Obama’s Clean Power Plan: Oklahoma Officials Attack, Utilities on Path to Comply
Oklahoma’s largest utility companies say they’re already on track to meet the carbon-reduction goals in the federal plan.
Oklahoma’s Governor is the head of state and the elected representative with the single biggest role in shaping economic and budget policy.
Mary Fallin is Oklahoma’s 27th Governor. She entered office in January 2011 and her first term ends January 2015.
Fallin served as Lt. Governor from 1995-2007 and represented Oklahoma’s 5th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007-2011.
The Governor prepares the state budget, which must be approved by the legislature. The governor has line-item veto powers, which can only be overridden by a super-majority vote in the legislature.
Many of the Governor’s appointees directly influence state economic, financial and budgetary issues.
In 2011, Gov. Fallin was face with a roughly $400 million deficit. Her $6.3 billion FY 2012 state budget included 3 percent cuts to Education, Health, Human Services and Public Safety and up to 5 percent in cuts to other agencies.
Gov. Fallin is a proponent of reducing or eliminating the personal income tax and has pledged efforts to restructure and reform the state tax system.
Oklahoma’s largest utility companies say they’re already on track to meet the carbon-reduction goals in the federal plan.
Fallin has evolved on the earthquake issue since the Prague quake in 2011.
Drought — and how to deal with it — was the central theme of the annual governor’s water conference last week in Oklahoma City.
Above average heat, strong winds, and the ongoing drought have led to several wildfires in western and central Oklahoma this week.
Fallin’s general counsel, Steve Mullins, told the paper the agreement does not conflict with last year’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling.