Pro Tem Bingman Statement on Equalization Board Final Certification

Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman issued the following statement after Tuesday’s State Equalization Board meeting. According to the final certification, $6.5 billion in revenue will be available for state budgeting in fiscal year 2013, which represents an increase of $47.2 million.

“Oklahoma’s economy continues to heal from the impact of our national recession. An increase in certified revenue is a testament to the common-sense of Oklahomans during tough times—our families and communities have buckled down, and we’re just beginning to see all the good our forward-thinking jobs agenda is doing for the state. We have every reason to look to the future with optimism.

“We must be good stewards of what we’ve received. We simply cannot afford to celebrate our success by making government bigger. Instead, we should seize our momentum to cut taxes for hardworking Oklahomans while redoubling our efforts to thoughtfully target what we must spend on essential services: improving teaching in the classroom, fixing our broken roads, and making our communities safe places to live and raise our families. Let’s pursue government that is smaller, simpler, and smarter, for the sake of Oklahoma’s continued success.”