Taylor’s Budget ‘Scare Tactics’ Irresponsible, Senate GOP Leader Says

State Capitol, Oklahoma City – Senator Stratton Taylor‘s budget scare tactics are irresponsible, Senate Republican Floor Leader James A. Williamson said. Taylor, D-Claremore, released a so-called budget “report” Thursday that wrongly claims draconian cuts to government will be necessary following last week’s bipartisan balanced budget agreement.

“Senator Taylor’s scare tactics are an irresponsible attempt to frighten the public into supporting major tax increases that are not needed. The bipartisan budget agreement proves that state government can adequately fund our top priorities without a tax hike,” said Williamson, R-Tulsa.

“Senator Taylor’s characterization of $677 million in budget cuts is incorrect. In reality, the budget agreement virtually freezes the state budget at the current year’s actual spending levels,” he said.

“Furthermore, the most money that state government has ever actually spent is about $5.4 billion two years ago. The agreement reached last week for next year’s budget is around $5.1 billion. That’s just 5 or 6 percent less than the highest amount the state has ever actually spent, which is very reasonable considering the length of the economic downturn.

“Just as Oklahoma families are tightening their belts in this sluggish economy, it isn’t too much to ask state government to do a little belt tightening of its own,” Williamson concluded.