Budget Briefing: Oil and Gas Revenues Lag, But Oklahoma Starts Fiscal Year With Other Increases

Oklahoma Begins New Fiscal Year With Increase in Tax Revenues – “‘Weakness in energy prices, plus rebates, led to a reduction in the rate of growth in total collections, but we made up for that in other areas as consumer confidence remained high,’ state Finance Secretary Preston Doerflinger said. ‘That helped total receipts to beat the official estimate by more than 5 percent.’” NewsOK.com

Reports Shows 1 Out of 5 Oklahomans in 2010 Received Social Security Benefits – “Hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans receive federal entitlement benefits, which are a major factor in the state’s economy and a safety net against poverty, according to a private group’s comprehensive report on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.” Tulsa World

20 Oklahoma Counties Available for SBA Disaster Loans – “… Small, non-farm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private, non-profit organizations of any size may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) of up to $2 million. The loans will help businesses and organizations meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred.” Associated Press

An Idea for Controlling Oklahoma Government Spending – “How can we bring government spending under control? John Hood, president of the John Locke Foundation, a free-market think tank in North Carolina, has an idea that Oklahoma policymakers might wish to consider: a constitutional spending limit.” Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs