Governor Says Special Session Should Happen But Doesn't Order One

Governor Mary Fallin said yesterday lawmakers should go back to work to fix a multimillion dollar budget hole. And if it happens, it will cost Oklahoma taxpayers thousands of dollars.

The budget hole was made after the legislature attempted to pass an unconstitutional fee on the price of cigarettes. The fee was struck down by the state Supreme Court earlier this month, saying it was passed after a constitutional deadline on revenue raising measures. The fee would've raised an estimated $215 million for agencies already cut to the bone.

In a statement, Governor Fallin said, "A special session is the best option. These agencies and the people they serve cannot sustain the kind of cuts that will occur if we do not find a solution."

She stopped short of calling a special session herself, however. State law says she can call lawmakers back or they can do it themselves with a two-thirds majority vote.

There's not yet an estimate on how much a special session could cost, although, a special session in 2013 cost around $30,000 a day.