New Speaker of the House details session goals

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — “It's a challenge, this is a challenging cycle no doubt about it,” said Representative Charles McCall in his first television interview as Speaker of the Oklahoma House.

He knew when he was elected that the legislature would be facing another uphill battle.

“The budget we ended up with last year was not, was nowhere near close to $1.3 billion less than the previous year budget,” McCall told FOX 25, “We found the monies to back fill the hole. In fact, when we left session last year we knew we would be walking back into a $600 million hole just with the way we addressed the budget last year.”

Other state leaders have said the budget situation this year is one that will require raising revenue. The governor’s office has suggested raising taxes on items that are currently not taxed or increasing taxes on things like cigarettes.

Raising taxes is a topic Republicans often avoid.

“I think you have to be willing in unconventional times you have to be willing to think unconventionally and your solutions sometimes have to be unconventional,” McCall said.

However, raising revenue is not a simple solution when it comes to politics in Oklahoma.

“The question is, with regards to raising revenue is we have to have 76 votes in the House of Representatives to pass a revenue raising measure directly through the chamber,” McCall said, “You'd have to have 75% of the Senate agree as well and that is a very high hurdle.”

Besides the budget, McCall said his policy objectives will be on attracting business to Oklahoma and he hopes jobs and the economy will be his lasting legacy as Speaker.

“I feel like whether you think there is not enough funding for education or healthcare or roads and bridges services for the aging,” McCall said, “Those are all symptoms of one problem and that is the economic condition of the state.”

Regardless of what else happens in the session McCall told FOX 25 that his call for teacher pay raises was not an empty promise.

“I think it is very important,” McCall stressed, “It is a priority of mine and that is something that is at the top of my list and i think you will see a teacher pay raise plan roll out of the House of Representatives very early this session.”