New Role, Same 'SW Oklahoma' Philosophy

So, you might have already heard, but if you haven’t, I have been chosen by the new speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives to chair the House Appropriations and Budget Committee for 60th State Legislature. This will be the first time in at least the last 50 years that someone from SW Oklahoma has chaired this committee.

 In this expanded role, I will oversee the work of the House A&B committee, its ten subcommittees, and our professional staff as they work with and gather budget requests and spending reports from each appropriated state entity and some non-appropriated agencies. This process goes on from right after we pass the budget in May until around Christmas. Once we have a good idea of the revenue numbers provided by the Oklahoma Board of Equalization, we’ll work with the House GOP Caucus to determine spending priorities for the appropriated portion of the state budget for Fiscal Year 2026, which starts July 1. 

 The Oklahoma Constitution requires the Legislature to do one thing each year and one thing only: pass a BALANCED budget. (OKC isn’t DC; we can’t print money.) To accomplish this, the House begins with revenue figures certified by the state Board of Equalization. The board meets each December to release revenue estimates so we can begin our work. In February, the board releases the final revenue certification. We are allowed to spend up to 95% of that final estimate.

 The House first examines the governor’s budget requests via his executive branch agencies and spending reports we receive. These are available for the public to view at okhouse.gov under the Budget HQ button. Each year, we also ask the six agencies that receive the lion’s share of the appropriations to present in public forums their requests and prior year spending and to answer any questions legislators or the public might have.

 While the House sets its priorities, we also must work with the state Senate to pass the final budget. This must be done by the time the Legislature is constitutionally required to end session – sine die – which is the last Friday in May. The governor can then sign the budget into law as is, veto the entirety of it, or “line item” veto portions of it. 

 For the current fiscal year, FY25, the Legislature appropriated $12.47 billion to state entities to serve the needs of the public. This was a 2.2% increase over FY24.

 Currently, state revenues are coming in slightly ahead of estimates but a bit behind last year’s collections. This is to be expected with the implementation of the grocery tax cut and the slowing of the economy over all. While our revenue streams are stable, to slightly down, we still have robust cash savings of approximately $2 billion that provides flexibility for the cyclical nature of Oklahoma's economy.

 While serving in this new capacity will increase my OKC obligations, I will continue to prioritize the needs of my district above all else. 

 As always, if I can help you with anything, please do not hesitate to reach out. You can reach me at (405) 557-7307 or trey.caldwell@okhouse.gov.