Gov. Mary Fallin delivers her sixth annual "State of the State" address. Credit: Michael Willmus / Oklahoma Watch
House Speaker Jeff Hickman gavels the assembly to order.
Schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister (center) talks with legislators before the governor’s speech.
Legislators converse with a U.S. Supreme Court justice on the House chamber floor.
Gov. Mary Fallin makes her way to the podium.
Fallin shakes hands with Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman.
Leaders and representatives of Native American tribes stand when governor recognizes them.
Gov. Mary Fallin’s husband, Wade Christensen waves as he, Fallin’s daughter Christina (second from right) and other family members are recognized in the gallery.
Videographers for the news media shoot from the booth above.
Gov. Mary Fallin
House and Senate members, gathered in the House chamber, applaud during the “State of the State” address.
A chart presented by Fallin during her “State of the State” speech compared total sales tax exemptions, which she proposed to reduce, to the appropriated budget.
A legislator looks at a budget-related chart distributed for the governor’s address.
Two legislators converse on the floor.
State Rep. Mike Shelton, D-Oklahoma City, listens to the “State of the State” address.
In her “State of the State” address on Monday, Gov. Mary Fallin called for shortened prison sentences, higher taxes on cigarettes and a $3,000 a year pay hike for all teachers.
Fallin also proposed for fiscal 2017 a 6-percent cut for most state agencies, with certain exceptions, and generating more revenue by eliminating some of the $8 billion in annual sales tax exemptions. Fallin’s proposals come amid a budget crisis in which the state must offset a nearly $1 billion budget hole caused mainly by a plunge in oil prices. Income tax cuts have contributed to the revenue drop.
Within the text of her written speech, Oklahoma Watch writers offer annotations with context and more details (below). Click on or tap a highlighted passage to see the notes,which were written by Nate Robson, Warren Vieth and Clifton Adcock.
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