Oklahoma revenue hits record $16.9 billion; lawmakers credit Thunder and growth, doubt OHP patrol changes

Oklahoma ended its fiscal year in June with a record $16.9 billion in state revenue, according to the state treasurer’s latest report. The total marks a 0.2% increase over last year and the highest annual revenue in state history.

Sen. Paul Rosino and former Rep. Jason Dunnington discussed the milestone during this weekend’s episode of Your Vote Counts, highlighting both economic successes and concerns about public safety changes in metro areas.

Strong Job Growth and Thunder’s Finals Run Credited for Boost

Oklahoma’s 3.1% unemployment rate and lower-than-average inflation (2.4%) helped fuel the record revenue. But Rosino says the biggest revenue spike came in June, and he believes the Oklahoma City Thunder's NBA Finals run played a major role.

“Our restaurants were full, our hotels were full, people were spending money,” Rosino said. “If you have a bunch of people coming to this state… it does nothing but explode our economy.”

The Thunder’s presence, he added, brought economic energy to downtown Oklahoma City and beyond.

Lawmakers Raise Alarm Over OHP Metro Pullback

While praising the economic outlook, both Rosino and Dunnington expressed bipartisan concern over a recent Oklahoma Highway Patrol decision to pull back routine patrols from Oklahoma and Tulsa counties.

Rosino, who represents parts of Oklahoma City, said the change would shift heavy highway response duties, such as semi-truck crashes and rollovers, to local police, who aren’t fully trained for those roles.

“That’s not something they’ve ever done,” he said. “If they have to start doing those things without proper training, we could be putting people in jeopardy.”

“Can OHP even say that they won't patrol a specific county out of the 77 counties in the state of Oklahoma?” Dunnington said. “[It’s] something we should all watch closely.”

How Oklahoma Lawmakers Consume Their News

The episode also took a turn into media literacy, with Rosino and Dunnington sharing how they avoid echo chambers and resist algorithm-driven news feeds.

Rosino said he reads four to five news sources daily from across the political spectrum, including both national outlets and local coverage from News 9. “It doesn't let anyone have a particular pinpoint of what I'm doing and how I'm getting my news,” Rosino said. "So News 9, you're really getting good local news."

Dunnington echoed the advice and gave a shoutout to several trusted sources. “News 9 is the only locally owned TV station in Oklahoma,” he said. “I definitely take a look at that. I'm kind of a sucker for the Drudge Report, so I do look at that each day to take that in. KGOU News, I'll listen to on my Alexa in the morning to get NPR's perspective.”