FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 27, 2018
Governor Mary Fallin Signs 2018 Fiscal Year Budget Bill
OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today signed House Bill (HB) 1020XX, the Fiscal Year 2018 budget bill, into law. The $6.98 billion budget covers
the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.
The measure cuts state spending by about $44.7
million and requires every state agency to cut about 2 percent from
their budgets over the next four months. It is the result
of two special sessions that Fallin convened after three health-related
agencies were plunged into a $214 million budget shortfall last August when
a proposed smoking cessation fee was struck down by the state Supreme Court.
Fallin urged lawmakers to pass revenue and reform measures to make up the funding
gap. However, members in the House of Representatives failed to muster the
required three-fourths majority necessary for certain revenue measures.
“Most House Democrats chose politics over people by
refusing to vote for the budget package,” said Fallin. “Their no votes resulted
in votes against a teacher pay raise, funding our health and human services and
protecting our most vulnerable citizens, and against putting our state on a
stable budget path forward. Unfortunately, House Democrats kept moving the
goalposts and the people of Oklahoma are the ones who lost.
“Developing a budget in this difficult fiscal
and political climate is never easy. This budget keeps our government operating
and, despite challenging circumstances, funds our core mission services. Passage
of the Step Up Oklahoma plan, House Bill 1033XX that failed earlier this month would
have helped fill our budget hole for the current fiscal year as well as put
Oklahoma on a more stable budget path.”
The governor also signed HB
1021XX, which states legislative intent that a number of social service
programs, mainly for the elderly and disabled, be kept at their original
budgetary levels.
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Governor Mary Fallin, with Secretary of State, Education and Workforce Development Dave Lopez watching, on Tuesday signs House Bill 1020XX, the 2018 fiscal year budget bill.
Web: www.governor.ok.gov
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