Faught: State Parks and State Budgets

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BRANSON MO NEWS: OKLAHOMA CITY – Currently in Oklahoma rumors are circling that many of our state parks and recreation areas are on the chopping block due to this year’s budget crisis. Yes, we have a tight budget this year, but the stories are circling because of potential cuts not probable cuts. The House Sub-Committee on Natural Resources, of which I am a member, is tasked with looking at the budget through the eyes of the agencies they oversee. The committee chairman proposed to those agencies scenarios where budget cuts could be 5, 7, or 15 percent. Agencies were asked what changes would happen under each of those circumstances. This is where the “what if” stories surrounding the park closings originated. There is no current legislation that will close any of our state parks.I know some who say that state parks are not a “core” function of government. I would have to agree, and if forced to choose between education, public safety, public health, or a state park, then the state park would be a lower priority. However, the story does not end there.Over spring break, my wife and I visited our daughter who is attending the College of the Ozarks in Branson, Missouri. …



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