State Sen. Randy Brogdon (R-Owasso) called today for the governor and state leaders to exercise fiscal responsibility and common sense when dealing with the state’s budget woes.

Brogdon also cautioned using stimulus funds and raiding the Rainy Day Fund to fill the budget holes.

“There’s no such thing as free money,” Brogdon said. “These stimulus dollars have strings attached and the noose is tightening around the future generations – our children and grandchildren.”

Oklahoma can and should do a better job of helping vulnerable children with existing resources—that’s according to State Sen. Jay Paul Gumm who announced he has reintroduced legislation to create Oklahoma’s first-ever Children’s Cabinet. His measure had bipartisan support last year, winning unanimous approval in the Senate, but was never given a hearing in the House of Representatives.

State Sen. Jim Wilson has filed legislation to amend the Oklahoma Open Records Act to allow audio or video recordings of the Department of Public Safety be made public. Wilson believes, following controversial incidents in the state involving the suggestion of officers abusing their power, that the media should have access to the videos.

Had the state's Rainy Day fund cap been set at 15 percent instead of 10, Oklahoma would have a much larger cushion, as much as $300 million more, to soften the impact of budget cuts. That's according to State Sen. John Ford, Republican Caucus Chairman and head of the Senate Education Committee.

Sen. Dan Newberry on Monday commented on the passing of Pastor Billy Joe Daugherty, pastor of Victory Christian Center and founder of Victory Christian School, Victory Bible Institute, the Tulsa Dream Center and Victory World Missions Training Center, saying his death was saddening, while commending the pastor on his extraordinary legacy of ministry and service. Newberry is an active member of Victory Christian Center.

Sen. Kenneth Corn, who has been pushing for weeks for an immediate special session to deal with senior nutrition program cuts and other catastrophic budget shortfalls, today said Sen. Glenn Coffee’s call for lawmakers to return to the Capitol in December “is the right thing to do for Oklahoma.”

More Cuts ‘Inevitable,’ Better to Act Sooner Rather than Later

The Oklahoma Senate Republican Caucus today called on Governor Brad Henry to call the Legislature into special session in December, rather than waiting until January, as he suggested earlier this week.

“It’s very clear that more reductions in spending are inevitable,” said Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, “and agency heads are awaiting our direction as to how much their budgets will be reduced.

Discussions of calling a special legislative session between the governor and legislative leaders are “a move in the right direction” a state Senator who has been pushing for the call said Wednesday, but to delay an emergency session until January may produce “too little, too late” for senior citizens suffering the brunt of Oklahoma’s financial collapse.

"I believe Governor Henry is taking a responsible approach to dealing with the current budget crisis by asking legislative leaders to conduct hearings with agency officials to determine how further cuts are going to affect Oklahoma families.

It is prudent we keep a level head and work together, leaving our political differences at the door as we proceed with any decision to come back for a special session. The Governor has done that, and it is my hope Republican leaders will follow suit.

“The Senate’s review of agency budgets by the appropriations subcommittees is already well underway. We will have the information from these hearings ready in time for a discussion with the Governor preceding a January special session.

“With the state looking at the possibility of a shortfall of up to a billion dollars, it is a high probability that agencies will face deeper cuts, even if a portion of the Rainy Day Fund is accessed in a special session.