Oklahoma Democrats push $5.3 billion spending bill

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A $5.3 billion spending bill that does not require any tax increases was rolled out by House Democrats on Monday. <br><br>The measure increases spending by 3.8% over a year ago and

Monday, February 23rd 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A $5.3 billion spending bill that does not require any tax increases was rolled out by House Democrats on Monday.

The measure increases spending by 3.8% over a year ago and includes funds to fully pay for 100 percent of teacher health care benefits.

In a related development, House members voted without dissent and debate for the bill designed to pay all of teacher health care insurance costs, as proposed by Gov. Brad Henry.

The budget plan presented by House Democrats apparently does not, contain money to expand Medicaid benefits to 200,000 Oklahomans, as Henry advocated in his state of the state speech.

A proposed net increase of 53 cents per pack in the cigarette tax is tied to that proposal and to Henry's plan to build a cancer research center.

The cigarette tax plan is stuck on the House calendar and proponents have conceded they do not yet have the votes to send it to the Senate.

In his budget, Henry also proposed raising $71 million for education and at the same time rescuing the horse race industry by allowing pari-mutuel racetracks to have the same electronic gaming devices that Indian casinos have. That bill also is pending in the House.

Speaker Larry Adair, D-Stilwell, said the House Democratic spending plan ``protects state programs by funding them at current levels, and will not force agencies to choose between continuing programs or terminating employees.''

It also contains $36 million in emergency funding, including $15 million for the ad valorem reimbursement fund, $6.2 million for the Tax Commission, $5.3 million for the Department of Corrections, $3 million for the Department of Commerce, $2.5 million for a college scholarship program and $2.1 million for the University Hospital Authority for its trauma center.

For next year, the bill appropriates an extra $25 million for prisons, increases transportation funding by 4 percent and restores $15.5 million for the Rural Economic Action Plan, known as REAP.

Rep. Todd Hiett, R-Kellyville, House minority leader, said he was not aware of the Democratic plan until Monday and the GOP caucus had not taken a position on it.

``We were totally surprised to see it on our desk,'' Hiett said.

Rep. Bill Mitchell, D-Lindsay, said House subcommittee chairmen created the budget early in the session so lawmakers could proceed with other business.

``We asked agency directors to tighten their belts last year and together we made it through a tough chapter in state history,'' he said. ``Our proposal not only maintains current funding, but it incorporates a flexibility to include other spending initiatives if additional revenues are revealed.''