OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – In late January, Governor Stitt signed an Executive Order to examine potential cuts to essential programs such as Medicaid or SNAP. The leaders of the faith have now spoken.
“The Gospel of Jesus does not look like your state of the state,” said the Reverend of the East Sixth Street Christian Church, Jesse Jackson Jr.
The executive order essentially aligns with requests from the federal government to reduce who participates in the programs.
Oklahoma Legislator wants to make housing more affordable
It is entitled Stitt’s Comprehensive Welfare Reform. The Trump administration, especially around the One Big Beautiful Bill, has started fining states that have errors or fraud.
Oklahoma has one of the highest eligibility error rates in the nation, according to lawmakers. According to the OBBB, states will have to pay if their error rate is above 6%. For Oklahoma, this can amount to more than $250 million annually.
This is just one example. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority this week told lawmakers that they are not asking for but need nearly half a billion dollars more in their budget. Director Clay Bullard pointed to Medicaid Expansion and suggested that cutting it would save a lot of money.
Gov. Stitt’s order has agencies on a timeline to review programs including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and other relevant programs overseen and reviewed in partnership by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS), Oklahoma Department of Health (OHCA), Health Care of Oklahoma (OHCA) Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC).
Lawmakers are worried that this will lead to cuts in essential programs.
“We saw in November with the federal shutdown how even small amounts of benefits that are being cut are really disruptive for people in their household budgets. And so we want to make sure that that system is not hitting people unnecessarily, which is my concern on the Medicaid side as well,” said Senator Julia Kirt (D-OKC).
But again, Governor Stitt called for churches and non-profit organizations to increase. In his press release, Stitt said in part, “We measure compassion by the number of individuals who no longer need social assistance because they have become self-reliant through meaningful employment.
He added, “Government is not a jobs program, and it cannot solve all of society’s issues. Many of the needs that Oklahomans face can be met by the local church, non-profits, and neighbors.”
The governor has, over the years, asked churches and non-profit organizations to replace government programs several times.
Regarding homelessness last year, around Operation Safe, he said in part, “I’m not solving homelessness, okay? That’s up to the churches, the nonprofits, the mental health facilities.”
When the Summer EBT program, which puts tax dollars toward providing free lunches to the neediest school children, was canceled, he pointed to churches and nonprofits to pick up the slack.
Several faith leaders spoke to News 4 and said that they already do most of what is being asked, but that if the state takes tax dollars for the programs, then the state should work to do it.
In 2020, a majority of voters approved a state question that put Medicaid expansion in the state constitution. Now the governor, legislators, and many others are suggesting that they be removed from the state constitution, and put it to a state question.
“Our government has abandoned the least of these. And this is problematic,” said Father Jackson Jr.
Father Jackson Jr. he has been a faith leader in his church for more than 30 years. The church itself has served the metro community for over 100 years.
Lawmaker moves to end cross-lien entry between Oklahoma turnpikes
“They (Medicaid and SNAP) need to be fully funded. They certainly don’t need to be cut. They certainly don’t need to be eliminated,” Rev. Jackson Jr. said. “Certainly there are no resources coming in that would allow the congregations to do much more than what we are doing. We cannot always do everything because we are a small congregation or we put limits.”
He said that they provide everything that the state suggests that they should collect already. In his congregation of 70, some members are on Medicaid and SNAP, too.
Governor Stitt, in an interview last week, suggested that they want to see if cutting those on Medicaid in half might be possible. If churches pick up the slack there, it could mean millions in medical debt to come for churches and non-profits.
You can manage half of the Medicaid recipients, help them right now financially?
“No, we can’t feed everyone,” answered Rev. Jackson Jr.
“If it was possible, I’m sure the churches would love to take care of this,” said Calumet United Methodist Church Pastor Brock Wallace.
Wallace has an even smaller congregation of about 30. He said he’s not the person to get into politics, left, right, whatever. But, he said, if it comes to even more work load on his church, it would not be realistic.
“I would be very, very surprised if the churches could take on the majority of the medical debt,” Pastor Wallace said. “I just don’t know if it’s realistically possible.”
“When you have been given the responsibility to legislate and make life better for people, and instead of going in the opposite direction, that is an abdication of the responsibility that God has given you to do this. You are letting God down by letting God’s people down,” said Rev. Jackson Jr.
Rev. Jackson Jr. pointed out problems with giving more money and tax cuts to the rich instead of the poor in Oklahoma, which led to more problems throughout the state.
“And this is problematic. So instead of trying to put this on the congregations and put this on people who are already struggling, who are already doing a little, who have been doing this ministry for several years, obviously what we were doing was not fully subsidizing everything when these when these government programs were fully funded in fully funded is all that is Jackson,” said Jr.
What would you say to Governor Stitt about this matter now if he were here?
“I ask the governor what to say to the governor, because you proclaimed Christianity, the Gospel of Jesus with pride, it doesn’t look like your state of the state sounded. It doesn’t. It looks very different from that. And this is what makes you a Christian, not what you proclaim, not what you say you believe, but what you do,” said Rev. J Jackson.
Gov. Stitt’s Executive Order requests that within 90 days of it, the agencies will verify error rates, fraud protocols, eligibility rules, and benefit cliffs, and deliver the “Oklahoma Welfare to Work Report” to the Governor and legislative leaders.
She stated that within 120 days of this order, agencies will identify and apply for waivers to reduce federal bureaucracy and design programs for Oklahoma families. It then directs agencies to collaborate with existing programs to direct adults to jobs, training, and education. They will implement ID verification, data matching, and unified metrics across agencies. And the implementation plans are due in 180 days from the order, with annual public reports.
“I encourage Oklahoma’s faith-based and nonprofit community to join the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives to help meet the needs of Oklahomans,” Gov. Stitt said in his press release.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports and video streaming, go to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.