Oklahoma Watch on June 5: Reasons and Troubles Behind Secretive Crafting of State Budget
When Oklahoma’s $6.8 billion spending plan was unveiled in late May, it was greeted with a mixture of sharp criticism over its cuts and revenue patches and, in some sectors, relief that the reductions were not more severe.
From all sides, however, there was one common reaction to the 114-page budget bill: surprise.
Nearly four months after the legislative session had opened, no one knew for certain what the final plan would look like until the waning days. As in past years, a secretive budget process had left most Oklahomans in the dark. Leaders and opinion writers on the left and right condemned the lack of transparency, saying it undermines public confidence.
Open-government advocates report Oklahoma is not alone in developing spending plans largely behind closed doors. But they say the state’s budget process ranks among the least transparent in the country.