Tulsa World
By WAYNE GREENE World Senior Writer
Published: 10/28/2011 1:44 AM
Last Modified: 10/28/2011 7:13 AM
Years of state budget cutting might be ending and key legislative priorities may actually see some new money next year, a top legislative leader said Thursday.
"Right now, the revenues are very good for Oklahoma," Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman told a Tulsa Metro Chamber luncheon.
But money-hungry state agencies shouldn't get too excited yet.
Because this year's budget was built with $600 million in one-time funding, Bingman, R-Sapulpa, said lawmakers will have some work to do just to stay in the same place.
Still, he said, funding neglected education and transportation programs and rebuilding the state's "Rainy Day" fund are real possibilities.
The state has made some progress in dealing with its structurally deficient bridges, and a plan has been developed to eliminate the remainder over the course of eight years, Bingman said... FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Fri, October 28, 2011
by John Cox