OFFICE OF GOVERNOR FRANK KEATING


STATE OF OKLAHOMA
State Capitol Building
Oklahoma City, OK 73105

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, March 6, 1997

CONTACT: Richard Buchanan, 405-523-4278

GOVERNOR, LEGISLATIVE LEADERS REACH AGREEMENT ON SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING

Oklahoma City- Governor Frank Keating and legislative leaders of both parties today announced an agreement on a supplemental funding package with an emphasis on law enforcement and corrections appropriations. The agreement means $7.3 million will be provided to the Department of Corrections to handle immediate prison space and staffing needs. In the area of law enforcement and public safety, the agreement also includes supplemental funding for the Attorney General, the State Fire Marshall and the District Attorneys Council to assist Oklahoma County in planning for state prosecution in the Murrah Bombing case. Further supplemental appropriations for corrections and the Health Care Authority are possible before the end of the session. No others will be considered.

"I am very pleased with this agreement," Governor Keating said. "It addresses the immediate, critical needs in corrections. I appreciate the bipartisan cooperation among Speaker Benson, Senator Taylor, Representative Ferguson, Senator Gustafson and their respective leadership teams." The Legislature also has appointed a bipartisan Special Criminal Justice Issues Task Force to examine corrections funding, truth in sentencing and other issues.

"If we want the state services Oklahomans demand to continue uninterrupted, if we want the wheels of government to keep rolling, we have to allocate this emergency funding," said Senator Kelly Haney, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

"This supplemental appropriation will certainly allow many essential services to continue to be offered to the people of Oklahoma," said House Speaker Loyd Benson. "We have worked hard to reach this agreement and are confident it is an indication of the cooperation we can expect from the Executive Branch as we proceed to write the final version of the state budget."

Also included in the supplemental agreement: funds for the Auditor and Inspector's Office, the Ethics Commission, the Historical Society, the Horse Racing Commission, the Human Rights Commission, the Indigent Defense System, the School of Science and Math, the Tax Commission, the Tourism Department, and University Hospitals. The supplemental funding totals $10.7 million plus the agreement gives the Department of Corrections the authority to spend an additional $6.5 million in unused/surplus funds in the Corrections budget for a total of $17.2 million in extra money available for the current fiscal year.

"I feel very good about this agreement," Senate Minority Leader Bill Gustafson said. "It shows we are strengthening our fight against crime, not softening it."

"This agreement is the result of bipartisan negotiation and I am pleased with the outcome. It provides the funds for the prison system to take care of immediate needs, which is a problem that could not wait any longer," House Minority Leader Larry Ferguson said.

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