Senator Charles Wyrick critical of Governor Fallin’s Education Budget
Every community leader in this state knows if you want your town or city to grow, you have to be able to attract good jobs. A couple of years ago, Governor Mary Fallin conducted a statewide survey of Oklahoma businesses in all 77 counties to figure out what they felt was needed to help businesses thrive and support a “growing and vital work force” in our state.
There are a lot of interesting findings in that survey. Oklahoma business leaders were asked to rank the top five strengths of Oklahoma’s business climate. Number one was the quality of the state’s two and four year college and universities—CareerTech system preparation for the workplace was also in the top five, ranking third.
The survey also revealed that an overwhelming majority of business owners said that to create jobs, they needed an educated and skilled workforce, not more tax breaks. Sixty-one percent of business leaders ranked the availability of skilled labor in Oklahoma as “fair” or “poor.”
In her State of the State address, Governor Fallin said a high school diploma is no longer enough, noting only one-third of all jobs are available to those with only a high school diploma or less, and most of those pay less than $25,000 a year. She called for increasing the number of Oklahomans who continue their education at a college or career technology center.
But in her executive budget, the Governor is calling for a five percent cut in most state agencies—that includes Higher Education. CareerTech has asked for an additional $35 million in funding to help more companies find the trained workers they need, but the Executive Budget calls for no new funding. Higher Education officials have requested an additional $76 million in funding, but the Governor’s budget cuts $50 million in funding for our states colleges and universities. The hikes in tuition and fees that would likely result will probably cause fewer, not more, Oklahomans to pursue additional education.
I agree we need a better educated and more highly skilled workforce, but I believe there are better solutions right here in the Legislature. Oklahoma’s Promise has helped thousands of students throughout our state attain their dream of a college degree, but the maximum income to be eligible to apply for the scholarship hasn’t been changed since the bill was first passed in 1992. One bill filed this year in the Senate would raise that income cap to reflect changes in the economy over the last two decades, raising it from $50,000 to $68,000.
A bill already approved by the Senate last year would expand Oklahoma’s Promise to include more of the cost for specific CareerTech certifications. This measure is awaiting action by the House. A third bill would expand the program to pay for not only tuition, but also fees for specific associates degrees. These bills could be an important part of the equation as we work to create a better educated workforce and attract more jobs with top salaries.
If Oklahoma is really serious about helping more citizens get the educations they need, and we really want to help businesses grow by making sure they have access to a highly skilled, well educated workforce, reducing resources for Higher Education and CareerTech just doesn’t add up.
As always, I welcome your comments on state government. Please feel free to contact me by writing to Senator Charles Wyrick at the State Capitol, Room 535-A, Oklahoma City, OK, 73105; call me at (405) 521-5561. Senator Charles Wyrick critical of Governor Fallin’s Education Budget
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