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Oklahoma
State Senate
President Pro Tempore
Senator Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa
State Capitol Room 422
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
(405) 521-5565
For Immediate Release: April 26, 2011
Sen. Brian Bingman
Bingman says ‘walking the walk’ on Fiscal
Accountability Includes Reducing the Size of Government
Senate Republicans blocked an amendment earlier today by Sen.
Tom Ivester, D-Sayre, which would make it more difficult to reduce
the size of Oklahoma’s government. The amendment would have required
all legislation heard on the Senate floor that would result in a
loss of revenues include information on how those revenues would be
replaced. Republicans said that amendment would undo recent major
reforms.
“What the Democrats are failing to realize is that sometimes, as
conservatives we do things that reduce the size of government.
Sometimes we make laws that lower the amount of money our state
collects from citizens, such as this year when we cut income taxes
by .25 percent, without the intention of replacing it somewhere
else,” said President Pro Tem Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa. “We like a
smaller government with lower taxes and a bigger economy. We are
required to balance the budget, therefore a reduction in revenues
equals a reduction in the size of Oklahoma’s government,” Bingman
said.
Democrat Leader Andrew Rice characterized the amendment as a PAYGO
measure, but Republicans contend that while PAYGO is good, it is not
as the Democrats explain.
“PAYGO is designed to prevent deficit spending by requiring
politicians to explain how they will pay for an increase in
government. It has never been used as a way to preserve government
spending or prevent the right-sizing of government. This amendment
would do the opposite of PAYGO, so Senate Republicans didn’t support
it,” Bingman said.
For more information contact:
Sen. Bingman: (405) 521-5605
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