Fallin signs $6.8 billion spending plan to fund Oklahoma government

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Gov. Mary Fallin has signed a $6.8 billion spending bill that slashes the budgets of most Oklahoma state agencies by about 5 percent and that critics say may be unconstitutional and is likely to face a legal challenge.
Fallin signed the general appropriations bill Wednesday, along with more than a dozen other measures approved by the Legislature in the last days of the legislative session that ended Friday.
The Legislature closed an $878 million hole in the budget through a combination of agency budget cuts and several revenue raising measures, including a $1.50-per-pack cigarette fee and a new 1.25 percent tax on vehicle purchases . Those two bills alone are expected to generate about $380 million annually.
Critics say some key bills didn’t receive the required three-fourth’s vote in the Legislature.