Inman: Rural Areas Hurt Most By Legislative Session
House Minority Leader Scott Inman: Middle class Oklahomans, particularly in rural areas, hurt most from legislative session
By BARBARA HOBEROCK World Capitol Bureau
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s middle class were the losers when legislative session ended Friday, House Minority Leader Scott Inman said Wednesday.
Lawmakers adjourned a week early after sending Gov. Mary Fallin a fiscal year budget of about $7.1 billion that contained standstill funding for common education and cuts to other areas, such as higher education. Officials had $611 million less to spend in crafting the budget.
“As we look back on the last four months, my caucus can’t help but think about how in this game of winners and losers, the people who truly lost this legislative session were middle class Oklahomans, and in particular those Oklahomans in rural parts of our state,” said Inman, D-Del City, during a Wednesday news conference at the capitol.
The lack of additional dollars for common education means cuts due to an increase in students and overall costs, Inman said.