Henry to OK emergency funds, review others
Governor criticizes legislators for their ‘secret, closed door' budgeting process.
Henry to OK emergency funds, review others

By Michael McNutt

Published: March 27, 2007

Gov. Brad Henry said Monday he would approve emergency funding for education and prisons to help them get through this fiscal year, which ends June 30, but still is reviewing the proposed $6.87 billion budget passed by the Legislature last week.

Henry has until Wednesday to approve or veto all or part of the 2008 fiscal year budget agreement approved by lawmakers. The measure, which has 148 budget sections, sailed through the Legislature.

Senators voted 48-0 for its approval, and it passed 84-16 in the House of Representatives.

Henry, back from a family vacation in Mexico, criticized legislative leaders during a news conference for excluding the governor's office and House Democrats from the "secret, closed-door, exclusive budget-writing process.”

Legislative leaders countered Henry's statements within the hour at their own news conference.

Sen. Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater, said anyone who says the budget work was secret is uninformed.

Morgan also said the governor's staff made regular visits and was informed about the budget process.

For someone to suggest this was a "sinister deal” is incorrect, Morgan said.

The governor said there should be some debate and discussion before a budget bill is put together.

With no public debate, Oklahomans had no chance to comment on the budget.

"It was a flawed process, no question about it,” the governor said. "It's very disappointing when just literally a handful of members in the Legislature ... and their staff sit down behind in secret and don't even tell anyone behind closed doors.”

He said his office and House Democrats should be involved in budget talks.

If the governor vetoes any of the bill, he will insist his office and House Democrats should be included in money talks along with legislativNE__ If the governor vetoes any of the bill, he will insist his office and House Democrats should be included in money talks along with legislative leaders "rather than playing some kind of ‘surprise and gotcha' game with the taxpayers' dollars.”

House Democratic leader Danny Morgan of Prague, who appeared with the governor, said House Democrats would back the governor if he vetoes budgets for higher education and corrections.

At least 34 Democrats have to vote against any override attempt in the House.

House Speaker Lance Cargill said the ultimate way House Democrats can take part in the process is with their votes, noting only 16 Democrats voted against the bill in the House of Representatives.

Danny Morgan said his members didn't have a choice but to vote for a bill that included supplemental funding for education, which they had been fighting for since the beginning of session.

Cargill said: "I don't hear substantive concerns with the meat of this proposal. We still have a historic opportunity to do the people's business differently this year.”

Co-Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, said the budget proposal includes record spending for health care and education.

Work on the budget isn't finished; there's still about $66 million left to appropriate.

He also said the governor's budget, developed before revenue estimates were revised downward, is about $250 million out of balance.

The emergency funding the governor said he would sign covers:

•Common education: $60 million, which will offset teacher-raise mandates.

•Higher education: $5.5 million, which will rescue scholarship program for low-income students.

•Corrections Department: $9.6 million.