Farm Director, KC Sheperd, caught up with Governor Kevin Stitt at the 84th annual Lawton Rangers Rodeo, presented by the Hilliary Family this weekend and talked about challenges Oklahomans are facing and the upcoming election.
With drought still weighting heavy on ag producers’ minds, Kansas and Texas have already declared emergency status for drought and Oklahoma may not be far behind.
“I have been talking to Blayne Arthur, our Secretary of Ag, and she is keeping me posted on whether we need to wave requirements for hay coming in our state,” Stitt said. “If I need to file something, I certainly will do that without hesitation to get any kind of resources we need from the feds but we are just monitoring. I am letting Blayne take the lead in letting me know what we need.”
Stitt said he welcomes the idea of a statewide day of prayer for rain.
“We have done it before,” Stitt said. “I know Blayne put out on the Facebook page asking for prayer for rain, and ultimately, that is exactly what we need. There is not a magic button that you can push or a bill that you can pass to get rain, but we need the good Lord to give us rain in a timely manner.”
With the legislative session in break right now, Stitt said his top priority when things start back up will be inflation relief.
“Right now, one of the things I’ve asked for is to get rid of the grocery tax,” Stitt said. “We are one of only 13 states that taxes groceries. Ours is one of the highest and Oklahomans are hurting at the grocery store right now.”
Inflation is at a 40 year high, Stitt said, so he hopes to get a moratorium at least for two years or eliminate it all together.
Reducing the income tax is also a top priority of Governor Stitt’s.
“We have the largest savings account we have ever had in the state history and so I am really proud of our fiscal discipline in the last four years, but I want to give money back to the taxpayer and want to be the most business friendly state, so I’ll keep working with the legislature,” Stitt said. “Hopefully, we get something done before the end of the year.”
If the grocery tax was eliminated, Stitt said they have calculated it will save the average family in Oklahoma about $455 per year.
With the election coming up, Stitt said he would like for Oklahomans to remember his fight to keep schools and the economy open during COVID shutdowns. Elected four years ago as Governor of Oklahoma, Stitt said he believes in freedoms and personal responsibility.
“I wasn’t listening to President Biden to shut everything down and that is proving tremendous benefits for our state now,” Stitt said. “We have the lowest unemployment ever and our wages our going up, so I am really excited about the momentum and I want to keep that drive going forward for years if Oklahomans will have me.”
Click the LISTEN BAR below to hear KC’s conversation with Governor Stitt at the Lawton Rangers Rodeo.
