OCPA's top 10 budget recommendations

The Oklahoma Council on Public Affairs (OCPA) has some recommendations for Oklahoma's FY-2015 budget:

Below are the top 10 ways the State of Oklahoma can cut wasteful spending:

1. Enact state employee health insurance reform – $95 million annually.
2. Reform Medicaid to make it work better for patients, improve health outcomes, and save taxpayer dollars – $100 million annually.
3. Eliminate taxpayer funds for operation of non-core agencies such as the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission, the Oklahoma Insurance Department, the Oklahoma Department of Consumer Credit, the Native American Cultural and Educational Authority, OETA, etc. – $20 million annually.
4. End earmarks including rodeos, roping contests, local fair, local aquarium, local festivals, and more – $8 million annually.
5. Eliminate special earmark in Legislature’s budget - $7 million annually.
6. Enact performance evaluation reform and hiring reform – more than $5 million annually after first year, $41 million annually after 3rd year.
7. Perform telecommunications efficiency audits – $3 million annually.
8. Eliminate duplicative conservation district offices – $868,000 annually.
9. Eliminate state funding for attempts at space travel – more than $394,000 annually. (More than $8 million in the last 8 years.)
10. Eliminate legislative funding for the National Conference of State Legislatures – more than $141,000 annually. (More than $1 million in the last 8 years.)

To learn more, read OCPA’s proposed state budget here.