Oklahoma’s fiscal year 2019 state budget will likely be revealed this week.
House Appropriations and Budget Chair Kevin Wallace said there’s more for lawmakers to appropriate this time around.
"We are down to, I would say, less than 1 percent of the overall budget. We’re going to have about $7.6 billion to appropriate this year. Some final decisions have to be made between the speaker, the pro tem and the governor, and we’re very close," Wallace said.
This budget has a major difference from budgets of the past few years.
"There will not be a cut budget this year. This will be a robust increase budget," said House Majority Leader Jon Echols. "The 19.7 percent, 19.8 percent increase for the education budget is funded without a cut to core services."
Many agencies will see a bump in their budgets this year from recently passed state employee raises.
Senate Majority Leader Greg Treat said it’s been a stressful few years at the capitol between consecutive budget shortfalls and being in regular session, special session or both since last spring.
"The good news is the budget looks so much better this year. We’re going to be able to make up some ground we’ve lost in the past, and I’m excited about that," Treat said.
House and Senate leaders want to get the budget set and hope to adjourn the first Friday in May.
