The Perfect Storm - The DA's: budget and funding issues PART 2

The Oklahoma State Senate passed a resolution today protesting any federal cuts to the budgets of Oklahoma's District Attorneys. The resolution was authored by Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee (R-Oklahoma City) and President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan (D-Stillwater). Action on Senate Resolution 57 follows last week's press conference where District Attorneys around Oklahoma joined Senators Coffee and Morgan to raise awareness of proposed federal budget cuts that would have a devastating effect on the operations of district attorney offices throughout Oklahoma and create gaping holes in programs aimed at making Oklahoma one of the safest places to live, work and raise a family.

"Public safety should be the number one priority of government and we are committed to seeing it funded. District attorneys are critical to keeping the public safe from crime," Coffee said. "We have authored this resolution asking Congress to restore the public safety budget cuts. The federal government should not try to balance their budget on the backs of public safety."

Senator Morgan echoed his support to strongly oppose Congress from cutting the budgets of key public safety personnel not only in Oklahoma, but around the country.

"Government's greatest moral obligation is to ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens," Morgan said. "In the state senate we have in the past, and will continue to make public safety a top priority when writing the state budget. Even in a tight budget year, we have to keep all options on the table to ensure the public safety needs of this state are adequately met."

Morgan and Coffee pointed to numbers provided by the Oklahoma District Attorney's Council as evidence that federal budget cuts would result in staggering losses for Oklahoma including:

The Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program will lose 36 investigators.

The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) will lose 6 employees.

The Project Safe Neighborhoods program will be completely eliminated.

The Anti-Gang Initiative will be completely eliminated.

District Attorneys throughout Oklahoma will lose 45 employees.