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John -- Today, Governor Stitt delivered his State of the State address before distinguished guests and the body of the 60th Oklahoma Legislature. His speech offered a retrospective look at the challenges facing Oklahoma over the last six years, and his forward thinking commitment to a top ten Oklahoma for everyone. Highlighting some of the greatest accomplishments over his tenure, Governor Stitt drew upon the words of Winston Churchill, “The price of greatness is responsibility.” We must sacrifice some good ideas to achieve great success. Sacrifice is never easy, we must endure some pain and discomfort in order to remain disciplined in our endeavors for greatness. We have made great strides in our efforts to provide quality public education for every student in Oklahoma. • Passing open transfer in Oklahoma to ensure no child is confined to a failing neighborhood school. • Passed a tax credit allowing the money to follow the student. • We’ve paved the way for the first religious charter school in the nation. It’s a challenge for most students to find success without being in the classroom. Virtual learning is still keeping Oklahoma students out of the classroom over a month longer than most of our neighboring states. We must ensure parents not only have the right and ability to choose the best school for their child, they must be able to make these decisions without governmental interference. We’re moving back to common sense governance. No more DEI, Green New Deal, gender ideology extremes and NO OPEN BORDERS! Americans voted for courage, they voted for freedom and they voted for the American Dream. In order to achieve these ideals, we must apply these four principles that Oklahomans voted for. • Protect Oklahoma taxpayers. • Be the Best State for Business • Safeguard our Savings • Protect the Oklahoma Way of Life Governor Stitt said, “these are all not controversial issues, but they will require sacrifice and tough decisions” He is calling for a “half and a path” which will reduce the personal and business income tax in Oklahoma by half a percentage point, with a pathway to zero personal income tax for Oklahomans. This can be achieved with smart, fiscal conservative policies and elimination of wasteful spending. He reminded the legislators to always protect and prioritize your constituents over special interest groups, at all costs. He laid out his vision for attracting more quality businesses to our state. Oklahoma has become a top ten state for business. We rank 4th for GDP growth and we rank 2nd in the nation for cost of doing business. Oklahoma is 8th in the nation for net migration, making our economy the strongest it has ever been. Today, we have 3,500 fewer children in DHS custody than when he took office 6 years ago. We have made great strides, and we’re not done yet! In 2024 Oklahoma saw 274 new businesses open or expand their enterprise, and 31,000 jobs created as a direct result of small businesses and entrepreneurs. By making Oklahoma the best state in the nation for businesses, we also improve our public education system, our infrastructure and ensure Oklahoma is the state where people want to work, live and raise their families. First Lady, Sarah Stitt has worked to ensure Oklahoma is a place for second chances. People should not be defined or excluded from opportunities because of a past mistake. Nearly 4,000 Oklahomans have received a second chance due to our efforts- yet there is still work to be done. Exorbitant fines and costs can perpetuate the cycle of imprisonment. It’s time to reform the system, reducing the costs and fees that create a debtor’s prison and keep people from being contributing members of our state. The Oklahoma way of life helps people achieve the American dream. We offer a place where businesses can thrive without the fear of bloated bureaucrats or governmental interference. Oklahoma is a place where families can live freely and parent without fear. As we enter this new legislative session we are excited that our Republican Governor and members of the legislature will deliver to we the people initiatives which will result in increased prosperity for our state and its citizens, as well as protect and defend our rights and freedoms while continuing to drive Oklahoma into prominence as a top state in the nation. For the People, |
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