OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Almost halfway through the 2016 legislative session, Oklahoma lawmakers are still unsure how to resolve the most critical issue they face — closing an estimated $1.3 billion hole in the state budget for the coming year.
Battle lines are being drawn as legislative leaders search for consensus on how to manage the state's budget crisis amid a steep drop in state revenue from oil and natural gas production. The budget hole amounts to about 20 percent of last year's spending.
Republican Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman says the state budget will likely dominate lawmakers' work for the remainder of the legislative session. Lawmakers have until they must adjourn on May 27 to complete work on a budget for the fiscal year that begins on July 1st.