Secretary Preston Doerflinger Responds to Legislature
Oklahoma City, Nov. 1, 2017 — Secretary of Finance, Administration and Information Technology Preston Doerflinger issued this statement responding to Legislature's plans to fund state agencies:
"Perpetuating the theory that providing a small amount of
funding to help agencies with the promise we can come back during regular
session blatantly disregards the balanced budget requirement set in our
constitution.
"I am firmly of the opinion that the constitution requires
Oklahoma to maintain a balanced budget, thereby not allowing the Legislature to
“float” agencies until the Legislature returns. If appropriated funding is
insufficient to maintain service levels provided in agencies’ original FY 2018
budgets, then reducing service levels is the only option left for those
agencies.
Turning a blind eye to the single provision that separates us
from the lawlessness of the federal budget only dooms us to fall ever deeper
into a fiscal crisis.
"The Legislature has the opportunity to fill the budget hole
and end the uncertainty for these agencies, or they can choose to leave their
work unfinished, causing devastating cuts to core services. But let there be no
doubt, there is no pause button for agencies to hit until the Legislature
returns in 2018. Agencies will have to start balancing their budgets again with whatever the Legislature
appropriates to them in Special Session. To not move forward with a balanced
budget would be a flagrant disregard for the Oklahoma Constitution and an
insult to the people of this state.
"Using their own inability to provide stable revenue to these
agencies is not an appropriate defense for violating the constitution. The
public should be warned that if the Legislature were to act under these
circumstances, this surely would not be the last time they will choose to
disregard our state constitution.
"The executive branch stands ready to abide by the state
constitution and implement a balanced budget regardless of the Legislature’s
actions in special session.
Media Contact
Shelley Zumwalt Director of Public Affairs 405-535-5198 | shelley.zumwalt@omes.ok.gov
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