Kevin Stitt stopped in Woodward Tuesday morning for a brief town-hall type event. Stitt is campaigning with a vision to boost Oklahoma into the top 10 in growth, education, infrastructure, healthcare, and government efficiency. The audience asked several questions and Stitt took the time to address a few current hot topics for the state. Woodward Public School Superintendent Kyle Reynolds asked Stitt his opinion on bringing more funding into the Oklahoma education system. “I believe we have to pay teachers what market is, competitive wages,” Stitt said. “The problem that I had, it (recent teacher Kevin Stitt visits with local and are residents at the Josie Adams Cultural Centre on pay raises) felt like a bandaid solution to Tuesday. (Photo by Sarah Nishimuta) me because we’ve been told as Oklahomans that the lottery is going to fix ciencies that we need.” ical stuff, but this bill is not medical’… Index education, casinos, or liquor by the drink or horse racing. We’ve heard all these Another attendee asked Stitt what he planned to do about the recently passed Recreational puts our state in too many unintended consequences. If it’s still illegal things.” medical marijuana bill. Stitt explained that federally then it’s going to be a problem Stitt said he would address the problem while he didn’t have a problem with med- for our state with the industries, with the as a businessman. ical marijuana, he is completely against trucking companies, how they have a safe “So then I started thinking about how recreational use. environment, and all those things. It just do other states do it,” Stitt said. “Again, “If it helps a patient, everybody is fine complicates everything.” that’s how a business person thinks about with it, from what I hear,” Stitt said. Stitt went on to say that Oklahoma this. I’ve got 49 other examples of how “Recreational is a different story, right? As needs a governor that can explain the they fund education.” governor, we’ve got to make sure it truly is issues to voters. In the end, Stitt believes the issue lies in medical, right? The bigger problem that I “As governor, there’ll be another issue the funding formula. have with the way this thing rolled out is that comes up and you have to have a gov- “In my opinion, we have to fix the it’s all marketing, right? The people voted ernor that can come out and explain that funding formula,” said Stitt. “The funding for it because they thought it’s medical. It’s too,” Stitt said. formula hasn’t been touched since, you helping people. The runoff election is set for Aug 28 know the last governor that addressed it? It "As governor, the governor needs to be featuring Stitt and Mick Cornett vying for was Henry Bellmon… We have to change out in front with a microphone and should the GOP nomination. that to let the local counties keep more of have the trust of the Oklahoma people, Drew Edmondson is the nominee on the their dollars and that will create the effi- saying ‘Hey, nobody’s afraid of the med- Democrat side.
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