House leaders last week unveiled our new budget transparency portal on our website, okhouse. gov.Clicking on the portal tab, the public will have access to the proposed budget for every agency that receives state funding. Areas such as education, transportation, public safety, public health and more can be selected on the top of the page. On the right side of the page is a budget comparison showing what each area received in state appropriations for Fiscal Year 24 vs. what the agency requested for FY25 and what the House and the Senate are proposing for the next fiscal year and the percentage of change from the previous year.In the middle of the page is a list of each agency that receives funding per category, again with comparative figures.The House has proposed an overall budget of $12.63 billion for FY25, which is $554.6 million, or 4.21%, less than our record-high of almost $13.2 billion in FY24. This factors in the largest tax cut in state history – the grocery tax cut signed into law earlier this year – and our proposed 0.25% income tax cut.We’re proposing $3.83 billion for K-12 education this year, removing $144 million from last year’s full-funded pilot programs, but including a $16.6 million increase to overall services from FY24. This also includes funding for teacher pay raises for schools off the funding formula.We’re suggesting $1.1 billion for higher education, including $20 million for an animal diagnostic lab for Oklahoma State University’s Veterinary Medical Authority.Transportation would receive $884 million, a $71 million increase from last year with $10 million additional going to the Department of Transportation for road and bridge projects and $61 million for aerospace and airport infrastructure.Public safety would receive $743.3 million, a $14 million increase from last year, including funding for a new Department of Public Safety training complex and new headquarters for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.A $2.2 billion health budget is proposed, including funding for expansion of the OSU Medical Center in Tulsa.The House budget also proposes: • $10 million for sheriff and deputy pay raises• $250 million for Progressing Rural Economic Prosperity (PREP) Fund•$30 million for Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP)• $200 million for Rural Economic Transportation Reliability & Optimization (RETRO) Fund • $78.4 million for Ad Valorem reimbursements for schools, and• $335 for differed maintenance projects within higher education, tourism and other stateowned properties Now that the House has released ...
