Senate Appropriations Chair comments on Feb. 22 revenue certification

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate Appropriations Chair Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, issued the following statement after the Oklahoma State Board of Equalization (BOE) met on Tuesday to certify revenues available for appropriation for the Fiscal Year 2023 budget. The amount initially certified by the board in December was $10.3 billion.  The amount certified Tuesday was $10.49 billion. 

“The revenue figures show Oklahoma’s economy is still strong, but I emphatically believe it is in the best interest of the state that we continue to take a fiscally conservative approach.  It’s important to remember that of the $10.49 billion certified, nearly $1.3 billion is made up of one-time carryover funds and special cash from previous sessions. 

“Oklahoma has continued to benefit from federal dollars related to the pandemic, which helped these numbers. Knowing that will change, and that energy prices will not always remain as high as they are now, we must be cautious in our approach to the budget.  We need to continue to boost our emergency savings and make careful decisions now while the economy is strong, so that we are prepared for what may come the next few years.”   

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For more information, contact: Sen. Roger Thompson at 405-521-5588 or email Roger.Thompson@oksenate.gov.