Oklahoma’s Taxpayer Trough: How State Agencies Are Gorging on Your Hard-Earned Dollars
A Spotlight on Wasteful Spending and the Push for Fiscal Reform in Oklahoma's Budget Battles
By Marven Goodman
Investigative Article
February 9, 2026—In a state where hardworking Oklahomans are already stretched thin by rising costs and federal overreach, Representative Bob Ed Culver’s recent update on this year’s budget hearings serves as a stark reminder of how the legislature plans to pile on more spending. For those who don’t know him, Rep Culver has a cumulative score of 62% on the 47th annual Oklahoma Conservative Index by the Oklahoma Constitution, Oklahoma’s conservative newspaper since 1979. Framed as a “snapshot of the work” serving the people, it’s really a preview of how taxpayers will once again be served up to entrenched bureaucracies and special interests. Here is his Press Release:
“This past week at the Capitol, the eight agencies that receive the most in state appropriated dollars took part in budget hearings in the House chamber.
These include the State Department of Education, the Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, the Department of Human Services, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
Leaders from each agency presented their budget requests for the next fiscal year, but they also gave lawmakers a snapshot of the work that is currently ongoing on behalf of serving Oklahomans.
From the State Department of Education, we heard the request for $4 billion for FY27. This would include more funding for teacher salaries, health care benefits, more training and development for educators and leaders, school security measures and literacy efforts.
The State Regents for Higher Education is asking for $1.52 billion, making the point that they are the ultimate workforce development engine for the state. Their budget request included a focus on their efforts to prepare students for jobs that exist now and that the state should be able to recruit as more skilled workers graduate. They said college graduates outpace high school graduates in earnings. They also would use more than $56 million for deferred maintenance on university and college campuses across the state.
Oklahoma Department of Transportation Director Tim Gatz detailed his agency’s $866.4 million request, which includes repairing and maintaining the more than 31,000 lane miles of the state’s highway system and 6,800 bridges. The department also manages the state port system and waterways as well as railways.
The Office of Management and Enterprise Services spoke about the work they are statutorily required to provide for state agencies. This includes a planned childcare center for the children of state employees. This agency is asking $181.9 million for the next fiscal year.
These are just a few of the issues highlighted in these hearings. We’ll be considering these requests and many others as the legislative session gets underway Feb. 2.
If you ever have question or concerns about legislative matters, feel free to call me at (405) 557-7408 or email me at bob.culver@okhouse.gov. It’s an honor to serve the people of House District 4.
As always, have a great day!
Bob Ed Culver
State Representative
House District 4”
Please give big Bob a call and discuss your thoughts on these topics. With eight major agencies lining up for billions in appropriations for FY27, it’s time to ask: Why are we funding failure and excess when limited government and fiscal restraint could deliver better results? The Sooner Sentinel digs into four of the biggest offenders, exposing the waste and calling for real reform.
Education Bureaucracy
Billions for Bosses, Pennies for Performance
The State Department of Education’s $4 billion request for FY27 might sound modest at first glance, a mostly flat budget with just a $23 million bump for educators’ health insurance. But don’t be fooled: This is the largest single agency ask in the state, and it’s propping up a system where money vanishes into administrative black holes rather than reaching classrooms. We’ve long argued that Oklahoma appropriates plenty for real teachers, but superintendents in failing districts rake in salaries that eclipse even the governor’s $147,000 pay. Recent data shows some local superintendents pulling in over $200,000 in total compensation, with one district shelling out $445,962, up 60% in recent years, while student proficiency languishes below 50%.
Instead of rewarding longevity and bureaucratic bloat, it’s time to overhaul the appropriations model. Merit-based pay for successful classroom teachers would incentivize results, not just showing up. Training more “education leaders” is code for expanding the admin class that’s already siphoning funds. As we’ve covered extensively, this isn’t about serving kids, it’s about sustaining a self-perpetuating machine. Lawmakers should slash the fat and redirect savings to proven performers, proving that less government intervention yields better outcomes.
Higher Ed’s Woke Wonderland
$1.52 Billion for Indoctrination Factories?
The Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education are demanding $1.52 billion, touting themselves as the “ultimate workforce development engine.” But what kind of workforce are they building? Over the past two decades, institutions like the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University have drifted far from conservative Oklahoma values, embracing divisive ideologies that prioritize “wokeness” over practical skills. OU has faced lawsuits over bias-incident policies that chill free speech, with students self-censoring on topics like immigration and race. OSU isn’t far behind, with harassment rules violating First Amendment rights and fostering an environment hostile to conservative viewpoints.
Recent scandals highlight the rot: A OU teaching assistant flunked a student for citing Christian beliefs in a gender essay, leading to the instructor’s removal amid discrimination claims. Another professor was sidelined for viewpoint discrimination in protests. And let’s not forget the short-lived “America-First Assessment” aimed at weeding out “woke indoctrinators”, a nod to how deep the progressive rot has set in. The Regents’ $57 million increase request includes $56 million for deferred campus maintenance, but why pour more taxpayer dollars into schools churning out graduates primed for government jobs or activist roles? We need higher ed focused on market-driven skills, not subsidizing ideological echo chambers. Cut the funding, demand accountability, and let private enterprise fill the gaps—that’s the path to real workforce readiness without the tax burden.
Transportation Troubles
ODOT’s $866 Million Ask Amid Inflation Failures
Tim Gatz and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation are seeking $866.4 million to maintain highways, bridges, and more. Sounds essential, right? But ODOT’s track record screams inefficiency. Their eight-year construction plan has been hammered by inflation they failed to anticipate—costs up 63% since 2020—forcing dozens of projects off the schedule or delayed. Taxpayers foot the bill for this oversight, with no accountability in sight.
Worse, it’s time to rethink the County Improvements for Roads and Bridges (CIRB) program, which funnels nearly $930 million over five years to counties. Managed by ODOT, CIRB has reduced deficient bridges by 24% since 2008, but enforcement of county maintenance plans is lax. We propose splitting and redistributing these funds directly to the 77 counties using a fair formula: 33.3% based on rural road miles, 33.3% on rural population, and 33.4% on rural bridges (all unincorporated). This empowers local governments to prioritize and save, enforcing real plans as statute requires but rarely demands. Centralizing control over county roads and bridges at ODOT only breeds waste and devolves power; we should cut the middleman (Circuit Engineering Districts), and watch efficiency soar without hiking taxes.
OMES’s Nanny State Nonsense
$182 Million for “Free” Childcare Perks?
Finally, the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) wants $181.9 million, including funds for a childcare center exclusively for state employees. Why should bureaucrats get taxpayer-funded perks that everyday Oklahomans don’t? This isn’t “statutorily required” service, it’s selective socialism. If childcare is such a priority, why not extend it to all working families? Because it’s not about fairness; it’s about expanding government’s role where it doesn’t belong.
This ask comes amid broader agency pleas for $1.6 billion in new funding, as budgets strain under years of flat requests. But legitimate functions don’t include playing favorites with public dollars. Scrap this entitlement, privatize where possible, and return the savings to taxpayers. Government isn’t a family business, it’s a limited servant of the people.
In Closing
Oklahoma deserves better than this endless cycle of bigger budgets and diminishing returns. These hearings aren’t about service; they’re about sustaining a system that rewards insiders at your expense. Lawmakers, take note: Embrace limited government, enforce merit over bureaucracy, and prioritize tax relief. The Sooner Sentinel will keep watching, and holding feet to the fire.