![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() by Daniel J. Graeber Oklahoma City (UPI) Feb 2, 2016
State agencies in Oklahoma may be facing budget cuts of at least 10 percent in part because of the pressure from lower oil prices, the governor said. "We've seen a 70 percent drop in oil prices in less than two years, which has a tremendous impact on our revenue," Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin said in her annual State of the State address. "There is an excess supply of oil and natural gas in the marketplace, and instability in worldwide markets doesn't help." In 2014, when oil prices were near $110 per barrel, Oklahoma had one of the fastest growing economies in the United States. With oil near $30 per barrel, the state has a $1 billion budget gap. According to federal data, Oklahoma oil reserves represent just over 3 percent of total U.S. supply. For October, the last full month for which the U.S. government has data, Oklahoma produced about 13 million barrels of oil. Fallin pointed to outdated tax policies and revenue collection deficiencies as problematic for Oklahoma coffers. If lawmakers don't find ways to fix "decades-old structural budget problems," the governor said most state agencies may face 13.5 percent in cuts in the 2017 fiscal year. This year, lawmakers will appropriate about 45 percent of tax receipts, against 55 percent before the U.S. economy teetered on the brink of recession in 2007. Fallin said changing the tax regime would result in $200 million in new revenue. Moving non-revolving funds from "one-time" to general would add another $1.5 billion to state pockets, she added. "We can use our budget crisis to create new opportunities to build a solid foundation for Oklahoma," she said.
Related Links All About Oil and Gas News at OilGasDaily.com
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |