What they’re saying about the state's budget crisis

The state’s budget crisis has caused many concerns across the state.
Discussions have been ongoing in Oklahoma City about what to do to curb the funding crunch due to citizens not spending as much money and given the sluggish national economy.

Rep. Kris Steele, R-Shawnee
Q: Should the Rainy Day Fund or stimulus money be used?
A: “I’m thinking to myself, as we consider all our options, ‘What is going to happen next year, if we don’t have stimulus money and we use the Rainy Day Fund?’ Then, it’s going to be really bleak.”
Q: Will we come out of this?
A: “Being in the Midwest and Oklahoma historically, we are slow to feel the effects of the national recession and we’re slow to pull out of it. We are now feeling the effects of the recession. I’m sure we’re going to make it through this.”

Sen. Charles Laster, D-Shawnee
Q: Should the Rainy Day Fund or stimulus money be used?
A: “I think we clearly have to use the Rainy Day fund. I’m very clear about that — we have to use Rainy Day. We should not let the harm to the citizens be any more than it has to.”
Q: Is this as bad as it gets?
A: “Right now, I don’t think that this crisis is quite as bad as the one we experienced in 2003, primarily because in 2003, we had hardly any Rainy Day fund left. What I see it hurting, unfortunately, is more vulnerable citizens. Some services will be greatly reduced or cut completely. I’m talking about elderly or mentally ill or dependent children.”

Gov. Brad Henry
Q: Should the Rainy Day fund or stimulus money be used?
A: “No one likes the idea of transferring funds to make ends meet, but I think the approach is preferable to implementing a 20 or 30 percent across-the-board cut to state agencies and programs, particularly when we have $600 million in the Rainy Day Fund. We certainly want to be judicious with those reserve funds, but at the same time, I don’t think we can sit on that much Rainy Day money when we’re making deep cuts to everything from senior programs to public schools.”
Q: Should a special session be called?
A: “Depending on the information we receive, it might make good sense to hold a January special session focusing exclusively on the current fiscal year challenges.”