Governor Kevin Stitt on Wednesday exercised his veto pen on Senate Bill 1056 and its funding in the budget bill.
SB 1056 would have set up a revolving fund for the Department of Human Services. The budget bill would have deposited $16 million in the fund. However, the only way the funds could have been spent is at Legislature’s discretion.
In his veto message on SB 1056, Stitt noted there was a better path forward.
“This infrastructure fund is set aside for the maintenance and care of the Robert M. Greer Center within the Department of Human Services, a specialized facility for persons with dual diagnosis of developmental disabilities and mental illness. I share the legislature’s desire to address this pressing need. However, by placing this money in a fund that can only be expended at the direction of the legislature, I fear this demanding need will be unduly deferred to a later date. Instead, I direct that this money be expended at the direction of the Department of Human Services in collaboration with the Legislature and my office. The purpose and intent of those funds is to address the needs of this population, some of Oklahoma’s most vulnerable,” wrote Stitt.
He also used the line item veto on the budget bill, but kept the funding at DHS.
