New budget lifts mileage restriction for Oklahoma troopers

New budget lifts mileage restriction for Oklahoma troopers
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma’s public safety department has lifted a daily 100-mile (161 kilometer) restriction on how far state troopers can travel after the governor signed a $6.8 billion spending bill this week.
The restriction went into effect in December as state agencies scrambled to close a $1.3 billion shortfall for the current budget year.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol Chief Ricky Adams said Thursday the agency was considering furloughs as another option – a move that he says would have been “devastating” to troopers.
Gov. Mary Fallin approved next year’s budget that closes a $878 million hole by coming up with new ways to boost revenue, including a $1.50-per-pack cigarette fee and a new 1.25 percent tax on vehicle purchases.