State lawmakers want to tap Oklahoma’s Unclaimed Property Fund for almost $20 million.
It’s to put money back into the Education Lottery Trust Fund.
"The Board of Equalization made a determination that some supplantation had occurred, and when that happens, nothing can be done for fiscal year 19 until we address that," said Rep. Mark Lepak.
This is the second year in a row the equalization board determined lawmakers supplanted education funding with lottery trust fund money. Last year, it was $10.1 million. This year, it’s $19.9 million — money that must be put back before any appropriations are made for next fiscal year.
Lepak said until the equalization board met last week, he thought education funding was flat.
"Point six percent is what they said was cut more out of education than the overall budget. Like I said, I don’t really agree with it. We couldn’t win the argument that day [with] Board of Equalization. We have to fix the problem and move on," Lepak said.
The equalization board said education spending was cut 1.9 percent this year, while the overall budget was cut 1.3 percent. Last year, the difference between the two was 0.3 percent, with education cut 0.8 percent and the overall budget cut 0.5 percent.
Rep. Eric Proctor said lawmakers should find a better solution than taking money from the Unclaimed Property Fund.
"We’re trying to fix a problem that was created by somebody taking money that didn’t belong [to] them and putting it somewhere else by taking money that doesn’t belong to us and putting it somewhere else," Proctor said."
Senate Bill 1582, the measure shuffling the funds around, has passed the Senate and House joint committees on appropriations and budget.
