Democrats say tax incentives remain intact
The Journal Record
By M. Scott Carter
Posted: 09:31 PM Tuesday, May 10, 2011
OKLAHOMA CITY – Describing it as fiscally responsible and conservative Republican, legislative leaders announced a $6.5 billion budget deal for the 2012 fiscal year late Tuesday afternoon.
The agreement – presented at a press conference with Gov. Mary Fallin – leverages about $217 million in spending cuts with a $70 million transportation bond issue and $120 million in funds taken from the state’s cash reserve fund to backfill a $500 million shortfall.
Fallin said she was pleased by the agreement.
“At the beginning of this legislative session, I asked lawmakers to send me a plan that accomplishes three things,” Fallin said. “Balance the budget without raising taxes, prioritize spending to protect core government agencies like education, public safety, transportation and health and human services and pass legislation that makes our state government smaller, smarter and more efficient.”
The agreement includes cuts for most state agencies ranging from 1 percent to about 9 percent. Because of the emphasis on protecting core services, Fallin said, cuts to those agencies were significantly less than other agencies.
Lawmakers said they also agreed to reduce cuts to the Department of Corrections to less than 1 percent to prevent additional furloughs.
Documents released with the agreement show lawmakers plan to reduce spending for the Department of Education by 4.1 percent, the Department of Public Safety by 4 percent and the Department of Health and Human Services by 1.2 percent. The Oklahoma Educational Television Authority had its budget cut by $378,032, or 9 percent... FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Tue, May 10, 2011
by John Cox