NewsOK
The Oklahoma Editorials
Published: May 22, 2010
Leaving $100 million in reserve fiscal 2012 was the best legacy the state’s lame-duck leaders could leave to the next governor and legislative chiefs. A budget deal struck late Wednesday and announced Thursday cuts state government back to the bone of necessity.
Some agencies and programs actually got an increase in a budget priced at $6.7 billion and balanced (on paper) by "revenue enhancements” that may or may not be realistic. The Rainy Day Fund was tapped but not quite drained to keep the lights on. The enhancements include a moratorium on tax credits.
Since the 2010 legislative session began in February, Gov. Brad Henry and the heads of the House and Senate have engaged in intensive budget negotiations. Henry had to compromise on education, agreeing to a 2.9 percent cut for common schools and a 3.3 percent reduction for higher education. The amounts are lower than the cuts affecting many state agencies and programs.
A point of contention throughout the session was funding for senior nutrition programs, a ploy aimed at attracting voters in November. Despite all the cuts, senior nutrition got a $5 million line-item appropriation for what’s basically a social function... FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Mon, May 24, 2010
by Crystal Drwenski