Officials: No OHP Trooper Furloughs Necessary
State troopers will not face furloughs as the result of budget cuts this year thanks to an additional $2.5 million that will be directed to the Department of Public Safety, officials announced today.
“As a conservative, I believe in a constitutionally limited role for government, but public safety is clearly one of those roles,” said Rep. Randy Terrill, Moore Republican who chairs the House appropriations subcommittee on public safety. “Today’s agreement will prevent an unnecessary reduction in troop presence on our roads, which could save lives."
“It has always been our intent to avoid furloughs within DPS and keep our troopers on the road, and we have done so,” said Senator Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary. “I am committed to funding Public Safety as we continue in the budget process.”
“The Oklahoma House of Representatives, the Oklahoma Senate and the Governor have worked diligently to avoid cuts to the Department of Public Safety that would result in Oklahoma state troopers being furloughed,” said Roy Rogers, president of the Oklahoma State Troopers Association. “We appreciate their effort and attention to this pressing need.”
“With this $2.5 million, the department will still have to implement other cuts and there will be diminution of services of departmental personnel such as driver’s license examiners who leave the agency who won't be replaced, but this plan will prevent any furlough of troopers on the road,” said Commissioner of Public Safety Kevin Ward.
Prior to today’s announcement, the Department of Public Safety was facing a $6.3 million total budget cut, which would have required the elimination of patrol academies (which train replacements for retiring troopers), loss of money for a new Troop K headquarters in north-central Oklahoma, a $1.2 million reduction in operational expenses such as fuel (which equates to a 25 percent cumulative cut in the operational budget over the past three years), implementing a policy of attrition (leaving vacant the positions of 25 troopers expected to retire this year and potentially as many as 40 total who may leave the agency), and implementation of furlough days for each of the remaining 800 highway patrol troopers.
Now, thanks to the $2.5 million infusion, furloughs have been taken off the table and the money for a new Troop K headquarters remains in the DPS budget, Ward said.
“We will still take budget reductions that impact our operating costs, such as gasoline for patrol cars, but we will make those cuts work within this budget framework,” Ward said.
“When you take troopers off the highways, it is diminishing our ability to fulfill our mission to protect the public,” Rogers said. “We really appreciate the House, Senate and Governor for working to prevent any potential trooper furloughs.”
“As a conservative, I believe in a constitutionally limited role for government, but public safety is clearly one of those roles,” said Rep. Randy Terrill, Moore Republican who chairs the House appropriations subcommittee on public safety. “Today’s agreement will prevent an unnecessary reduction in troop presence on our roads, which could save lives."
“It has always been our intent to avoid furloughs within DPS and keep our troopers on the road, and we have done so,” said Senator Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary. “I am committed to funding Public Safety as we continue in the budget process.”
“The Oklahoma House of Representatives, the Oklahoma Senate and the Governor have worked diligently to avoid cuts to the Department of Public Safety that would result in Oklahoma state troopers being furloughed,” said Roy Rogers, president of the Oklahoma State Troopers Association. “We appreciate their effort and attention to this pressing need.”
“With this $2.5 million, the department will still have to implement other cuts and there will be diminution of services of departmental personnel such as driver’s license examiners who leave the agency who won't be replaced, but this plan will prevent any furlough of troopers on the road,” said Commissioner of Public Safety Kevin Ward.
Prior to today’s announcement, the Department of Public Safety was facing a $6.3 million total budget cut, which would have required the elimination of patrol academies (which train replacements for retiring troopers), loss of money for a new Troop K headquarters in north-central Oklahoma, a $1.2 million reduction in operational expenses such as fuel (which equates to a 25 percent cumulative cut in the operational budget over the past three years), implementing a policy of attrition (leaving vacant the positions of 25 troopers expected to retire this year and potentially as many as 40 total who may leave the agency), and implementation of furlough days for each of the remaining 800 highway patrol troopers.
Now, thanks to the $2.5 million infusion, furloughs have been taken off the table and the money for a new Troop K headquarters remains in the DPS budget, Ward said.
“We will still take budget reductions that impact our operating costs, such as gasoline for patrol cars, but we will make those cuts work within this budget framework,” Ward said.
“When you take troopers off the highways, it is diminishing our ability to fulfill our mission to protect the public,” Rogers said. “We really appreciate the House, Senate and Governor for working to prevent any potential trooper furloughs.”
Labels: Anthony Sykes, DPS Budget, Kevin Ward, Randy Terrill, Roy Rogers
posted by Mike McCarville @ 5:00 PM
