By staff reports OKLAHOMA CITY – Close to 50 appropriations bills representing Oklahoma’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget were sent to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk on Thursday, May 30, for his approval. As part of budget negotiations between the state House of Representatives leaders and state Senate leaders, Stitt agreed to not veto any part of the budget in exchange for cooperation on projects he is pursuing.
Budget appropriations bills were sent and both chambers of the state Legislature adjourned. The governor has 15 days from the time of adjournment to approve the bills representing FY 2025.
Sen. Jessica Garvin (R-Duncan) wrote in her weekly column that the $12.47 billion budget is “fiscally conservative” and “largely keeps state agency funding flat but includes key investments in critical areas, such as health care, education, public safety, and more.”
Here are the budget highlights released by the Legislature: Education
• $240 million for new engineering and science facilities at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University.
• $27.6 million for CareerTech to address its waitlist and admit more students.
• $25 million in additional funding into the school funding formula.
• $20 million for animal diagnostics lab at OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
• $1.5 million to support educational initiatives that increase awareness about the Oklahoma City bombing and its impact. Health
• $45.5 million to increase reimbursement rates for developmental disability service providers.
• $30 million for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to increase longterm care provider rates.
• $30 million expansion for OSU Medical Center in Tulsa.
• $18.5 million in additional funding for the Department of Mental Health to address children’s mental health needs.
• $15 million additional funding for Choosing Childbirth, to provide services to pregnant women.
• $3 million in new funding to get roughly 300 additional individuals developmental disability services. Public Safety
• $74 million to complete the Department of Public Safety’s new training facility in Lincoln County.
• $27.5 million for a new Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation headquarters.
• $10 million in additional funding to help victims of domestic violence.
• $2.85 million for OETA to replace 11 rural transmitters to ensure severe weather and public safety alerts reach all parts of the state.
• $2.5 million for Department of Public Safety academy to train more Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers. Miscellaneous
• $350 million for the new Oklahoma Capital Assets Maintenance and Protection Fund to cover deferred maintenance at state properties, state parks and public colleges and universities.
• $308 million to cover the cost of eliminating the state portion of the grocery tax.
• $45 million in disaster relief to help tornado-impacted counties.
• $20 million for the Governor’s Quick Action Closing Fund.