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Oklahoma lawmakers' reluctance to use bond issues means needs go unmet (EDITORIAL)

Oklahoma lawmakers' reluctance to use bond issues means needs go unmet (EDITORIAL)

NewsOK
The Oklahoman Editorial
Modified: April 30, 2012 at 3:18 pm
Published: May 1, 2012     

WORK done by the Legislature in one session can impact that body in later years, for good or for ill. The use of one-time funds, for example, to pay for a continuing expense will eventually hamstring members who must pay those bills after the one-time funds dry up.

Similarly, when lawmakers choose not to act on an issue, they run the risk of saddling future legislatures with a much bigger and more expensive problem. We fear that will happen over conservative reluctance to consider a bond issue for anything other than repair of the Capitol building.

The Republican caucus in the House of Representatives has been particularly steadfast in its opposition. Speaker Kris Steele has said again and again, most recently last week, that his members have little interest in increasing the state's bond indebtedness by much. A bond issue to fix the Capitol — price tag $140 million or so — is in play, but “we're not working on any other proposal at this time,” said Steele, R-Shawnee... FULL ARTICLE


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