The Rainy Day Fund debate: Not if, but when…and how much?
If state fiscal conditions can be likened to the weather, it’s been apparent for many months that Oklahoma is in the midst of a toad strangler of a rain, to borrow the Tulsa World’s colorful characterization. Going into the current fiscal year, the state faced projected revenue shortfalls of over $600 million. While most agencies had their budgets cut by 5-7 percent, the use of some $640 million of federal stimulus dollars allowed the largest core agencies to receive smaller cuts or small increases, while the Rainy Day Fund was left intact. This year’s revenue collections, however, are coming in nearly 25 percent below the certified estimate. Agency budgets have been cut 5 percent each month, which has forced a growing number of agencies and school districts to reduce staff and scale back or eliminate core programs. Read the rest of this entry »
