“Another waste of time,” Analyst says Republican state budget plan doomed to fail (Fox 25 News)

Maggie Den Harder // October 23, 2017 // Updated: November 7, 2017
Media Coverage

By Jordann Lucero

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — With no accommodations to Democrats’ suggestions, the state budget plan Oklahoma Republicans unveiled Monday will not have enough support, an analyst says.

The plan Governor Mary Fallin announced Monday was only an agreement between Republicans in the House and Senate.

There is not enough Republican control at the State Capitol for tax plans to pass without Democrat support. Revenue items need a supermajority of 75% to pass.

“So really after four weeks where nothing has been accomplished, this just seems to be another waste of time,” David Blatt said.

Blatt, the executive director of the Oklahoma Policy Institute, said with major budget cuts to human services, mental health and Soonercare in the balance, what’s needed at the Capitol is bipartisan compromise.

“What’s surprising is the that Republican leadership refuses to propose or accept the one measure that can unlock a budget agreement which is a higher gross production tax on oil and gas companies,” he said.

 

http://okcfox.com/news/local/another-waste-of-time-analyst-says-republican-state-budget-plan-doomed-to-fail

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Maggie Den Harder // mdenharder@okpolicy.org

Margaret (Maggie) den Harder obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Theology from Seattle Pacific University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma. Originally from the Pacific Northwest area of Washington state, Maggie has called Tulsa home for the past 8 years. Since living in Tulsa, Maggie has worked in the legal field, higher education administration, and the nonprofit sector as well as actively volunteering in the community. Maggie also recently spent time at the City of Tulsa as a consultant and wrote the content for Resilient Tulsa, an action-oriented strategy designed to better equity in Tulsa. Through her work, community involvement, and personal experiences, Maggie is interested in the intersection of the law and mental health and addiction treatment issues, preventative and diversion programs, and maternal mental health, particularly post-partum depression and post-partum psychosis. While working at Oklahoma Policy Institute as a research intern, Maggie further developed an interest in family dynamics and stability, economic security-related stress, and intergenerational trauma.

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