With Oklahoma lawmakers set to start budget work in earnest, House Democrats made their pitch Monday with an $8.5 billion spending proposal.
Their Brand New State budget proposal calls for Medicaid expansion. It also includes raises for teachers, support staff and state employees, and $200 million in additional classroom funding.
It also includes funding to push criminal justice reform ahead. Rep. Collin Walke said it fully funds district attorneys with $40 million in state dollars.
"Historically, the DAs have relied upon fines and fees to fund their services, which just perpetuates the endemic problem of criminal justice overpopulation," Walke said.
The Democrats’ budget proposal also boosts funding for courts and public defenders. Walke said overworked public defenders make it more likely defendants land in prison when they shouldn’t.
Democratic leaders said the Brand New State proposal offers a lot for rural Oklahoma. Rep. David Perryman said it puts $90 million more into a county road and bridge fund, expands Medicaid to help rural hospitals, and expands the Earned Income Tax Credit.
"Our budget is a step to restore the faith in rural Oklahoma, because without rural Oklahoma, Oklahoma will not exist," Perryman said, pointing out he's the only Democratic lawmaker serving west of I-35 and south of I-40.
Minority Leader Emily Virgin said Democrats get asked why they propose a budget in the Republican-held legislature.
"We feel it’s very important to show what our priorities are and, frankly, to push the majority to fund core services at the level that they’ve promised," Virgin said.
The Democrats’ plan calls for income tax cuts on high earners enacted in recent years to be reversed to help bolster state revenue.
