Oklahoma Gov. Stitt Delivers Final State of the State Address

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt delivered his final State of the State address around February 2, 2026, marking the start of the state's 2026 legislative session, as he is leaving office due to term limits. State revenue was reported up about $300 million from the prior year despite elimination of the state sales tax on groceries, though not enough to trigger a conditional quarter-percent income tax cut previously championed by legislative Republicans. In his address, Stitt called for several policy changes, including making the State Superintendent of Public Instruction an appointed rather than elected position, and proposed sending questions to voters on adjusting Medicaid expansion and revisiting the state's medical marijuana law. He also urged reforms to welfare and Medicaid programs, including new work requirements, and called for eliminating the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association. Additionally, Stitt proposed codifying a 3% annual cap on recurring state spending growth into the state constitution. He highlighted Operation Guardian, a state-federal immigration enforcement partnership, and immigration enforcement was a focal point of protester activity outside the capitol during the address, with demonstrators expressing opposition to ICE policies. As of the reporting, the legislature had not yet acted on Stitt's proposals, with thousands of bills under consideration as the session began. It remains unresolved which of Stitt's specific proposals—such as the superintendent appointment measure, Medicaid expansion adjustments, or the spending cap amendment—will advance through the legislature or reach voters via ballot measure. Separately, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee marked the close of his own state's 2026 legislative session in April, including passage of a $58.3 billion budget with funding for a new College of Medicine building and nuclear workforce education, an unrelated development in a different state.