By Associated Press
Oklahoma City, OK – Okla. House, Senate approve $6.68B budget
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The Oklahoma House and Senate have approved a nearly $6.68 billion spending bill for the upcoming fiscal year that cuts most state agency budgets by about 7 percent.
But opposition to the plan began to grow Friday as individual lawmakers began analyzing details of the budget that emerged late this week.
Some Democrats argue the cuts to state programs went too far, while some conservative Republicans say the cuts didn't go deep enough. Still others opposed the variety of fee increases, tax credit suspensions and other income-enhancing items needed to make the budget balanced.
The budget bill was the result of months of negotiations between Democratic Gov. Brad Henry and leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature, who grappled with how to fill a $1.2 billion deficit.