State legislators approve budget and react to pay raise

State legislators approve budget and react to pay raise

MOST STATE AGENCIES IN THENEXT FISCAL YEAR - AS A BIGPAY RAISE IS SCHEDULED TO GOINTO EFFECT FOR LAWMAKERSCOME NOVEMBER.

2 WORKS FORYOU'S ERIN CONRAD TALKEDWITH LAWMAKERS ABOUT THEBUDGET - AND THE PERCEPTIONSSURROUNDING THEIR PAY RAISE.While lawmaker salaries arenot decided here on theSenate floor, the idea thatstate legislators will get a35% increase come Novemberisn't sitting well withvoters.

---- THE BUDGETAPPROVED THIS WEEK BYLAWMAKERS- MAKES CUTS TONEARLY ALL STATEAGENCIES.AMID A MASSIVEBUDGETSHORTFALL DUE TO THE IMPACTOF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

ATTHE STATE CAPITOL THURSDAY-WE SPOKE TO OWASSO STATESENATOR NATHAN DAHM-ONE OF THE FEW REPUBLICANSWHO VOTED AGAINST THEBUDGET.--- DAHMWE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT HOWWE'RE SPENDING TAXPAYERMONEY, WE SHOULD BE FOCUSINGON REFORMS, HAVEN'T SEEN AWHOLE LOT OF THOSE REFORMSTHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE BEINGACCOMPLISHED RATHER THANFOCUSING ON SPENDING THEMONEY WHICH KIND OF SEEMEDTO BE THE FOCUS.

25:53 ----CATOOSA REPRESENTATIVE ANDHOUSE MAJORITY WHIP- TERRYO'DONNELLVOTED IN FAVOR OF THEFUNDING MEASURE.

----- TERRYO'DONNELL, HOUSE MAJORITYWHIPTHIS BUDGET IS REALLYARTWORK BECAUSE WE'VE DONEEVERYTHING WE CAN TO PROTECTOUR PRIORITIES WHICH ARECLEARLY COMMON EDUCATION ANDEDUCATION AS A WHOLE IN THISSTATE SO I FELT LIKE WE'DDONE A REALLY GOOD JOBPULLING MONEY BACK TOEDUCATION AND PROTECTINGTHAT AREA AND MAKING SOMEMODEST CUTS IN OTHER STATEAGENCIES.

1:42 ---- THEWHITE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOMDURING TALKS ABOUT CUTS ANDFUNDING MEASURES- ASCHEDULED PAY RAISE FORLAWMAKERS- VOTED ON LASTYEAR BY THE LEGISLATIVECOMPENSATION BOARD..

---DAHMTHE LEGISLATURE HAS NOCONTROL OVER THE SALARYSCHEDULE, WE DON'T SET IT,IT'S AN INDEPENDENT BOARDTHAT DOES THAT AND IN THEPAST THEY'VE CUT LEGISLATORSALARY AND THEY'VE INCREASEDIT LAST YEAR AS YOUMENTIONED BUT WE DON'T HAVEANY CONTROL OR INPUT OVERTHAT.

I KNOW PEOPLE THINKTHAT WE DO BUT WE DON'T HAVEANYB INVOLVEMENT IN THAT.1:45 ---- ODONNELLI THINK THIS IS THE FIRSTRAISE IN ABOUT 20 YEARS BUTAS FAR AS THAT GOES EVEN IFWE WERE TO PULL THAT BACKTHAT DOESN'T NECESSARILYMEAN IT COULD GO TOWARDOTHER PROJECTS.

3:16 ----WHEN WE TOLD YOU ABOUT THATRAISE WEDNESDAY- IT SPARKEDOUTRAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.VIEWERS ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGEUPSET ABOUT LAWMAKERSGETTING A RAISE-WHILE MANYOF THEM FACE FINANCIALHARDSHIPS FROM THECORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK..

SCOTTMITCHELL IS ON THELEGISLATIVE COMPENSATIONBOARD..

THE PANEL IS MADE UPOF CITIZENS APPOINTED BYLAWMAKERS..

MITCHELL VOTEDON THE PAY RAISE LAST YEAR..---- SOTT MITCHELL,LEGISLATIVE COMPENSATIONBOARDTHE BOARD WAS ACTING WITHTHE BEST DATA THAT YOUCOULD POSSIBLY HAVE WITH NOFORETHOUGHT AS TO WE WEREABOUT TO SEE THE WORSTPANDEMIC IN A CENTURY ANDTHESINGLE MOST DEVASTATINGECONOMIC OCCURENCE IN THELAST CENTURY.

COOULDA WOULDASHOULDA.

7:05 WE PROBABLYWOULD BE DOING SOMETHINGDIFFERENT AT THIS POINT BUTSO WOULD EVERYBODY ELSE.7:08 ----- MITCHELL SAYS ATTHE TIME-DATA SHOWEDLEGISLATORS WERE NOT BEINGPAID AT THE LEVEL THEYSHOULD BE.

AND HE WANTS TOREMIND TAXPAYERS-OF THIS.----- MITCHELLNOBODY IN THIS LEGISLATUREGOT A RAISE, NOT ONE, THISLEGISLATIVE PACKAGE ONLYGOES INTO EFFECT FOR THENEXT LEGISLATURE.

7:57 -----THE SILVER LINING-MITCHELLREMINDS VOTERS- THAT IF THEYDON'T THINK THEIR LAWMAKERSDESERVE THAT NEXT PAYINCREASE- TO VOTE THEM OUTCOME NOVEMBER.

IN OKLAHOMACITY.ERIN CONRAD- 2 WORKSFOR YOU.BIXBY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUND ASPECIAL WAY TO HO