I’ve been an Okie citizen since 1997 and my wife is born and bred hear in Oklahoma. And so I am posting Governor Mary Fallin’s email of progress so far in the great State of Oklahoma.
JRH 6/6/12
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2012 Legislative Session: A Big Step Forward for Oklahoma
By Mary Fallin
Sent: 6/5/2012 9:39 AM
The 2012 session was marked by a flurry of legislative successes that will deliver more efficient government services and an environment more conducive to job creation.
While it is disappointing that an income tax reduction was not among those successes, the failure to reach a tax cut compromise should not detract from the many victories won this year.
Chief among those is a budget -- as well as accompanying reforms -- that will continue to limit the growth of government while targeting waste and duplication. The budget passed this year is a fiscally conservative blueprint for state government that largely holds the line on spending. It does, however, provide targeted increases for specific needs and areas in which we know the state must improve: education, child welfare programs, road and bridge repair, access to healthcare, and public safety.
The budget is supported by a number of reforms that save taxpayer dollars and allow state agencies to do more with less. Legislation instructing agencies to reduce energy costs, for example, is expected to produce savings of $300 to $500 million over eight years.
Besides government reform, progress continues to be made towards building a better environment for business growth.
Last year we successfully addressed issues directly related to the bottom line of businesses operating in Oklahoma, such as workers' compensation costs and frivolous lawsuits. This year we went further, helping to address areas that affect both the economic bottom line of our businesses and the quality of life of our citizens.
We know that Oklahoma's poor health indicators, for instance, are resulting in thousands of deaths and hundreds of millions of dollars of lost economic output each year. To address that, we established programs this year aimed at reducing infant deaths, encouraging healthy life choices, and offering treatment to those suffering from substance abuse and addiction issues.
Businesses and families want to locate in crime-free environments, so we have increased resources and state troopers at the Department of Public Safety.
They want a safe and efficient transportation infrastructure, and to that end we developed and funded a plan to repair all 706 of Oklahoma's structurally deficient highway bridges.
Additionally, improving education outcomes continue to be a priority, as we know the majority of jobs created in the next decade will go to those with college degrees or career certificates. To ensure our citizens are poised to take advantage of these opportunities, we are pursuing the goal of dramatically increasing the number of degrees and certificates awarded in Oklahoma.
Finally, we have put the state on a path to address and correct what has long been a black eye for Oklahoma -- the substandard conditions for children in state custody.
All of these are large steps forward for Oklahoma and its citizens, and each will help to make the state a better place to live, work and raise a family. I am proud to declare another legislative session a success, and I look forward to continuing our forward progress next year. To read more of the 2012 Policy Highlights, click here now.
Thank you and God Bless,
While it is disappointing that an income tax reduction was not among those successes, the failure to reach a tax cut compromise should not detract from the many victories won this year.
Chief among those is a budget -- as well as accompanying reforms -- that will continue to limit the growth of government while targeting waste and duplication. The budget passed this year is a fiscally conservative blueprint for state government that largely holds the line on spending. It does, however, provide targeted increases for specific needs and areas in which we know the state must improve: education, child welfare programs, road and bridge repair, access to healthcare, and public safety.
The budget is supported by a number of reforms that save taxpayer dollars and allow state agencies to do more with less. Legislation instructing agencies to reduce energy costs, for example, is expected to produce savings of $300 to $500 million over eight years.
Besides government reform, progress continues to be made towards building a better environment for business growth.
Last year we successfully addressed issues directly related to the bottom line of businesses operating in Oklahoma, such as workers' compensation costs and frivolous lawsuits. This year we went further, helping to address areas that affect both the economic bottom line of our businesses and the quality of life of our citizens.
We know that Oklahoma's poor health indicators, for instance, are resulting in thousands of deaths and hundreds of millions of dollars of lost economic output each year. To address that, we established programs this year aimed at reducing infant deaths, encouraging healthy life choices, and offering treatment to those suffering from substance abuse and addiction issues.
Businesses and families want to locate in crime-free environments, so we have increased resources and state troopers at the Department of Public Safety.
They want a safe and efficient transportation infrastructure, and to that end we developed and funded a plan to repair all 706 of Oklahoma's structurally deficient highway bridges.
Additionally, improving education outcomes continue to be a priority, as we know the majority of jobs created in the next decade will go to those with college degrees or career certificates. To ensure our citizens are poised to take advantage of these opportunities, we are pursuing the goal of dramatically increasing the number of degrees and certificates awarded in Oklahoma.
Finally, we have put the state on a path to address and correct what has long been a black eye for Oklahoma -- the substandard conditions for children in state custody.
All of these are large steps forward for Oklahoma and its citizens, and each will help to make the state a better place to live, work and raise a family. I am proud to declare another legislative session a success, and I look forward to continuing our forward progress next year. To read more of the 2012 Policy Highlights, click here now.
Thank you and God Bless,
Governor Mary Fallin
________________________
P.O. Box 590 | Oklahoma City, OK 73101
Visit www.maryfallin.org
Visit www.maryfallin.org
Paid for by Fallin for Governor 2014
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