At the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association policy meeting, Farm Director, KC Sheperd had the chance to catch up with Governor Kevin Stitt and talk about some of his latest accomplishments to better Oklahoma, including improving education, high-speed internet access, and more.
“It is just so good to be here with cattle producers,” Stitt said. “These are my people. The rural parts of our state are just so important to me.”
Recently, Stitt said he worked to expand the list of documents for county assessors so they can determine eligibility for agricultural exemptions. The agricultural enhancement and diversification program was authorized, Stitt added, to make it easier for veterans and young farmers to receive grants and loans.
“We implemented the House Bill 1682, which exempts personal property taxes on livestock and supports the families, putting more money back into our farmer’s pockets,” Stitt said.
Regarding conversations concerning high-speed internet access across Oklahoma, Stitt said there will be around one billion dollars brought into the state of Oklahoma to aid in high-speed connectivity all across Oklahoma.
“It is going to be so good for rural Oklahoma, for our rural schools, for AP classes, for more access for our kids,” Stitt said. “We have moved up already 23 spots in our ranking since 2019, and we are going to continue that momentum, and my goal is to have 95 percent connectivity by 2028.”
Stitt also talked about his new workforce initiative to grow the workforce in Oklahoma by coordinating between the workforce and education communities.
“One example of that, is we rolled out an aviation school in Norman, and I want more of these; I went to Norman High School,” Stitt said. “Now, when you are a junior or senior, if you want to be a pilot or an A&P mechanic, you can actually go to this high school. So, when you graduate from high school, you are almost there.”
Another important topic Stitt mentioned in his chat was his views on school choice in Oklahoma.
“School choice is just empowering parents and giving parents more options,” Stitt said. “That is all it is. If you have got a son that is dyslexic or a daughter that needs reading tutoring or has special needs, or you know your son or daughter wants to be an A&P mechanic, we want them to have more options across the state of Oklahoma.”
The bottom line, Stitt said, is putting the best foot forward to help students be ready for their college or career.
“We have so many great rural schools, and primarily I love our rural schools,” Stitt said. “But we have some inner-city schools that are failing our young people.”
Educating the next generation, Stitt said, is one of the best things he can invest in during his time as Governor of Oklahoma.
