March 26, 2007
GUTHRIE - (March 26, 2007) - Saying his election to office was due in part to an aggressive stance against new state government indebtedness, freshman State Representative Jason Murphey (R-Guthrie) praised fellow representatives for voting for a budget that included no action on a proposal for new debt.

"The true winners in the FY2008 budget process are our children and grandchildren, since we will not be passing on more big government costs to future generations," Murphey said.

Murphey noted that the initial budget proposed to the legislature in February called for $663,000,000 of indebtedness funding for a variety of projects. Murphey expressed opposition to the debt proposals and concern about the legitimacy of some of the projects for which the money would have been used.

Murphey has been a strong proponent against new government debt and made the issue a major plank in his 2006 campaign. "In communicating with the residents of House District 31, I have come to believe that a strong majority of Oklahomans feel that state government should stop incurring unnecessary debt," Murphey said.

Murphey also called on the legislature to approve HJR 1027 which would require a vote of the people before the legislature could incur certain types of debt. HJR 1027, authored by Representative Trebor Worthen (R-Oklahoma City) is pending before a house committee. "It is a strong temptation for politicians to incur debt and pass the cost on to future generations who will pay for it long after current politicians are no long in office," Murphey said. "That is why we must make it more difficult to develop new debt."