Gov. Kevin Stitt prepares to deliver his State of the State address.
Gov. Kevin Stitt got the 2020 legislative session underway Monday, when he delivered his State of the State address to legislators and Oklahomans present at the State Capitol.
A joint session, consisting of members of the State House of Representatives and State Senate, took place around 12:30 p.m. Monday in the House of Representatives Chambers, as members from both Chambers attended to hear this year’s State of the State address.
During the 2019 address, Stitt announced his goal to get Oklahoma into the Top 10 states in many of the basic areas, from health care to education.
Legislative session consists of legislators passing laws and working to fulfill the annual budget. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, legislative sessions must being at noon on the first Monday in February and cannot exceed 160 days. Sessions must adjourn no later than 5 p.m. on the last Friday in May each year.
As part of his address, Stitt discussed that the government is making inroads that will last for generations. He said that the state needs more taxpayers, not more taxes.
Following his State of the State address, Stitt took to Twitter to share out his plans for Oklahoma in 2020.
“Everything we do has a dotted line back to growing our economy,” Stitt posted.
The State of the State address included discussion about education, consolidation of state agencies and prison reform.
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections launched its first-ever re-entry fairs across 28 facilities for individuals that are 6 months from their release dates. The number of Oklahomans in our state prisons declined by 7.6% bringing the number of those incarcerated to the lowest level since 2009.
“Collaboration is already taking place & it’s time we make this official law to prevent future bureaucracy from creeping back in.” Stitt posted. “We must follow through because when government is working and unified under one vision, we can change the lives of Oklahomans for the better. Agency consolidation must not stop there.”
Several Duncan Public Schools teachers attended the State of the State address, including Duncan Middle School teachers Cathy Barker and Derrick Miller. A story about their experiences with the legislative session and the address is set to run this week, weather pending.
