth that got here from present state funds. One other $20 million will go towards emergency drought aid.
The Legislature didn’t act on a $95.2 million invoice that may use federal pandemic aid funds to develop childcare providers, meals packages and several other packages for the consequences of home violence. The Division of Human Providers was the pass-through company for these tasks, a lot of which went to nonprofits. Competing Home and Senate payments with these tasks didn’t make it to the ground within the September particular session due to a last-minute disagreement between the Home and Senate.
Stitt final week signed eight particular session payments coping with pandemic aid funds or rural financial growth. He allowed one other 21 to turn into legislation with out his signature.
Paul Monies has been a reporter with Oklahoma Watch since 2017 and covers state businesses and public well being. Contact him at (571) 319-3289 or pmonies@oklahomawatch.org. Comply with him on Twitter @pmonies.
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