Gov. Stitt backs $50M funding for Arkansas River levee

The Senate Appropriations Committee this week passed legislation authored by Sen. Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa, that would greenlight the money, needed as a match to secure federal funding to pay for $191 million worth of work identified as needed in the wake of massive flooding that occurred along the Arkansas River in 2019.

In the spring of that year, record flooding in the river basin left parts of the Tulsa metro and entire towns nearby inundated. Damage was estimated in the range of $3 billion. Rogers said the catastrophe “opened some eyes” to the vulnerabilities of the levee system, which officials said have grown more apparent in the years since.

In comments made during his weekly press conference at the Capitol, Stitt described the needed major investment in infrastructure as evidence that supports a fiscally conservative style of government.

“If there’s a state-sponsored match (required), then that’s exactly what our savings account is for,” he said. “That’s why we have $5 billion in savings and why we have to be fiscally conservative, because we need to invest in certain infrastructure projects across the state. I’m never opposed to investing in infrastructure that is going to help our citizens.”

Rogers said he is continuing to work with the Oklahoma House of Representatives, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Tulsa County on project details.

“The levee has a lifespan, and it’s time to rebuild,” he said.

The lawmaker said he’s hopeful that Senate Bill 1391 will advance through the House in the coming week. He noted that Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, has been a strong advocate.

If the measure is signed into law, the appropriated funds would be available in Fiscal Year 2025. Once state funding is in place, project timing would be contingent on the Corps of Engineers and the federal process of going out for bids on work, Rogers said.

Initially, SB 1391 proposed a funding commitment from the state of $67 million, but Tulsa County District 2 Commissioner Karen Keith, who was invited to offer lawmakers insights on needs, said about $15 million in local funding had already been identified. She said Friday that she was “ecstatic” to hear news of the $50 million approved by the Senate appropriations panel.

Keith said current funding sources include $3 million from the city of Tulsa’s Fix Our Tulsa program, $5 million from the city’s Vision Tulsa program, $4 million from Vision Tulsa County, and $2 million from Drainage District No. 12.

Some initial project engineering and design work has already been paid for by Tulsa County, the cities of Tulsa and Sand Springs, and the drainage district.

“With more than $1 billion in infrastructure and thousands of Oklahomans in harm’s way if the levee systems were to fail, it’s imperative that we work together at all levels of government to ensure these projects come to fruition,” Rogers said.

During his press conference, Stitt also touched on topics of U.S. border security and his administration’s recently filed suit against Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond.

• The governor was highly critical of President Joe Biden’s statements about border security, made during his State of the Union Address on Thursday. He said the president could have and should have already responded to the border crisis by enforcing laws on the books or implementing executive orders.

“I don’t think Oklahomans believe it. I don’t think Americans believe it that the president doesn’t have tools in his toolbelt,” he said.

He said Republicans aren’t opposed to legal immigration, “but you’re pretty blind if you think we can have open borders and can welcome people with all of the state services and medical care. It’s ridiculous, and I think American people are fed up with it.”

Stitt added that he sent Oklahoma Guard members to the border last year at the request of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and would do so again if asked.

• Stitt described the suit filed against Drummond as “not adversarial” but rather as an attempt to get clarity on the issue of whether Cabinet secretaries can also hold roles as agency heads.

“We need clarity around this,” he said. “We think the AG misapplied the law.”

Stitt said he doesn’t think legislation that advanced this week to allow some Cabinet members to hold dual roles is needed. He insisted that Cabinet secretaries serve in advisory roles only and that a previous executive order that allowed for a secretary to approve spending by agency directors has expired.