Tax Collections Prompt Another 5% Budget Cut

State Treasurer Scott Mecham said today that for a second, consecutive month less-than-estimated tax collections forced state officials to order a five-percent across-the-board cut in budget allocations to all state agencies.

Preliminary reports for collections in the month of August show General Revenue Fund collections totaled $335.2 million. That amount is $154.9 million or 31.6 percent below the prior year and $131.3 million or 28.2 percent below the estimate.

State Finance Director Michael Clingman ordered a continuation of the five-percent cutback in allocations to each state agency that was instituted in August. The five-percent reduction in September's allocation of annual appropriations represents a total cut of $21 million for the month.

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Shortfall Prompts Agency Budget Cuts

A state revenue shortfall for July prompted a 5 percent across-the-board cut in agency budget allocations today.

That followed the discovery that revenue collections for July, the first month of the new fiscal year, are well below prior year collections and the official estimate.

The shortfall is great enough that state officials immediately ordered an across-the-board budget cut in budget allocations to all state agencies this month, State Treasurer Scott Meacham said.

Preliminary reports for collections in the month of July show General Revenue Fund collections totaled $336.7 million. That amount is $120.4 million or 26.3 percent below the prior year and $74.4 million or 18.1 percent below the estimate.

In response to the shortfall, State Finance Director Michael Clingman ordered a 5 percent across-the-board reduction to each state agency’s allocation in the month of August. This amount represents a total cut in allocations of $21.9 million for the month of August.

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Video: Murphy Followed Election Board Secretary's Directions In Filing For Office

Controversy over the filing of Republican Dana Murphy for the 2-year Corporation Commission seat appears to center on advice given her by the secretary of the Oklahoma Election Board, Michael Clingman.

Video of Murphy filing for office, posted at http://www.okiecampaigns.blogspot.com/, shows a person who appears to be Clingman advising Murphy on the requirements for filing her statement of candidacy.

Murphy's Republican opponent, Rep. Rob Johnson, has challenged her candidacy because he says she signed "Dana Murphy" when her statement listed her as "Dana L. Murphy."

Murphy signs her form and hands it to the man, who scans it, then hands it back, advising Murphy her signature should appear as she wants her name on the ballot. She then uses her pen on the document and hands it back to the man, who scans it again and gives her further instructions to complete her filing.

Said Murphy: "If you watch the video of my filing, you will clearly hear the Election Board clerk ask me if I wanted to be listed as 'Dana L. Murphy' or 'Dana Murphy'. I advised him 'Dana Murphy', he requested that I sign 'Dana Murphy' and I did. The Election Board clerk then scratched out the 'Dana L. Murphy' signature."

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