OKPOLICY.ORG
Oklahoma Policy Institute released the following statement in response to the state budget deal announced today:
According to today’s budget agreement, appropriations for core services remain flat even though expenses continue to rise. That means we will fall further behind what Oklahomans need and expect state government to do.
We can already see the result in rising class sizes and tuition costs, roads and public buildings going unrepaired, and public safety workers and caregivers for the most vulnerable who remain overburdened and underpaid.
At the same time, the legislature is considering cutting revenues by more than $30 million in the upcoming year and more than $100 million in 2014. If we continue to put tax cuts ahead of investments in our shared responsibilities, we risk seriously harming Oklahomans’ quality of life, making the state a worse place to do business, and pushing off more debts onto the next generation.
