2007 Oklahoma state budget

The Governor's budget identified the following major initiatives:

• Education - day long kindergarten programs statewide, pilot program for middle school math improvement program, reforming high school curriculum, and a bond issue for higher education building projects
• Health Care - reducing the price of prescription drugs
• Tax Reform - establish an Economic Development Research Endowment Fund, established a Taxpayer Relief Fund, exemption of Corporate capital gains from taxation and estate tax reform

The Governor's budget identified the following key funding issues:

• Agriculture - $16.5 million to Oklahoma Department of Agriculture as relief package for rural fire departments
• Commerce, Tourism, Energy, Environment
  • $1 million to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce for a market branding initiative
  • $500,000 is directed to the Native American Educational Authority for American Indian Cultural Center
  • $1.8 million to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality to assist small communities statewide meet federal drinking water system regulations
  • $2.3 million to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to update the States' comprehensive water plan
• Education
  • $156 million to Oklahoma State Department of Education for increased teacher salaries, state aid to local school districts, and other programs
  • $85.4 million to Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for institutional budget supplements, financial aid and scholarships for students
  • $14 million to Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education for comprehensive school and technology center programs, dropout recovery and expansion of business industry programs
• Health
  • $59 million for maintenance and annualizations in the Oklahoma Health Care Authority
  • $1.5 million for child abuse prevention programs
  • $13.6 million for programs in the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
  • $4.7 million to increase nurses salaries across all agencies by an average of 10%
  • $1 million to Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs to improve the nurse-patient ratio at Veterans Centers
• Human Services
  • $28.1 million for Oklahoma Department of Human Services to increase salaries for child welfare workers and hire additional workers
  • $8.4 million to the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs to increase salaries for juvenile specialists and increased payments to county juvenile detention centers
  • $1.7 million for the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services for teacher salary increases, a deaf education satellite program and capital funds for the Oklahoma School for the Deaf and the Oklahoma School for the Blind
• Public Safety
  • $39 million for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections for salary increases and for additional payments to county jails
  • $1 million to expand law enforcement efforts on the fight against methamphetamine
  • $790,000 to expand law enforcement efforts to protect children from internet predators
• Transportation - $100 million to Oklahoma Department of Transportation for maintenance of roads and bridges, half to the State and half to the counties
• Capital Budget - issuing a $312.5 million bond to provide for the maintenance, replacement or construction of the following:
  • $9 million to the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation for environmental remediation and maintenance
  • $60 million to the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety for statewide Public Safety Communication System
  • $8.5 million to construct a residential and education facility for autistic children
  • $5 million to construct a new central Forensic Science Center for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation in Edmond, Oklahoma
  • $25 million to establish a low-interest road improvement loan program for cities and counties
  • $25 million to Oklahoma Water Resources Board for Statewide Drinking Water Fund loan program for cities and counties
  • $180 million for "Invest for the Future of Oklahoma"

Tax revenue for Fiscal Year 2007 was $6.5 billion, up 13% from FY2006 levels of $5.75 billion. All revenue of the fiscal year 2007 was $6.65 billion, up 11.5% from FY2006 levels of $5.96 billion. The breakdown is as follows:

• $6.5 billion - All Taxes
• $163 million - Revenue Increases
• $3.5 million - Other Revenue

The Governor's budget called for $17.4 million in tax cuts, including the follows:

• $13.9 million in decreased income taxes for the retired
• $3.5 million in Back to School tax holiday

The Governor's budget for Fiscal Year 2007 totaled $6.64 billion in spending, an increase of 12% over Fiscal Year 2006 levels of $5.95 billion. Percentages in parentheses indicate percentage change compared to 2006. The budget request is broken down by the following expenditures:

• $111 million - Fiscal Year 2006 Supplementals
• $29 million - Pay Increases for State employees

The Oklahoma Legislature approved total appropriations for fiscal year 2007 of $6.56 billion. Percentages in parentheses indicate percentage change compared to the Governor's budget. The final appropriations are broken down by the following expenditures:[1]

• Appropriations by Cabinet Department: $6.56 billion (+0%)
  • $3.46 billion - Education (+0%)
  • $967.9 million - Health (+1%)
  • $723.4 million - Human Services (+3%)
  • $651 million - Safety and Security (+0%)
  • $285.9 million - Transportation (-2%)
  • $105.2 million - Finance and Revenue (-1%)
  • $79.3 million - Judiciary (+4%)
  • $73 million - Commerce and Tourism (+1%)
  • $39.3 million - Veterans Affairs (+0%)
  • $37.3 million - Agriculture (-19%)
  • $35.7 million - Legislature (+1%)
  • $22.4 million - Human Resources and Administration (+5%)
  • $22.4 million - Science and Technology (+0%)
  • $17.3 million - Environment (+5%)
  • $15.1 million - Energy (+12%)
  • $12.9 million - Military (+1%)
  • $9 million - Secretary of State (-12%)
  • $3.2 million - Governor and Lieutenant Governor (+0%)

• Oklahoma Office of State Finance official website
• Fiscal Year 2007 Budget