With the sun setting on the Oklahoma State Capitol, the Senate Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget prepared to end Monday’s five-hour meeting by reconsidering its biggest vote of the day: whether to create a new $255 million annuity incentive for Emirates Global Aluminium‘s $4 billion aluminum smelter plant proposed for the Port of Inola.
Just before 6 p.m., senators had separated the oxygen from Room 535 by failing to advance HB 2781 on a 12-12 tie vote.
“That’ll blow up the budget,” one House leader said at the time on the condition of anonymity.
Senate JCAB Chairman Chuck Hall paused before announcing the tied vote, the hesitance in his voice underscoring his peers’ surprising decision. President Donald Trump had announced the EGA aluminum project Thursday evening as part of a bigger package outlining United Arab Emirates investments in American manufacturing. A new aluminum plant has not been built in the U.S. for 45 years, although one was announced in Ohio last year. (In April, an existing Ohio aluminum plant closed.)
As the clock struck 9 p.m., however, Hall recognized Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton for a motion to rescind the first vote on HB 2781, which creates the Reindustrialize Oklahoma Act of 2025 and establishes an “investment rebate” program for projects that submit a capital expenditure plan with qualifying expenditures of:
- at least $2 billion of capital investment;
- creation of at least 700 jobs in the first year; and
- sustained employment of at least 1,000 people for payments to continue over the next 14 years.
“I’ve had several committee members who have asked to reconsider the vote on HB 2781 — the aluminum smelter project. Reconsidering a vote in committee is not allowed by Senate rules. However, Senate rules do not prohibit a motion to rescind,” said Paxton (R-Tuttle).
After a voice vote to rescind the first vote, the body again voted on HB 2781, this time advancing it 16-9 after three Republican senators switched from “Nay” to “Aye” and Sen. Ally Seifried (R-Claremore) cast her vote in favor after being absent hours earlier.
“I wanted to research that a little before I made my final decision. So I just switched,” said Sen. Brenda Stanley (R-Midwest City). “And I need to [research] a little more.”
Sen. Roland Pederson (R-Burlington) said he switched his vote after realizing the purpose of the bill.
“I intended to support the aluminum smeltering plant, but there was nothing in that bill that indicated that that was the bill it was,” Pederson said. “It looked like to me it was another project, and I guess I really never had made a commitment to anybody.”
Sen. Kendal Sacchieri (R-Blanchard) said she reached out to Department of Commerce officials in the three hours between votes.
“I got some questions answered on comments the author made the first time around on the five-year exemptions,” Sacchieri said. “That was new information I hadn’t heard, so I made a call and cleared it up.”
The bills advanced by the Senate and House JCAB committees Monday must be approved on each chamber’s floor before reaching the governor’s desk.
What changed minds 3 hours later?
When HB 2781 failed just before 6 p.m., Hall (R-Perry) stepped out of the committee hearing to find Paxton for a discussion about how to proceed. About 15 minutes later, the pair returned to the conference room looking stern and feeling the eyes of onlookers upon them. Around 7:15 p.m., Paxton said, “I have no idea,” when asked whether the bill would be brought back up for reconsideration.
Hall and Paxton had voted for the $255 million incentive package, but three Democrats joined nine Republicans in opposition to the revised version of HB 2781 released over lunch Monday. Several of the Republicans who went red against the bill are members of Paxton’s leadership team, and the dissension appeared to highlight lingering caucus concerns about this year’s budget negotiations, where Senate leaders seem to have prioritized a tort reform package above all else.
Who voted no the first time?
• Sen. Todd Gollihare (R-Kellyville)
• Sen. Regina Goodwin (D-Tulsa)
• Sen. Grant Green (R-Wellston)
• Sen. Carri Hicks (D-OKC)
• Sen. Brent Howard (R-Altus)
• Sen. Darcy Jech (R-Kingfisher)
• Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt (D-OKC)
• Sen. Roland Pederson (R-Burlington)*
• Sen. Adam Pugh (R-Edmond)
• Sen. Kendal Sacchieri (R-Blanchard)*
• Sen. Brenda Stanley (R-Midwest City)*
• Sen. Kristen Thompson (R-Edmond)*Indicates switched vote
Owing to her position as co-chairwoman of the Legislative Evaluation and Development Committee, Sen. Kristen Thompson’s vote might have been the most puzzling of the bunch, ultimately choosing to vote against a bill — twice — that she was tasked with presenting. Her decision caught the attention of other senators, and it raised questions about something House Speaker Kyle Hilbert (R-Bristow) had said in House JCAB: that EGA had originally sought more than $255 million in incentives but that the Department of Commerce had stood firm during negotiations over the package.
Stepping outside of the committee room over the next hour, Thompson (R-Edmond) twice declined to explain her decision. After the committee adjourned, she said, “I don’t want to talk right now,” but promised to text a statement after gathering her thoughts. Half an hour later, however, a Senate communications staff member said Thompson had decided not to speak about her peculiar decision after all.
Paxton, who spoke with Thompson and other senators in the three hours between votes, said the EGA aluminum smeltering plant is “a project people have lots of questions about.”
“It’s not surprising that the Senate debates things and votes on things and has questions, and then after the vote happened, I think some phone calls had been made,” Paxton said. “The governor is supporting the project, and he explained it to some other senators, and a lot of them simply asked, ‘Hey is there a way to recall this so we can hear it again?’ And we found a procedural way to do it.”
Stitt wasn’t the only state leader working to change minds on the topic. Just after 7:40 p.m., Paxton summoned Seifried to a corner of the room for a three-minute conversation. Seifried, who had missed the HB 2781 vote, walked out of the room after the conversation, looking toward the ceiling and returning moments later with a pack of Goldfish snack crackers. At 8:30 p.m., Paxton had a similar conversation with Sen. Grant Green outside of the conference room’s door, although Green (R-Wellston) stuck with his “Nay” vote on the incentive program.
Gov. Kevin Stitt, who has sought to land major manufacturing facilities in Oklahoma during his time in office, released a statement encouraging the Legislature to pass HB 2781 and land the aluminum smelter.
“A project of this size is a boon for all 4 million Oklahomans,” Stitt said. “Oklahoma is open for business, and that means companies are coming here and hiring hard working Oklahomans. EGA is huge for our state, and we need to get it across the finish line.”
Lawton prison purchase moves forward despite Senate concern
While the Port of Inola aluminum smelter project incentive took unexpected water from senators Monday, a separate proposal also seen as controversial in the Senate Republican Caucus moved forward.
Both HB 2780 — to create the Prison Acquisition Revolving Fund — and SB 1160 — to dedicate $238.1 million from the Revenue Stabilization Fund — advanced from Senate JCAB earlier Monday afternoon by 20-6 and 17-9 votes, respectively. Only one of the votes cast against the two bills came from a Democrat.
On Thursday, Paxton surprised House leaders with remarks suggesting some of his fellow Republican senators had a bad taste in their mouths about the $312 million proposal to purchase the Lawton Correctional Facility from GEO Group, which told state officials months ago that it would not be renewing its contract with the Department of Corrections to house about 2,300 incarcerated Oklahomans.
“We met this morning with the governor and allowed a lot of senators to ask questions. A lot of them were very uncomfortable with kind of feeling like sometimes we get information at the end, and now we have to make a quick decision. That is concerning,” Paxton said Thursday. “I am convinced of the need to make sure those 2,300 prisoners are properly incarcerated. That is not a group you want to [release]. (…) There are still questions out there that we are trying to find answers to, so it is not decided in our body in any way.”
House Appropriations and Budget Committee Chairman Trey Caldwell (R-Lawton) chose his words carefully when asked about Paxton’s comment Monday.
“It’s my understanding that that is a part of the overall budget negotiation and I trust that Sen. Hall and Pro Tem Paxton will keep up their end of the deal,” Caldwell said.
The House JCAB advanced HB 2780 by a 27-1 vote and SB 1160 by a 19-6 vote. During his committee’s hearing, Caldwell said the prison purchase stood as a good financial deal under the circumstances, and he said people who philosophically believe private companies should not profit off of incarceration should be pleased.
“We’ve turned over every stone. We’ve looked for a plethora of opportunities to try to have Plan B’s. We’ve made multiple overtures to that private company. We’ve offered them (an) increased per diem rate, we’ve asked them for extensions, and we’ve asked them for just about everything when it comes to that,” Caldwell said. “But the company has stood steadfast now, going back to January, that they do not want to continue a business relationship with the state of Oklahoma. As to the nature of ‘why’ — whether that’s a disagreement with the executive branch — that’s a rumor that is out there. But that’s something you would have to ask the governor.”
Caldwell’s comments stood in contrast to those of Sen. Darcy Jech (R-Kingfisher), who debated against SB 1160 and the prison purchase.
“The Legislature should not be in this position to have to consider this. An expenditure of $230 million — whatever the number is — should not be something that we’re given just a few weeks to consider,” Jech said. “This should be part of an ongoing plan. I don’t see that.”
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The FY 26 budget bills that advanced
The following bills advanced during both the House and Senate JCAB meetings Monday:
- HB 2767 transfers a total of $225 million from existing Department of Commerce accounts to the new ROA-25 account created to provide economic incentive payments in HB 2781.
- HB 2780 creates the Prison Acquisition Revolving Fund and authorizes the purchase of a prison.
- HB 2766 is the Fiscal Year 2026 “general appropriations” bill, totaling 57 pages and 163 sections.
- HB 2772 raises the off-the-top apportionment to the Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety (ROADS) Fund from $590 million to $610 million and specifies that $20 million a year through Fiscal Year 2033 shall be used “for the construction, repair and maintenance of weigh stations on the state highway system.” The bill also deletes statute specifying that ROADS funding “shall not be used to supplant or replace existing state funds used for transportation purposes,” as well as a requirement for the State Board of Equalization to “examine and investigate expenditures from the fund each year.”
- HB 2782 authorizes the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to budget and expend money from the Rate Preservation Fund for “maintaining reimbursement rates to providers in the event of a decrease in the state’s Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) rate.” The bill also says that, with approval of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services director, OHCA “may transfer up to one-third of the balance of the Rate Preservation Fund in any given state fiscal year to other funds” of OHCA “to meet cash flow needs of the state’s Medicaid program, so long as the monies are transferred back to the Rate Preservation Fund prior to the end of the state fiscal year in which they were originally transferred.”
- HB 2795 authorizes the Ethics Commission to retain an additional $300,000 annually in its Political Subdivisions Enforcement Fund.
- HB 2775 authorizes the use of $41.6 million from the Legacy Capital Financing Fund for the Military Department of Oklahoma “to construct, refurbish or expand military related facilities in Oklahoma.”
- HB 2776 redirects $19 million of Legacy Capital Financing Fund dollars from repairs to the State Capitol Office Complex tunnel system to renovation of the Kelley Building and Kelley Annex (2409 N. Kelley Ave., OKC) “for lease to a public operator as a day care facility.”
- HB 2773 appropriates $250 million from the Legacy Capital Financing Fund to the Oklahoma State University Veterinary Medicine Authority “to construct, refurbish or expand animal teaching hospitals and related facilities.”
- HB 2774 appropriates $200 million from the Legacy Capital Financing Fund to the University Hospitals Authority “to construct, refurbish or expand hospital facilities associated with the specialization of diagnosing and treatment of heart conditions in children, commonly referred to as a ‘pediatric heart hospital.’”
- HB 2783 makes the board members of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust “serve at the pleasure of their appointing authorities, not to exceed a seven-year term of office.”
- HB 2777 appropriates from the Opioid Lawsuit Settlement Fund to the Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Revolving Fund $20 million “to be budgeted and expended in accordance with law” but without specification. The bill also moves another $1.25 million between the funds “to be distributed to non-litigating subdivisions.”
- HB 2769 modifies job requirements, titles and compensation for the adjutant general. It grants the adjutant general “the authority to arm members of the state military forces on military installations and other places under the control of the Military Department with weaponry as the adjutant general deems necessary to adequately provide for the security of the facilities and their occupants.” The bill authorizes the Military Department to “accept donations and bequests to create a program for the benefit of members of the Oklahoma National Guard.” It also designates the adjutant general as the chief of all fire protection units and all police units and officers appointed under the Military Department. It says all federal programs managed by the Military Department shall be exempt from all OMES Information Services Division requirements. It eliminates a prohibition on state compensation for Oklahoma State Guard members and stipulates that “any full-time state employee that serves in a military capacity shall receive compensation equaling the compensation, benefits, entitlements or other compensation received by a full-time active-duty service member at the same rank and time in grade.” It establishes a 45-day response window for a National Guard member who is notified by a commanding officer that “judicial punishment” is being administered. It specifies how reduction in rank from “nonjudicial punishment” is conducted. The bill also establishes parameters for “convening of court-martial by federal officials.” It specifies the prohibitions of forgery and domestic violence for military members and makes it “unlawful” for any member of the state military forces to knowingly use or ingest marijuana. The bill names the “co-located readiness and joint operating center facilities constructed by the Military Department” as “the Benjamin T. Walkingstick National Guard Complex.” Starting Nov. 1, 2027, the bill creates a new “supplemental retirement pay” program for certain military members that have completed 25 years of military service and retire as members of the Oklahoma National Guard. The bill also creates the “Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance Act” to “provide assistance to eligible guard members who enroll in a technology center.” It allows the adjutant general to authorize transferring of “education assistance” from a qualifying member to one or more of their dependents. The bill repeals law requiring military publications under the authority of the adjutant general to be provided to and archived by the Secretary of State.
- HB 2770 increases the salaries of Oklahoma Supreme Court justices and judges on the Court of Criminal Appeals and the Court of Civil Appeals. The pay increases range between $10,500 and $13,000.
- HB 2771 increases from one to three the number of special judges in the Oklahoma-Canadian Counties Judicial Administrative District.
- HB 2768 increases the scope of eligible establishments to receive Quality Jobs Program Act payments for expansion efforts.
- HB 2764 would cut the state income tax rate 0.25 percent and eliminate the three lowest brackets starting in Fiscal Year 2026, while also creating a revenue growth trigger for a “path to zero” income tax. The trigger would be calculated based on a 125 percent increase over the cost of the 0.25 percent tax rate cut.
- HB 2778 creates the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Program to be administered by the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness under the direction of the Department of Human Services. The new program has $120,000 and $60,000 annual income caps for two-parent and single-parent households, respectively, and it specifies that “a child care employee working at a child care facility licensed” by the state “shall be eligible.”
- HB 2765 establishes parameters for the State Treasurer’s Office hiring financial consultants. It also specifies what funds can be invested in the Invest in Oklahoma program. The bill also allows creation of a board to govern those decisions.
- HB 2779 transfers $750,000 for the School Secure Program from the State Board of Education to the Department of Public Safety.
- HB 2784 authorizes the Oklahoma State University Medical Trust to “enter into a cooperative venture for the purpose of training students within an American College of Surgeons Level 1 Trauma Center or centers operated by the Oklahoma State University Medical Trust or an affiliated entity approved by the trust.” The bill also creates the Emergency Medicine Revolving Fund for purposes of creating the Level 1 trauma center, which legislative leaders have said will be in Tulsa. The St. Francis hospital system is expected to be the “affiliated entity” partnering with OSUMT.
- HB 2785 directs the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to ensure a series of practices regarding Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services budgeting, and it prohibits ODMHSAS from entering into contracts “that do not clearly state a maximum financial obligation.”
- HB 2788 returns to the Statewide Recovery Fund $1.56 million of the $2.8 million appropriated by HB 2884 in 2023 to the Department of Human Services for the provision of domestic violence victim services. It also returns $162,669 of appropriations in SB 1186 from 2023 to the Statewide Recovery Fund from DHS, which had received $12.8 million to establish a grant program supporting access to affordable and nutritious foods. The bill also returns $1.49 million of the $4.54 million appropriated to the Health Care Workforce Training Commission by SB 1458 in 2022. It also returns $2.16 million of the $10 million appropriated to the Oklahoma State University Medical Authority by HB 1012 in 2022 for a rural advanced care pilot program. It also returns $5 million of the $25 million appropriated to the State Department of Health by SB 20XX in 2022 for “a program providing medical facilities for disproportionately impacted populations.” It also returns $20.5 million of the $87 million appropriated to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services by HB 1013XX in 2022 for construction of a replacement facility for Griffin Memorial Hospital. It also returns $3.3 million of the $8 million appropriated to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board by SB 13XX in 2022.
- HB 2789 appropriates $9.3 million to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board from federal pandemic-funding monies already designated for use by the agency. The agency is authorized to enter into contracts for the dissemination of grant funds. It specifies the agency shall retain no more than 4 percent of the funds appropriated by the bill to cover costs incurred for administration of those grants.
- HB 2790 appropriates $10 million from the Statewide Recovery Fund to the Office of Juvenile Affairs for unspecified purposes and sets a 2 percent limit on retention of those funds for administrative purposes.
- HB 2791 appropriates $5.52 million to the Department of Human Services to cover cost increases for previously approved ARPA projects, including $5 million for “promoting healthy childhood environments through expanding capacity for child care services.” The bill sets a 2 percent cap on retention of those funds for administrative purposes.
- HB 2792 specifies which previously approved projects “shall continue to receive the benefit of funds originally appropriated in amounts from the Progressing Rural Economic Prosperity (PREP) Fund in prior years.”
- HB 2793 appropriates $8 million from the Progressing Rural Economic Prosperity Fund to the Emergency Medicine Revolving Fund created in HB 2874 for establishment of a Level 1 Trauma Center in Tulsa County.
- HB 2794 appropriates $5 million from the PREP Fund to the Department of Commerce “to construct a new municipal park located north of I-344 and west of I-35,” which will be the Uncommon Ground Sculpture Park in Edmond. The bill also appropriates the Department of Commerce $4 million “to relocate a naval submarine located east of State Highway 165 and north of State Highway 62,” which is the USS Batfish. The same agency receives $1.8 million “to implement infrastructure improvements at an industrial park located south of State Highway 62 and east of State Highway 283,” which is an industrial park in Frederick.
- HB 2796 provides complete discretion for the Department of Commerce to move money from the Disaster Mitigation and Recovery Matching Fund.
- HB 2797 designates the Department of Human Services as “the agency responsible for annual performance audits of community-based services provided through Home and Community-Based Medicaid Waivers,” and it designates the Health Care Authority as the agency “responsible for auditing claims to confirm that the services billed by contract providers have been delivered” per federal requirements. The bill requires DHS and HCA to “work in conjunction to develop and refine an audit methodology with respect to claims submitted for payment by providers in the Home and Community Based Waivers related programs,” and it prohibits HCA from using “extrapolation” or “statistical sampling” to audit submitted claims for those programs. The bill retroactively prohibits HCA from seeking repayments based on audits using such methodologies since Jan. 27, 2020.
- SB 1126 establishes a series of budget limitations and spending specifications for the State Department of Education. The bill says that “state aid funds shall be reduced or withheld by the State Board of Education in an amount necessary to ensure compliance with this act.” It also specifies legislative intent that the attorney general has the duty as chief law enforcement officer “to enforce the proper application of monies appropriated by the Legislature and to prosecute breaches of trust in the administration of such funds.”
- SB 1128 adds an additional requirement on the State Department of Education budget, requiring $1 million to be used for Teach for America.
- SB 1129 directs the State Department of Education to use $500,000 to develop a grant program for helping districts create phone-free policies.
- SB 1135 specifies that proceeds from premium taxes deposited into the Medicaid Health Improvement Revolving Fund for the calendar year ending Dec. 31, 2024 — and for each calendar year after — shall not be subject to apportionments.
- SB 1136 designates that $100 million of appropriations to the Health Care Authority be used “for program growth and to replace funding no longer available due to the reduction of federal matching dollars.” The bill authorizes HCA to pay professional expenses — such as licenses, professional memberships and continuing education — for any full-time employee, including the administrator of the agency. The bill also authorizes “early transfer” of “tax collections” to the General Revenue Fund for the purpose of “early allocation to the agency’s disbursing funds to alleviate cash-flow problems.”
- SB 1137 creates a budgetary line-item requiring the Department of Human Services to use $7.76 million of its appropriations “to replace funding no longer available due to the reduction of federal matching dollars.” The bill specifies that DHS “shall maintain the funding levels for senior nutrition programs from the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025,” and it requires “joint approval” from House and Senate leaders “before any senior nutrition sites may be closed due to declining attendance or increased operational costs” during Fiscal Year 2026. Additionally, the bill requires DHS to use $2.5 million “to make permanent the second meal per day for the Advantage Waiver Program.” The bill requires DHS to “maintain the funding levels for provider rates and service authorizations” for multiple community and in-home service waiver programs. The bill requires DHS to transfer $5.6 million of its appropriations to “the Child Abuse Multidisciplinary Account.” The bill authorizes “early transfer” of “tax collections” to the General Revenue Fund for the purpose of “early allocation to the department’s disbursing funds to alleviate cash-flow problems.”
- SB 1140 directs $10.81 million of funds appropriated to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to “be used for program growth and to replace funding no longer available due to the reduction of federal matching dollars.” The bill also requires $9.48 million to be used to meet the obligations required in the consent decree pursuant to the Briggs v. State lawsuit. The bill also requires $18.5 million to “be used for the continuum of care for children in crisis.” It requires $1.3 million to be used “to maintain services for veterans and their families.” The bill authorizes “early transfer” of “tax collections” to the General Revenue Fund for the purpose of “early allocation to the department’s disbursing funds to alleviate cash-flow problems.”
- SB 1141 requires $150,000 of State Department of Health appropriations to “be used to maintain sickle cell outreach.” It requires $200,000 to be used “for the operations of the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission,” as well as $3 million to be disbursed to federally qualified health centers “for increased access to primary health care services.”
- SB 1143 creates the State Election Board Voting System Revolving Fund and specifies its use “for the purchase, installation, maintenance and security of a unitary, unified, integrated system of election administration for this state.”
- SB 1150 appropriates $15 million from the PREP Fund to the Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics “to make needed upgrades to infrastructure on or near the grounds of a primary commercial airport, categorized as a small-hub or larger, centrally located in the state to maintain or enhance aerospace capabilities and increase future economic development in the state.”
- SB 1151 appropriates $2 million from the PREP Fund to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board “for the purpose of providing water infrastructure funding to a rural water sewer and solid waste management district in the central region of the state experiencing private water well contamination from an unknown source and needing connected with a public water supply.” It appropriates another $2 million to OWRB “for the purpose of constructing water lines in a county with a population greater than 150,000 and less than 200,000” that is “located in a community not adjacent to a major roadway designated as an interstate.” It appropriates another $200,000 “for the purpose of establishing grant programs that facilitate the design, construction and maintenance of water and wastewater infrastructure and to improve the condition of publicly owned, deficient dams regulated” by OWRB.
- SB 1152 specifies that between July 2025 and June 30, 2030, the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Commission may use $5 million from the Oklahoma State Park Trust Fund “to construct and maintain a lodge and any associated facilities deemed necessary by the commission.”
- SB 1153 establishes budgetary line items for the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, including $1 million for the OSU Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center, $5.2 million for the OSU Cooperative Extension Service’s offices, $1.3 million for research centers that are affiliated with OSU Agricultural Experiment Stations, and $5.5 million for cooperative extension and agriculture research programs that are affiliated with Langston University.
- SB 1155 establishes budgetary line items for the Department of Commerce, including $500,000 for support of the Community Expansion of Nutrition Assistance Program, $100,000 “to provide support to an Oklahoma-based nonprofit in order to preserve sports heritage and pride in Oklahoma,” and $198,660 to “be used for community action agencies to support Head Start programs.”
- SB 1168 makes changes to the Governmental Tort Claims Act, increasing payment caps on various claims against political subdivisions for the first time in 30 years and tying future increases to the Consumer Price Index. The bill would also modify how sewer backup claims are handled, eliminating the ability for claim amounts to be multiplied by the total members of a household. Instead, the nuisance value cap was increased from $175,000 to $275,000, and the property value claim maximum was increased to $75,000 for a total $350,000 claim maximum.
- SB 1169 transfers certain duties of the Oklahoma Capital Assets Management and Protection Board to the Long-Range Capital Planning Commission and makes changes to how deferred maintenance funding is allocated among colleges and universities for Fiscal Year 2026. The bill recognizes the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University as “R2” research universities and specifies an increase in the funding percentage for Langston University.
- SB 1171 repeals the Perform Act, which was a prior incentive program at the Department of Commerce, following the transfer of funds for the aluminum smelter plant.
- SB 1178 allows $7.93 million of the money appropriated to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to be used “to address the ongoing increased demand for mental health services by expanding the infrastructure of the Tulsa Center for Behavioral Health to increase capacity.” The bill also re-designates $66.5 million of money sent to ODMHSAS for a new hospital construction in central Oklahoma to go toward purchasing and renovating a facility for the same purpose.
- SB 1179 appropriates to the J.D. McCarty Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities $800,000 “to provide medical care for children with developmental disabilities who are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.”
- SB 1180 appropriates $248,000 to the Legislative Services Bureau to pay for contracts during Fiscal Year 2026 “related to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.”
- SB 1181 appropriates $2.42 million to the Office of Management and Enterprise Services “for expenses arising from implementing programs and expenditures in accordance with actions taken by the Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding.”
- SB 1160 moves $238.1 million from the Revenue Stabilization Fund to the Prison Acquisition Fund for the Lawton prison purchase.
(Correction: This article was updated at 10:20 a.m. Tuesday, May 20, to correct the spelling of Sen. Kendal Sacchieri’s name. NonDoc regrets the error.)
