FOR A SPREADSHEET OF BUDGET PROPOSAL NUMBERS
Governor, Legislative Leaders Announce Budget Deal
Four Core Areas of Government Protected Under Agreement
OKLAHOMA CITY (May 15, 2009) – Gov.
Brad Henry, House Speaker Chris Benge and Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee
announced a budget agreement today that protects the four core functions of
government, including education, health care, public safety and transportation.
Those four areas are at least held harmless in this agreement, all while not
tapping the state’s Rainy Day fund, leaving about $600 million in place
for future needs if necessary.
“I want to thank House
Speaker Benge and Pro Tem Coffee for their hard work and bipartisan cooperation
during this process. I also want to commend Treasurer Scott Meacham and House
and Senate Democratic leaders for assisting me during these negotiations,"
said Gov. Henry.
“Because of the uncertain
economic conditions and projected decline in state revenues, this was a very
challenging budget process that required many difficult decisions. With
the help of stimulus funds, we were able to protect a number of priority areas,
including education, health care, transportation and public safety, but we were
also forced to cut many worthy agencies and programs in order to live within
our means and balance the state budget. Obviously, we would have liked
to do more to shield services from cutbacks, but the budget reality just would
not allow it.
“I look forward to working
with legislative leaders to enact this budget and adjourn the legislative
session in an orderly manner,” Henry concluded.
Most agencies, including the
House, Senate and Governor’s Office, received a 7 percent cut in this
budget agreement. Common and higher education see about a 2 percent increase
compared to last fiscal year, which should prevent the need for increased
tuition. Transportation and Health Care also see increases over last
year’s budget, and Corrections, Veterans Affairs and Career Tech are all
held harmless under the deal.
“In a down financial year,
the budgeting process is always difficult as we take close stock in exactly how
we are spending taxpayer dollars. This year was especially complicated by the
federal stimulus money Oklahoma received and our dedication to making sure
those one-time dollars were used as prudently as possible,” said Benge,
R-Tulsa. “This budget is a reflection of the surgical cuts we promised
the people of Oklahoma
early in session. The easy route would have been to cut every agency by the
same amount and go home. But I commend the budget committee and subcommittee
chairmen, who studied each agency budget for areas that could be cut with
minimal impact. This effort will maintain many of the core services upon which
Oklahomans depend each and every day while ensuring our government is as
efficient as possible.
“This budget represents a
bipartisan effort that will further enhance our fiscal health because of
prudent use of stimulus dollars and a full Rainy Day savings fund that remains
in tact,” Benge continued. “We are proud that, unlike many states,
we lived within our means and did not balance this budget on the backs of
hard-working Oklahoman families through increased taxes.”
The deal is a fiscally responsible
plan that protects the tax cuts already in place. The plan also maintains the
commitment to roads and infrastructure, which will help grow Oklahoma’s economy and create jobs.
“I’m very pleased with
this budget, considering the fiscal environment in which we are operating this
year,” said Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.
“Our discussions with the Governor, Speaker and appropriators were
productive and unified. Considering the budget constraints in which we
must work, I’m proud that Public Safety, Education and Oklahoma’s
infrastructure have been spared from cuts, and that the Rainy Day Fund is still
intact.
“I caution all agencies to
spend prudently in this coming fiscal year, as next year’s budget will be
much more challenging,” Coffee continued. “But overall, this
was a good week for Oklahomans, with major agreements negotiated in good faith
for the good of our people.”
The budget bills will start in
both the House and Senate GCCA on Monday, and should allow lawmakers to
complete their work next week as expected.
Posted on Fri, May 15, 2009
by Crystal Drwenski