The Oklahoma Senate has sent a $12 billion budget to the House. What's on the bipartisan plan?

The Oklahoma Senate laid its budgetary cards on the table Monday, passing a simple resolution that would allocate about $12 billion for the fiscal year 2025 budget. The measure now goes to the House of Representatives.

The proposal, which saw about 10 minutes worth of debate, passed with a 41-3 vote. Sens. Carri Hicks, Julia Kirt and George Young voted against the measure. Four other lawmakers did not vote.

The resolution, which was part of Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat's new budget transparency plan, outlined the Senate's spending priorities. The bill also includes a $312 million cut to the state's portion of the grocery sales tax — the lone tax cut Treat said the Senate would support this session.

Plan would earmark billions for education, health services

In addition to the tax cut, the Senate's resolution would allocate:

• $5.507 billion for education systems

• $1.269 billion for general government and transportation

• $2.211 billion for health and social services

• $1.046 billion for public safety and judiciary

• $923 million for human services

• $500 million for infrastructure expenses

• $470 million for natural resources and regulatory services

• $107 million for other select agencies

• $92.4 million in supplemental funding

While the measure gives a detailed view of the Senate's budget plan, the final budget probably will undergo major changes before the end of the legislative session. Nonetheless Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said he was pleased by how the process worked.

“The new budget transparency process has gone better than anticipated and marks a significant step toward enhancing accountability and public trust in the Senate’s fiscal decision-making process,” the Senate leader said in a media statement. “All 33 meetings were open, livestreamed and have established a framework that promotes accessibility and a proactive approach to budgeting that will bring further accountability to government. I appreciate the diligent work and all the hours Senators put into this process, especially the staff who were essential to this process. I hope this will be built upon in the future and will continue to promote engagement and responsibility.”

More: How should the state spend billions in one-time expenses? Stormy debates are ahead

Monday afternoon Treat said the Senate's budget balanced the needs of Oklahoma and, at the same time, kept the state on sustainable trajectory that "keeps our commitments to tax relief, investing in education, transportation, and health care."

"We are hiding nothing and we are ready to negotiate with the House," he said. “Although, this is the most important part of our job, it is the one that historically has been the most opaque and least inclusive. We have made steps in the recent past in the Senate, but our chamber decided to dedicate ourselves to complete transparency this year. I am proud of the work that nearly all senators have participated in this year. It goes to show when you empower the right members, they will never cease to amaze you and go beyond your grandest concept."

Senate budget chairman, Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, said the resolution was a comprehensive spending plan that addresses the needs of Oklahomans across the state.

“The purpose of state government is to ensure all Oklahomans feel safe in their homes and that they have access to quality schools and reliable health care," Thompson said in a media statement. "Although there’s always more work to be done, this proposed budget prioritizes funding for education, public safety, transportation and health care.”

House considers adding restrictions for education spending

Speaking at a Monday morning news conference, House Speaker Charles McCall said the House's final budget plan could include spending restrictions on the Oklahoma State Department of Education. McCall, responding to a story that detailed how state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters signed a $30,000 contract designed to give himself national media attention, said officials should not be spending state funds for personal promotion.

And, while McCall, R-Atoka, stopped short of praising the Senate's new efforts on making the budget transparent, he did say he hoped it would improve the process.

More: McCall suggests the state House could limit Ryan Walters' ability to hire outside PR firm

"Perhaps the Senate's process will allow them to coalesce around a budget agreement much earlier than they have in the past," McCall said. He said that last year House members were ready to move the budget and adjourn the legislative session "a couple of weeks early of the constitutional adjournment date," but the Senate delayed that effort.

"What ended up happening was we had to call a concurrent special (session) to finish up the process," he said. "It had a lot to do with the processes over in the Senate. I'm supportive of whatever the Senate needs to do internally for us to get a budget agreement early and meet our constitutional deadlines."

With the legislative session at the midway mark, lawmakers have a little more than a month to finalize a budget and any policy issues before end of session at 5 p.m. May 31.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Senate plan calls for $12 billion budget; see the proposal