Editor’s Note: It is a refreshing change when a candidate for office actually covers details of governance rather than just glittering generalities. Today, Mike Mazzei released his latest “Mazzei Minute: April 16, 2026” a column we have carried on Tulsa Today long before he declared for Oklahoma’s top government job. We invite other candidates to provide byline columns for publication, but this piece is especially timely.

After analyzing the budget agreement that recently passed through the Oklahoma legislature there are a few things for taxpayers to like and a lot to loathe. 

To start, it’s encouraging to see teachers receiving a pay raise, and putting some money into a reading program is better than nothing. However, these positives are overshadowed by a broader lack of sound financial management and a failure to prioritize the three primary functions of state government: fostering job creation and economic growth, ensuring good schools where students learn to read at grade level, and maintaining safe communities free from both domestic and foreign threats.

As far as fiscal responsibility goes, the so-called “budget” maintains unnecessary state agencies, continues to grow spending despite years of expansion and risky corporate welfare, and introduces a level of crony capitalism that is unprecedented.

First let’s breakdown the bad: 

• Under this budget, cash savings are being used to increase recurring expenses, a practice that raises serious long-term concerns. Since 2019, state spending has climbed nearly 43%, while wages for everyday Oklahomans have grown by just 30%. Put simply, government cannot spend its way to prosperity.

• Education, often cited as a “top priority” by state leaders, receives modest attention in this plan. Only $10 million was earmarked for the Department of Education to build its statewide literacy plan. For comparison, Mississippi, which moved from 50th to 1st in reading outcomes, spends $15 million annually despite serving 300,000 fewer students than Oklahoma. If we are serious about improving literacy, this level of investment falls short, and while education spending increased yet again, there was no reform to the overall failing education system. 

• Spending for free health insurance increased nearly $300 million to replace lost federal money. Meanwhile, Medicaid expansion continues to strain the state budget, with more than $1.6 billion in questionable expenses each year. The fact that we pay health insurance for able-bodied people who don’t work, yet we cannot increase access to care for our heroic veterans is unacceptable. 

Next up, let’s shine a light on the really ugly. 

• Oklahoma taxpayers will spend $40 million this year covering property taxes for Google’s expanding data center at MidAmerica Industrial Park. Regardless of the intended economic benefits, we need to ask whether highly profitable corporations should rely on taxpayer support at this scale.

• I love free-market capitalism, but crony capitalism is the worst abuse of taxpayer dollars. This budget directs $200 million into an “investment fund” that will be managed by a political insider and former state employee, who is set to make millions in fees. We have no business setting up an investment fund that at best can make only 8% per year when we could get 20-30 times the return on the dollar if we start an Oklahoma Small Business Capital Program and help 5,000 Oklahoma based businesses develop 10 jobs each.

Oklahoma’s budget should reflect disciplined priorities and a clear commitment to long-term prosperity. While there are a few small steps in the right direction, this spending plan ultimately falls short. It expands government, increases financial risk, and diverts resources away from the areas that matter most.

Our taxpayers deserve better.

About the author: Mike Mazzei, CFP®, MPAS®, is currently a candidate for Oklahoma Governor and the President of Tulsa Wealth Advisors. A Certified Financial Planner professional, and Master Planner Advanced Studies, he created The Financial Freedom Process™ to help individuals leverage their wealth in order to help them achieve their lifetime visions. Mike is a former Oklahoma State Senator (Dist. 25 in Tulsa) & Sec. of Budget. He is the proud husband to Noel and father to 5 great kids. To read more Mazzei Minutes, click here. Please like Mazzei for Governor on Facebook, X, or Truth Social!