Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced prior to Board of Equalization (BOE) meeting that he has no confidence in Gov. Stitt’s manufactured budget numbers being used to justify his proposed tax plan.
The Attorney General’s stance comes on the heels of December’s BOE meeting where he expressed skepticism regarding the validity of Stitt’s budget and called for greater legislative involvement to strengthen transparency and confidence.
“I am disappointed but not surprised that the Governor refused to increase legislative involvement in this process, which is far too important to the future of Oklahoma to be monopolized by a single politician,” Drummond said. “The budget certification process is in dire need of reform. The status quo allows the Governor to manufacture budget numbers that support his policy agenda, rather than a consensus approach that would reflect legislative input.”
Drummond pointed to last year’s budget certification discrepancies as evidence the process is rigged.
In December of 2023, the BOE was told there would be $8,976,523,862 available for appropriation in Fiscal Year 2025. By last February – 10 days after Gov. Stitt laid out his budget priorities – that number had ballooned to $9,037,537,501. This increase bolstered the Governor’s argument for a proposed income tax cut last session.
Now, a year later, the Fiscal Year 2025 numbers are projected to be $295 million less, and the Oklahoma Tax Commission is reporting that expected revenue will drop by $408 million.
“Last December, we were told one amount, then two months later it was a new number that magically was enough to help pay for the Governor’s tax cut,” Drummond said. “Now the Governor is pushing an even more precarious tax plan, using unreliable economic projections and one-time cash on hand to pay for it.”
Drummond called on the Legislature to revise Gov. Stitt’s proposed tax plan into a more responsible package that provides tax relief while preserving critical funding.
“While I certainly support lowering the tax burden on working families, this tax plan is irresponsible and will drastically harm our ability to fund vital priorities like public education, roads and bridges, and public safety,” Drummond said. “I have no confidence in the Governor’s approach to this matter, but I do believe our legislative leaders will negotiate the best plan for our future. The legislative session is just beginning, and our state senators and state representatives have repeatedly demonstrated their willingness to check the Governor’s worst ideas.”
Today’s announcement by Drummond comes after his being the lone “no” vote in the Board of Equalization meeting last February. At the time, his office said that vote was “a reflection of his lack of confidence in certain revenue estimates that were provided.”
Drummond said he will not be attending today’s BOE meeting.
“Gov. Stitt has taken what should be a serious, thoughtful and collaborative gathering of constitutional officers and turned it in to a scripted event that is mostly for show,” he said. “I will not be participating in that.”
Original source can be found here.