Newly Elected Lawmakers Discuss Upcoming Challenges For Oklahoma

State legislators took the oath of office Wednesday, among them dozens of newly elected lawmakers. And they'll face some serious challenges in the coming months.

The biggest challenge will be filling what will likely be a 700 million-dollar budget shortfall next year while trying to maintain funding for services like education and public safety.

There are 32 members of the State House of Representatives and 13 new senators.

Lawmakers agree education is a top priority along with giving teachers what some legislators are calling a significant raise.

That could mean cutting services and tax breaks.

In December, lawmakers should have revenue projections. Once they know how much money they have to spend, they can begin trying to figure out what to cut.