Senate Democrats derail Okla. budget deal in flap over funding for senior nutrition programs

Okla. Senate Democrats derail budget agreement

OKLAHOMA CITY — Senate Democrats, upset that a proposed fix for the current year’s state budget did not include funding for senior nutrition programs, voted Monday against two key appropriations bills, threatening to derail the budget agreement.

All 21 of the Democrats in the Senate voted against the emergency clause on two budget bills that were components of an agreement reached last week between Democratic Gov. Brad Henry and leaders in the Republican-controlled House and Senate. An emergency clause requires approval from two-thirds of the 48-member Senate to pass.

Without the emergency clause on the first bill, funding to prevent furloughs of prison workers and state troopers, along with $15 million for education, will not be available until 90 days after the session is over in May. The move throws a wrench in the budget deal that leaders hoped would take effect immediately with the governor’s signature this week.

The delay in the second bill will lead to additional cuts of 2 percent across all state agencies for the rest of the fiscal year that ends June 30, said Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

“Because the emergency wasn’t granted, it throws the whole thing off balance,” said Coffee, who helped negotiate the agreement with Henry and House Speaker Chris Benge.

But Senate Democrats said the $2.5 million needed to fund the senior nutrition programs for the rest of the year is less than 1 percent of the total budget agreement.

“It is a sin and a moral crime not to help our senior citizens,” said Sen. Kenneth Corn, D-Poteau. “I will not sit idly by while the leadership of this state condemns thousands of elderly Oklahomans to an unnecessary fate.

“I urge the leadership to reopen budget talks, to include everyone in the process, and to come back with legislation that solves all of our most critical problems.”

Coffee indicated it’s unlikely that will happen, saying: “I don’t think we ought to reward bad behavior.”

Coffee added that nutrition programs that provide meals to the state’s neediest seniors receive money separately and are not funded through the Department of Human Services. He also said many cities and faith-based organizations have stepped in to fill the gap in the senior nutrition programs that were cut.

Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, said Democrats were left out of the budget negotiations and needed to take action to let GOP leaders know the issue was important to them.

“Sometimes you have to hit somebody across the head with a 2-by-4 to get their attention,” Gumm said. “And that’s what we did today.”

Paul Sund, the governor’s spokesman, said Henry hopes to work out a solution with both sides.

“We are aware of the budget snag in the Senate and will be talking to Republican and Democratic legislative leaders to see what can be done to resolve the dispute,” Sund said.

Both bills were held on a parliamentary motion that allows them to be reconsidered within the next three days.