Budget woes bring Oklahoma lawmakers back to state Capitol

Budget woes bring Oklahoma lawmakers back to state Capitol
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Members of the Oklahoma House plan to return to the state Capitol for a series of mid-summer budget meetings where Republicans and Democrats will use different strategies to find solutions to creating a stable state budget.
Democrats want contingency plans in place in case hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue approved by the Legislature last spring is invalidated by the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
A series of lawsuits claim measures designed to replenish sagging oil and natural gas revenue violate a constitutional prohibition against passing revenue-raising measures in the waning days of a legislative session.
Meanwhile, House Republicans have organized seven policy working groups to develop proposals they say are for reducing waste and making state government more efficient that can be considered when lawmakers reconvene in February.