Tulsa World
By BARBARA HOBEROCK World Capitol Bureau
Published: 6/9/20112:14 AM
Last Modified: 6/9/20115:50 AM
OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma City attorney Jerry Fent sued the state Wednesday, challenging a portion of the upcoming budget.
Fent alleges that the transfer of $101 million from fuel taxes used for roads and bridges to other areas of government violates the state constitution, which prohibits the use of tax revenue levied for a specific purpose to pay for unrelated functions.
"I think hundreds of thousands of people who drive cars and buy gasoline are going to be materially upset by finding out that their tax money is not being used to maintain state highways and bridges," Fent said.
Lawmakers adjourned in May after crafting a $6.5 billion state budget for fiscal year 2012. The budget plan included replenishing a portion of the transferred fuel tax funds with a $70 million bond issue for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
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