Capitol Insider

Lawmakers passed a $7.6 billion budget nearly one month before the 2018 legislative session is scheduled to end. eCapitol’s Shawn Ashley says it’s the largest budget in Oklahoma history in dollar terms. But on a per-capita basis, state agencies will receive less than they did in 2009. “ Senate Appropriations Chair Kim Davis noted that per capita basis is important because it is to the citizens of the state of Oklahoma that these funds are ultimately providing services,” Ashley said. Funding may

Representative Kevin Wallace suggested as little as 1 percent of the state budget remains to be negotiated as lawmakers eye the end of the 2018 legislative session on May 25. That’s according to eCapitol’s Shawn Ashley. Ashley says state agencies will most likely see flat budgets. State revenue has increased due to economic growth and revenue generating measures from previous sessions, giving lawmakers more money to appropriate. And lawmakers have already dealt with many of the biggest budget

Oklahoma Education Association president Alicia Priest called the nine-day teacher walkout a “victory for teachers” after it ended on Thursday, April 12. But KGOU’s Dick Pryor and eCapitol’s Shawn Ashley say most of the gains came before the walkout began. Prior to the walkout, Oklahoma lawmakers passed House Bill 1010XX, a $474 million revenue package. A large portion of the package goes toward giving teachers an average $6,100 per year pay raise, beginning in the coming fiscal year. That’s

On Friday, April 6, Oklahoma legislators passed two more revenue bills in addition to the $447 revenue package they hoped would prevent a teacher walkout this week. One requires third-party vendors on Amazon Marketplace to collect a sales tax. The other, the so-called "ball and dice" bill, changes rules for casinos to generate revenue. Both passed, although the ball and dice bill will not take effect immediately. They now head to Gov. Mary Fallin. eCapitol's Shawn Ashley told KGOU's Dick Pryor

On Friday, April 6, Oklahoma legislators passed two more revenue bills in addition to the $447 revenue package they hoped would prevent a teacher walkout this week. One requires third-party vendors on Amazon Marketplace to collect a sales tax. The other, the so-called "ball and dice" bill, changes rules for casinos to generate revenue. Both passed, although the ball and dice bill will not take effect immediately. They now head to Gov. Mary Fallin. eCapitol's Shawn Ashley told KGOU's Dick Pryor

Teachers are preparing to walk out of the classroom starting April 2, and several legislators have proposed plans to avoid the work stoppage. One in particular, proposed by former teacher Sen. Michael Bergstrom, R-Adair, would raise pay for both teachers and state employees.

Oklahoma lawmakers are searching for more ways to raise revenue as spring break begins and a teacher walkout looms on the horizon.

A successful teacher walkout in West Virginia has brought the topic of teacher pay to the forefront of public conversation. However, leaders at the Oklahoma Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, says the impending shutdown of Oklahoma schools has been the the works for some time. And it’s happened in Oklahoma before.

The Oklahoma House of Representatives announced on Tuesday that it will choose one chaplain to lead its daily invocations for the rest of the legislative session. The previous policy was to designate a Chaplain of the Day or Chaplain of the Week to lead the chamber in a daily prayer. Last month, chaplain coordinator Rep. Chuck Strohm announced that state representatives could only nominate a chaplain from the representatives’ own places of worship. The announcement garnered criticism from

The Oklahoma State Senate has approved a bill to balance the books for the current fiscal year and close out the second special legislative session. The bill that originated in the House cuts the annual budgets of all state agencies by 0.66 percent. However, since the money will be cut only in the remaining four months, agencies will have to shed 1.9 percent of monthly budgets.