Alva Review-Courier -

We’re now heading into the final two weeks of the legislative session. Oklahoma’s Constitution mandates that we must reach final adjournment no later than 5 p.m. on the last Friday in May.

This is my ninth year in the Legislature. I have been here in horrible budget years, and in good ones, and in these nine years I thought I’d seen every budget scenario possible – until this year.

I remember fairly early in my legislative career when we were looking at a budget hole of about $1 billion. I know how hard we all worked to reform and strengthen our budgeting process, and to take the bold step of...