Oklahoma Officials Order $235M Cut to State Agencies

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Oklahoma finance officials on Thursday announced another $235 million in cuts amid the sharp drop in oil and natural gas prices, saying schools, prisons and other state agencies will see their budgets slashed by 7 percent for the rest of the year.

Public schools alone will have nearly $110 million cut from their budgets for the fiscal year that ends June 30.

State Secretary of Finance Preston Doerflinger ordered the cuts — on top of previous reductions of 3 percent that began in January — and warned lawmakers about the seriousness of the state's finances. Lawmakers are facing a $1.3 billion budget hole for the upcoming fiscal year, which Doerflinger said could result in cuts "right through the bone."

"The governor and legislative leaders recognize the severity of the situation and are working on solutions, but I'm convinced there are still rank and file legislators who have yet to grasp the seriousness of the challenge at hand," Doerflinger said in a statement. "This deepened cut isn't pleasant and should serve as a reality check and call to action for anyone who thinks this problem fixes itself with short term budget gimmicks."

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Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/oklahoma-orders-235m-cuts-amid-slip-oil-gas-37371549

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By TIM TALLEY, ASSOCIATED PRESS
OKLAHOMA CITY — Mar 3, 2016, 1:18 PM ET

[bemildred]

1. Republican's superior fiscal management skills on display.

[elljay]

10. Must be the overregulation of the oil industry

Because we know how much Oklahoma regulates corporations.

http://newsok.com/gov.-mary-fallin-signs-bill-preventing-oklahoma-cities-from-enacting-drilling-bans/article/5423712

[Orange Butterfly]

2. ...and yet corp oil get's BILLIONS in revenue!

[chapdrum]

3. Blame the environmentalists.

Tying this to fiscal cuts to schools is a ploy so cynical, it ought to be illegal.
And as usual, the Associated Press is only too glad to play along.

[redstatebluegirl]

5. Sarcasm I hope.

[chapdrum]

11. Sarcasm in headline...

...not re Assoc. Press.

[cloudbase]

4. Back Seat Mary

will be right on it.

[Tess49]

13. A.K.A. Mattress Mary around here. n/t

[avebury]

6. Education would not be so badly hurt if they would first

learn how to manage their budget in a fiscally responsible manner. There are for too many school districts with too much money spent on Administrative and Overhead costs and less money put into the actual classrooms.

[LiberalArkie]

8. It is always that way, Administrators making 10 to 20 times what the teachers get

coaches paid way too much even in public schools. Admin has been way out of control for a very long time.

[jtuck004]

7. I thought your fracking was supposed to bring you untold wealth? Note - you still haven't paid the

costs of that, but we will.

[chapdrum]

12. Spot on.

Thank you.

[Wellstone ruled]

9. Remember these folks adoppted the Kansas Model during their

2015 Legislative Session. Another John Birch Society model of how to run State Government. That''s the ticket.