State Sen. Johnnie Crutchfield made reference to the real estate market when he talked about what is the most important issue for the Legislature this year.
“It’s budget, budget, budget,” he said during the Ardmore Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Luncheon Friday at the Ardmore Convention Center.
The House on Thursday overwhelmingly passed multiple bills implementing the FY2010 budget agreement reached between the governor and legislative leaders. The bills will now move to the Senate for consideration before going to the governor for his signature.
The agreement leaves onefourth of the current Rainy Day Fund proceeds in the reserve account. The budget bills would help ease cuts for education, health care, public safety and prisons. Once those measures are approved by the Senate and signed by the governor, legislative leaders and state officials will tackle the FY2011 budget.
Crutchfield said 90 percent of the budget is allocated for transportation, education, public safety and health care. More than 50 percent is allocated for education, including 36 percent for common (public) education.
“That’s what hurts the most, when we have to cut these vital services,” Rep. Sam Buck said.
“Obviously, local schools are struggling with some of the budget cuts,” Rep. Pat Ownbey said. “We may suspend some of the state mandates to address the budget cuts.”
Crutchfield warned the cuts will have consequences at the local level.
“You are going to notice it,” he said. “We are going to hopefully keep our troopers on the road.”
“All kinds of groups are going to be affected in negative ways,” Ownbey said. “There is no answer — budgets are going to get cut.”
Resolving the budget isn’t the only thing getting the legislators’ attention.
Buck said his bill to extend the statute of limitations on crimes where a deadly weapon is used has been passed out of committee. A bill to address the school dropout problem has advanced, and he has co-authored a bill with Ownbey to protect residents of mobile home and RV parks from severe weather.
Ownbey’s bill to reform the state’s use of eminent domain is headed to the House floor.
“We need to be very careful when we take property,” he said. Crutchfield said some of this year’s bills are of questionable value.
“I think we have bills out there to deflect people’s attention from the issues,” he said, citing a bill that would allow the Legislature to change a judge’s verdict in a court case.
Steve Biehn 221-6546
