Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry believes the state has too many agencies

Governor Henry he wants to combine some of them.

With the state’s billion-dollar-plus budget hole in the background, Henry and his chief budget negotiator, state Treasurer Scott Meacham, have called for the consolidation of 16 state agencies. “Oklahoma seems to be near the top of the nation in the number of agencies we have,” Meacham said last week, during a press conference to introduce the administration’s budget proposal. “I think, certainly, if we roll up our sleeves and work on it, we can figure out a way to create a significant reduction.” Under the governor’s plan, those agencies would be combined with others to create a savings, Henry said, of $5.3 million. Currently the state has about 180 publicly funded agencies.
In his budget, Henry has proposed combining: See More

BY M. SCOTT CARTER
The Journal Record