Oklahoma Budget Strong In Education, Core Services, Fiscally Sound Says Bergstrom

Immediate Release:  May 17, 2019

Budget agreement announced, 

Bergstrom points to promises kept

OKLAHOMA CITY–A budget agreement was announced on Wednesday at the State Capitol that includes increased funding for education, transportation, public safety and health care, among many other areas. The budget for Fiscal Year 2020 also earmarks $200 million for Oklahoma’s savings account, bringing rainy day funding to more than $1 billion. State Sen. Micheal Bergstrom says the budget is one of the strongest in recent years, giving more support in critical areas, while still showing fiscal restraint by having enough left over to boost the state’s savings account.

The budget provides a $203 million increase for public education, with $157.7 million earmarked for several items in common education, including an average $1,224 teacher pay raise, $74.3 million as flex funding for local schools to use to meet their district’s unique needs, and $5.5 million for the Reading Sufficiency Act, which fully funds the third-grade reading initiative for the first time in state history. An additional $18 million will be routed to career tech centers and $28 million to higher education.

“With this budget we fulfill the Governor’s promise of a teacher pay raise that makes Oklahoma number one in the region in teacher pay,” said Bergstrom, R-Adair. “With this agreement, we also fulfill the promise of Senate Republicans to put more money in the classrooms, which means schools will have the funds to hire more teachers and reduce class sizes. At the same time, we are able to put money away for the future. This is the first time in our state’s history that the legislature has done so without being required by law to do so. The extra $200 million that is being set aside brings our total cash set aside at about $1 billion. Again, this is a historic achievement.”

Criminal justice and public safety are two additional areas that received prioritized funding. Pay increases for correctional officers will raise salaries by $2 per hour, bringing pay levels up to the regional market average. Two new trooper academies will also be funded, putting an additional 80 troopers on the roads by next year. Another million will be spent to reduce the backlog of untested rape kits.

“We have significantly increased the pay for those who work behind the fence in our prisons, while at the same time we’re investing in criminal justice reforms to reduce our incarceration rates and keep families together,” Bergstrom said. “We are also fully funding reimbursements to nursing homes and protecting all core services.”

“We are moving Oklahoma forward to be a top ten state in every positive way, while being fiscally responsible,” Bergstrom added.

Other highlights of the FY ’20 budget include $37.7 million for state employee pay raises and additional funding for the creation of the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency. The Department of Transportation’s 8-year plan will be fully funded with the FY ’20 plan and $30 million will be restored to the County Improvements for Roads and Bridges (CIRB) fund along with its normal disbursement of $120 million. The budget also includes $500,000 to fund a public-private partnership to maintain clean water in northeastern Oklahoma and other areas with high poultry density.

“When we work together as a team, we can create policies that are game changing for the state,” said Bergstrom. “The investments made in crucial areas like education, corrections, and health care will create significant and sustainable growth for Oklahoma.”

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For more information, contact Sen. Micheal Bergstrom: 405-521-5561 or Bergstrom@oksenate.gov

Oklahoma Senate Republicans Call For $200M Education Boost

Oklahoma State Senate
Senator Micheal Bergstrom

Senate District 1

May 11, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Senator Micheal Bergstrom
State Capitol: (405) 521-5561

Email: bergstrom@oksenate.gov          

Capitol Considerations by Senator Micheal Bergstrom

Senate Republicans Want $200 Million More In Oklahoma Classrooms

            Oklahoma’s Senate Republicans have supported improving education in our state and investing in our children’s futures. Throughout this session we have consistently stated that our top goal in this session regarding education funding is to get more money in the classroom. Last year we pursued and passed the largest teacher pay raise in state history. This year we decided it was time to target the classroom.    

            On Thursday afternoon, Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat announced a Republican Senate plan to invest an additional $200 million into classroom funding.

While all the details of the proposal have not been expanded upon, it is my hope that some educational reforms will be part of the final package and that some limitations will be placed on how the funds may be used. After all, the purpose is to improve student outcomes.

Here’s what is possible with this additional money. Schools will be able to hire more teachers and reduce class sizes, part of the money may be used to give teacher pay raises at the local level, and it could be used to to hire teacher aides, improve technology and much more.  

            The choice, according to this plan, is up to the local schools.

            During the teacher walkout last year legislators were repeatedly told that the teacher pay raise was not the important thing, that there needs to be more money in the classroom. We agree.

            The overall Senate budget plan is fiscally responsible.

            For this budget year, because of improved revenues, we will be able save, when you include our anticipated deposits to the Rainy Day Fund and an additional $200 million we will be setting aside, almost $1 billion to help us weather future economic downturns. This is half of the governor’s goal to save $2 billion over the next four years.

            Through our plan, Senate Republicans will help the Governor and House achieves their goal of giving a $1,200 teacher pay raise since $70 million of our package would cover that. It leaves $130 million in new funding to lower class sizes, hire counselors and other support staff, or purchase textbooks and other classroom supplies.

            We have been listening to our constituents and our schools and by a large margin they have told us they want more money for the classroom and the flexibility to use that money to lower class sizes, hire more support staff like counselors, or purchase things like textbook and supplies.

            This $200 million plan does just that.

            It is also evidence of Senate Republicans’ continuing commitment to education in our state and our desire to work with the House and Governor Stitt to make Oklahoma a Top Ten State in education.

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Oklahoma Budget Getting Closer As Legislature Winding Down

Oklahoma State Senate

Senator Micheal Bergstrom

Senate District 1

May 8, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Senator Micheal Bergstrom

State Capitol: (405) 521-5561

Email: bergstrom@oksenate.gov          

Capitol Considerations by Senator Micheal Bergstrom

Legislature Winding Down, Budget Getting Close

            We are now in the last few weeks of this year’s Oklahoma Legislative session.

             The final bills of the session are being negotiated in conference committees and voted upon.

            Fortunately for me, I don’t have any bills in conference. A dozen of my bills have all been sent to the Governor’s desk and he has signed them all. I have two House bills that I am the Senate author on that I expect to see heading to the Governor’s desk soon.

             All in all, it has been a productive year for myself and the Senate.

            We still have an optometry bill (SB 100) and a pharmacy bill (HB 2632) that need to be voted on. We still haven’t voted on the GRDA bill (SB 985). And of course we have more marijuana legislation that needs to come to the floor.

            We did pass SB 608 on Monday, which requires the manufacturers of the top 25 alcohol brands to offer their product to every wholesaler in the state. Some wholesalers and retailers felt they were being seriously harmed since the two largest wholesalers held a duopoly on these brands.

            Regarding the budget. My understanding is that we are very close on the budget; close enough that we may get out of session a week early. We’ll see.

             The Governor signed over half my bills in the past week, so here is an update.

            SB 61, SB 374 and SB 375 are all transportation bills that bring Oklahoma into compliance with the federal FAST Act which was passed in 2015. States were to be in compliance within three years or risk losing federal highway funds. It’s been four years. All were approved by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Department of Public Safety (DPS).

SB 244 stops the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC) from refusing to pay for individuals housed in county jails more than five days after their felony convictions. ODOC’s actions were unconstitutional and needed to be curtailed.

   SB 113 and SB 115 allow vessels like the Cherokee Queen in Grove to sell alcohol, and allow golf courses and marinas to charge alcohol purchases by members to their accounts as was the case before the new alcohol laws went into effect in October.

             SB 243 deals with public/private partnerships, and simply makes it easier for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce to be more involved in these partnerships.

            SB 485 modifies the Small Business Incubators Incentives Act to allow the tax credit to be used by the tenants (the fledgling businesses) in incubators, but not the incubators, which are generally non-profits or technology centers with no tax liability. It also gets rid of another tax credit that hasn’t been used in 12 years.

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Legislative Deadlines & Progress in Oklahoma Senate

Oklahoma State Senate

Senator Micheal Bergstrom

Senate District 1

April 29, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Senator Micheal Bergstrom

State Capitol: (405) 521-5561

Email: bergstrom@oksenate.gov          

 Capitol Considerations 

by Senator Micheal Bergstrom

Progress In the Capitol

Much has been accomplished in the Oklahoma legislature this session so far. In the Senate we have been vetting and confirming the Governor’s agency and cabinet appointments while working through the normal legislative process.

Last week marked the twelfth week of session and the deadline to have House bills off the Senate floor. By the end of the legislative week, 255 House bills had passed off the Senate floor, and on the House side, 288 Senate bills had passed off the House floor.

As of the end last week, Governor Stitt has signed 64 Senate bills, including four of mine.

Budget negotiations are advancing.  

We anticipate a $400 million deposit into the Rainy Day Fund due to a revenue surplus, bringing the total amount in the Rainy Day Fund close to $850 million.

The Republican Senate caucus will do a deep dive into budget numbers this week as the final budget discussions get underway. Education, of course, remains a top priority. Our intent is to give a significant increase to K-12 education funding. Whether much of that goes to another teacher pay raise or if the funds go into the formula to improve classroom funding is still being negotiated.

The four priority items for Senate Republicans this year continue to progress well.

The government accountability measure has already been signed into law, while the other three items are still advancing.

The LOFT (legislative budget office bill) has passed off the House floor with the title off and House and Senate leadership is working together to see this bill through.

Criminal justice reform saw advancement last week as well. The Senate advanced a series of eight criminal justice reform measures that continue to build on the reforms started last year to provide uniformity of certain drug offenses, improve parole supervision and cap excessive sentences for nonviolent offenses. These bills strike a fair balance between protecting public safety and adopting comprehensive criminal justice reforms that can provide opportunities for rehabilitation.

Senate Bill 441, the bill that encourages more instructional time for the students of Oklahoma, passed in the House last week, after they added an amendment to include a $1,500 pay raise for teachers. The proposal would allow school districts to utilize either 180 days of classroom time, 1,080 hours of classroom time with a minimum of 165 days of classroom time, or 1,080 hours with no minimum of days of classroom time if districts are granted an exemption for meeting guidelines for the school’s academic performance and financial savings. These avenues provide for local control and increased flexibility, but still prioritize public education and Oklahoma students.

Correctional officer pay is also being addressed this session as well, with the Senate advancing House Bill 2622, which provides a $2/hour pay raise. Correctional officers have a crucial role in public safety and it’s my hope we can give them a well-deserved raise, either through legislation or the budget process.

Workers’ compensation reform was advanced last week when the Senate advanced House Bill 2367 to align legislation with Oklahoma Supreme Court rulings and clean-up previous reforms. The measure was approved with the title off so there is still more work to do. Replacing the old worker’s comp court system is important, as it helps create a more hospitable climate for the creation of jobs across the state.

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