One-On-One With Gov. Fallin On 2017 Budget, Capitol

Governor Fallin left for the inauguration Thursday morning. But before her flight, she sat down with News 9's Grant Hermes. She talked about what issues Oklahoma faces in 2017.

Grant Hermes: We've got roughly 900 million dollars in the budget hole. Any major plans you're going to push for shore up that hole?

Gov. Mary Fallin: You will see me roll out solutions to many of our problems, but it's going to be up to the legislature to vote on those things and to help me to close the budget gap and to prioritize our spending on things like education, public safety health and human services and infrastructure needs.

GH: The recent reports and investigation into potential sexual harassment here at the capitol, do you have any plans to urge your party to literally and figurative get the house in order?

GOV: Well, there should be no place in the workplace at all whether it's at the Capitol or whether it's at any place in the state or the nation.  So, I appreciate the fact that the speaker said we're going to get to the bottom of this and formed a group to look at it and we'll wait and see what the findings are.

GH: The concern about this investigation is that it's behind closed doors. Are you going to urging at all the legislature open itself up to foia and the open meetings act, as your office is as well?

GOV: I think the need to have the ability to be able to discuss things without incriminating someone who may or may not be guilty.

GH: At least not right now, you're not pushing for any expanded transparency laws.

GOV: I think it should be transparent once they get their information together, but we should be careful not to accuse someone of something that may not have happened. That's what they need to get to the bottom of.