Press Release on June
12, 2017
Bergstrom
urges OKDHS
to use stalled legislation as agency budget guide
OKLAHOMA
CITY – Following a challenging legislative session where the
nearly $1 billion budget shortfall was a top concern, State Senator
Micheal Bergstrom sent a letter this week to the director of the
state Department of Human Services (DHS), urging the agency to
continue to protect the programs outlined in Senate Bill 848, even
though the legislation stalled before lawmakers adjourned for the
year.
The
measure passed in the Senate with a 42-3 vote, but time ran out in
the session before it could be passed in the House. Regardless,
Bergstrom (R-Adair) is requesting DHS director Ed Lake to use the
components of SB 848 as a “common sense” guide to prioritize
spending as he leads the agency into the next year. In his letter
to Lake this week, Bergstrom urges a reduction in administrative
expenses, and not cuts to essential services, in the event of a
revenue shortfall this year.
“I
commend Director Lake and his staff for their
diligence in working to meet the needs of Oklahoma citizens,”
Bergstrom said. “The job of each agency, as well as that of the
legislature, is to meet the needs of our citizens, especially those
who are most vulnerable. With that in mind, it is critical that
agencies like DHS do everything possible to protect the funding and
implementation of the services referenced in SB848, such as, but not
limited to, Senior Nutrition, Child Welfare Services, Developmental
Disability Services, the Pinnacle Plan, and the Child Abuse
Multidisciplinary Account. These programs have far-reaching benefits
to our families and communities.”
-END-
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