Legislature approves $34 million funding infusion for DHS

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The Oklahoma Legislature has approved a measure to immediately provide $34 million in funding to the Department of Human Services to prevent worker furloughs and provider rate cuts.
The bills approved Monday by House and Senate committees would tap about $30 million from the state’s Unclaimed Property Fund and another $4 million from the Rainy Day Fund. The money would be used to fund programs for the elderly and developmentally disabled.
Amid budget shortfalls in recent years, Oklahoma lawmakers have increasingly looked at one-time funding sources, like the Unclaimed Property Fund and Rainy Day Fund, to help fill the gaps.
The panels also approved separate measures for emergency funding for the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System and the state court system.
The bills now head to the full House and Senate.