The $6.8 billion presumptive budget agreement has been praised for preserving money for education, prisons and Medicaid, but some of the sharpest cuts are aimed at agencies that regulate industry and protect the environment.

The Republican is from Atoka in southeast Oklahoma, which could bring a unique perspective on water to the capitol.

The move has already reduced the well-plugging fund by $1.2 million, a number that could grow. The result: Fewer abandoned wells are being plugged, state records show.