Local News

Oklahoma lawmakers plan to help pay for tornado damage in Sulphur and beyond

KOSU | By Lionel Ramos

Published April 30, 2024 at 5:00 AM CDT

Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall, left, shakes hands with Chickasaw Nation Executive Officer of Emergency Management Steve Cash, right, while walking through the tornado-ravaged streets of Sulphur, Oklahoma, Apr 28, 2024.

Oklahoma lawmakers have a message for people affected by the tornados that roared through Oklahoma this weekend: help is on the way.

House Speaker Charles McCall said the state can help provide relief for towns damaged by the more than 20 tornadoes that ripped across south central Oklahoma over the weekend.

And he doesn’t think recent squabbles between the House, Senate and governor will get in the way.

“I believe that appropriation is not something that we will argue over,” McCall said. “I think it will just be one that we look at the damage, and then appropriate the amount of money necessary.”

Gov. Kevin Stitt indicated his support for the state to assist with relief efforts Sunday, and Senate Floor Leader Greg McCortney represents much of the affected area and so does McCall, so negotiations are expected to be smooth.

McCall said the legislature expects to know that number sometime this week.

He said the governor’s emergency declarations in a dozen counties opened the door for federal disaster relief funding. That means federal dollars will cover 75% of relief costs, while state and local governments evenly split the remaining 25%.

McCall said the process will resemble last year’s response to tornado damage in Shawnee. The state has the money for it, he said.

“We’ve got $4.8 billion in surpluses,” McCall said. “The state appropriated about $20 million for Shawnee. Even if it’s somewhere on par with that. That’s not a lot of money.”