The 2026 legislative session will soon conclude as the Legislature has fulfilled our primary function and constitutional requirement of passing a balanced budget. The Fiscal Year ’27 budget was agreed upon by both the Senate and House of Representatives, as well as the governor. The $12.79 billion appropriations package makes strategic investments in education through teacher pay raises, school security measures, and transformative literacy and math initiatives. These investments resulted in a nearly 5% increase in education funding over last year, furthering efforts to move our state forward and enhance educational outcomes. Further, the budget also directs funds to other key state agencies for public safety enhancements and health care advancements. I look forward to seeing this comprehensive package at work in Oklahoma, while maintaining state savings for economic downturns that are sure to come at some point in the future. Though we finished our work on the budget early this year, we remained in session to continue working on legislative business, including policy measures.