Republicans deliver tax hikes and budget cuts in Oklahoma budget for 2018

Republicans deliver tax hikes and budget cuts in Oklahoma budget for 2018
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma Republicans who campaigned on lower taxes and smaller government delivered neither during the 2017 session that ended Friday, as a budget crisis forced lawmakers to come up with creative ways to generate revenue and keep state programs afloat.
The final $6.8 billion budget deal that Republicans developed used a combination of agency budget cuts and tax hikes on things like cigarettes, vehicle purchases and sports tickets. The Legislature also eliminated some tax subsidies and raided the state’s Rainy Day Fund and dozens of agency revolving accounts.
Gov. Mary Fallin said the budget plan is far from perfect but indicated she would sign it because it maintains flat funding or provides slight funding boosts to 15 “core-mission” state agencies.
Most state agencies will see cuts of more than 4 percent.