Tulsa World
By BARBARA HOBEROCK World Capitol Bureau
Published: 12/21/20111:41 AM
Last Modified: 12/21/20113:01 AM
OKLAHOMA CITY - Actions by the state Equalization Board on Tuesday increased by a few million dollars the amount of money that Gov. Mary Fallin will have to work with in crafting her proposed budget for fiscal year 2013.
Fallin will have $120.3 million more in building a $6.5 billion budget than the Legislature appropriated for fiscal year 2012.
On Monday, the Office of State Finance estimated that the increase would be $114.6 million.
The difference resulted from the Equalization Board's approving $57 million for funding Oklahoma's Promise, instead of the requested $63 million. But the board allowed the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to make up the difference by tapping into its reserve account for the scholarship program, which had about $15 million.
State Treasurer Ken Miller said he and his fellow Equalization Board members support the popular scholarship program but were concerned that $15 million was not invested in students or government during a tight budget year... FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Wed, December 21, 2011
by John Cox