The extraordinary session of the special legislature is over after eight weeks, with the plan to patch Oklahoma’s $215 million budget hole through cash and cuts on the governor’s desk.
The plan consists of two bills. One draws $106 million in one-time spending from state rainy day, carryover and agency revolving funds while cutting $60 million from agency budgets. All but 12 state agencies will see their budgets cut, most by 2.4 percent.
The other bill ends a tax incentive on roughly 6,600 oil and gas wells a year and a half early to bring in an estimated $48 million.
Senate President Pro Tem Mike Schulz, a farmer, said it’s a lot like when he has a bad crop year.
"It's not the crop that we want. It's not even close to the crop that we want, but the time to harvest that crop is today," Schulz said. "The time to start preparing the seed bed is tomorrow. The time to plant a new crop is just a few months away."
Appropriations Chair Kim David was among several senators who found the plan hard to swallow.
"Make no mistake. It would have been a better option to pass revenue. This is what we have," David said.
The Senate voted 29–14 for the budget and 27–15 on ending the tax incentive. Democrats did not vote yes on either bill, saying the legislature needs to find a better solution.
Republican Senator AJ Griffin was a "no" on the budget bill.
"I'm tired. I'm exhausted. I'm furious. I'm livid. I'm angry. I'm upset. I want to throw up every time I walk in this building," Griffin said. "But I'm not ready to quit fighting, because I don't think we've done everything. I just don't."
Many senators criticized their House colleagues for failing to pass revenue measures. A package of cigarette, tobacco, fuel, low-point beer and gross production tax increases fell five votes short in the House last week of the required three-fourths majority.
The “cash and cuts” plan will mitigate dramatic cuts to three state health care agencies, but it will leave Oklahoma without plans to deal with next year’s budget hole. Some estimates put it at as much as $800 million.
