We’re getting closer to the end of this year’s legislative session. As written in Oklahoma’s Constitution, the Legislature must adjourn by 5 p.m. on the last Friday in May. That’s just a couple of weeks away, but we still have some work to do finalizing the Fiscal Year 2023 budget.
As I’ve said in a previous column, the budget is worked on year-round. However, now is when we get to the nitty gritty and finalize the details. As chairman of the Natural Resources and Regulatory Services Subcommittee, I work closely with the budgets and priorities of the departments and agencies that fall under our purview.
Based on where we currently are with the budget, it looks like we’ll provide funding to hire five additional meat inspectors to serve in meat processing facilities across the state. You may remember the major push during the COVID-19 pandemic to open more processing facilities in our state to assist with meat supply chain issues. This budgetary request follows up with that initiative, ensuring that we have an adequate number of meat inspectors to keep up with demand.
We’re also planning to increase the base funding for Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, so the school is able to hire additional faculty and support personnel. OSU’s vet school is one of the top in the region, and hiring more professors and other faculty is very important as the school continues to grow.
Speaking of education, we’re finalizing the details of a very important piece of legislation addressing the ongoing teacher shortage. This is not only a state issue, but a problem nationwide, and we must look outside of the box to recruit and retain qualified educators here in Oklahoma, especially in our rural communities.
House Bill 3564 would create the Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship and Employment Incentive Program, implementing a tiered system to provide scholarships to education students and a bonus payment when they enter the classroom. Under the current language, a student studying education here in Oklahoma that’s agreed to teach in-state for five years would receive a $1,000 scholarship their first three years of college, and a $2,500 scholarship the fourth. Additionally, they’d receive an up to $4,000 annual employment incentive payment per year for their first five years in the classroom. That’s a total of $25,500 invested in these future educators to encourage them to plant their roots in our state. While I’m aware this is not the only solution to the teacher shortage, I am hopeful this will help us attract more students interested in becoming teachers.
We’ve also had several visitors here at the Capitol over the last couple of weeks. I enjoyed welcoming the 2022 Merritt Public Schools Shotgun Shooting Team on the Senate floor, recognizing them for winning the Oklahoma Scholastic Shotgun Shooting Sports State Championship. Prior to taking home the state championship, Merritt was also named the regional champions for their area. The team is led by Susan Barnett, and the community support was evident as there were numerous parents, school personnel and others in the gallery rallying behind the team.
I also had the honor of welcoming seven-time world champion bull rider Sage Kimzey to the Senate floor, recognizing him for his amazing rodeo career thus far. Originally from Strong City, Sage attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford and is a great advocate for the rodeo industry
Ẇe’ve set up several Capitol tours and hosted numerous constituents from across the district this session, so please let this be your open invitation to come visit. Renovations are nearly complete, and the building is very impressive. We’d love to welcome you to the state Capitol.
I’ll keep you updated as we continue to finalize the 2023 budget. It’s an honor to serve as your voice at our state Capitol, and if there’s anything I can do to help you, please reach out. You can contact me by email at Darcy.Jech@oksenate.gov or by phone at 405-521-5545.