'Real money, not Monopoly money': OK Senate says House lacks transparency, refuses to show FY25 budget proposal
It's another showdown between the Oklahoma Senate and House of Representatives as claims of lacking financial transparency brew.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)- It's another showdown between the Oklahoma Senate and House of Representatives as claims of lacking financial transparency brew.
In a late Senate meeting Wednesday afternoon, Appropriations and Budget Chairman Senator Roger Thompson (R-Okemah) said the House has yet to turn over FY25 budget numbers despite the deadline being Tuesday.
"Real money here, not Monopoly money," he said.
The Senate released its FY25 budget proposal in late March. It looks to spend $12.3 billion.
As of Wednesday evening, the House has not released its budget proposal, though.
"We've been committed in the Senate to an open, transparent budget process. We've kept our end of the bargain. We delivered the numbers on time. We were fully in the House of Representatives. They had told us they were giving us their budget sheet [Tuesday] so we could operate in a consistent, transparent manner when we're taking up House bills," explained Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat (R-OKC).
"Unfortunately, for some reason they're delaying that. They have it. They just have told us they will not release it to us or anyone else at this time. We don't know exactly why and we're hoping they'll change their mind and allow us to have this budget process continue to be transparent as we go through this session."
The House on the other hand said the delay is the result of a Senate mistake in the FY24 budget.
Representative Jon Echols (R-OKC) spoke during a Wednesday afternoon House Appropriations and Budget Committee. He said a portion of the education budget meant for teacher pay raises was underfunded by $20 million.
"As far as issues, the only issue [the House] brought up directly was the off the formula teacher pay, which is an issue we've been trying to work through with the State Department of Education and with the House," stated Treat.
House Bill 2673, authored by several Representatives and Senator Adam Pugh (R-Edmond), was signed into law by Gov. Kevin Stitt in 2023.
The proposal increased the minimum salary schedule for teachers beginning in the 2023-2024 school year.
The Oklahoma State Department of Education is required by state law to dole out the money from the flexible benefit allowance.
According to officials, formula funding for this salary increase falls somewhere between $500 million and $700 million.
Pugh has filed an amendatory version of that bill to clean up some of the language.
"They have told us they don't like that bill. We said, 'Okay, great, send us a better solution to it.' We're not wed to the solution. We're wed to making sure teachers that we told we were going to pay for the pay raise last year, that we actually keep our commitment, a commitment that was really driven in large part to the negotiations publicly from the House, saying that every teacher must have that pay, including career tech and off the formula," said Treat.
However, House Appropriations and Budget Chairman Representative Kevin Wallace (R-Wellston) stated the solution the Senate has offered would be illegal and open the door to a class action lawsuit.
Wallace, along with Echols said they'd like to see the Senate present a different solution to the problem it caused, but didn't specify what exactly. Both said they'd like to see education be "fully funded."
With the House and Senate at a standstill over budgets, Treat said the Senate will not hear any House appropriations bills until budgetary numbers are handed over.
"We're operating blind on what the House wants to do. We're not going to blink. We're serious that we want this budget process to be transparent. The House has all along never chosen to join us in a budget transparency initiative," stated Treat.
The regular legislation session continues through May 31.