Budget Briefing: OU Pulls Faculty Phones to Save Money

Your mid-week budget news roundup:

In the Face of Shrinking Budget, University of Oklahoma Department Pulls Out Faculty Phones – “Earlier this year, the University of Oklahoma’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering disconnected telephones in faculty offices to make up for a shrinking budget. OU President David Boren said such cost-cutting measures aren’t unique.” NewsOK.com

State Revenue in April Beats Forecast – State general fund revenue met its target in April, prompting Gov. Mary Fallin to renew her call for an income tax cut. Senate Republicans answered a few hours later, saying they would not accept a reduction in income tax rates that was not offset by elimination or modification of so-called tax preferences.” Tulsa World

Tax Cut Plan Pushed by Senate Republicans – Negotiations over a tax cut have apparently hit a speed bump that prompted “Senate Republicans to trot out their proposal at a hastily called press conference Tuesday. The Senate GOP proposal calls for lowering the state’s top income tax rate of 5.25 percent to 5 percent for fiscal year 2013, followed by an additional drop to 4.75 percent in fiscal year 2014.” Tulsa World