Oklahoma State Senate – Press Release (Printable Version)

For Immediate Release: October 26, 2005

Crutchfield Says State Should Add Funds To Federal Home Heating Assistance Program

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services could use a portion of its $26 million budget carryover to augment the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program in the face of rising energy costs that are expected to increase home heating bills by 35 percent in Oklahoma, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Johnnie Crutchfield said Wednesday.

By doing so, Crutchfield said, the state can help ease the burden of high home heating prices for more Oklahoma working families in the coming winter.

The Ardmore Democrat chaired a special Appropriations Committee meeting Wednesday to gather information about both the expected need for home heating assistance and the state’s ability to bridge the gap between the need and funding provided by the federal government.

“This week, many Oklahoma families lighted their furnaces for the first time since last spring and they did so with a great deal of unease. Energy prices are skyrocketing and they know it’s going to cost them a great deal more to heat their homes this winter,” Crutchfield said. “If we have a particularly cold season, many families could have to choose between keeping warm and buying groceries.”

LIHEAP is a federally-funded program administered by DHS. Last year, approximately $8 million in federal funds were distributed to more than 90,000 qualifying Oklahoma households to help defray the cost of heating their home.

Crutchfield said that with the increases in natural gas prices both the needs of those receiving assistance and those who need help will increase dramatically. During Wednesday’s meeting, he asked DHS Director Howard Hendricks to come up with a proposal to use state funds to expand both the number of families receiving assistance and the amount of assistance available.

“Working Oklahoma families are already struggling to make ends meet with gasoline prices remaining above $2 a gallon. By adding state funds to the federal dollars in the LIHEAP program, we can ease the burden on working families,” Crutchfield said.

The Senator said the same increases in natural gas prices that are causing home heating costs to rise are also swelling state coffers through increased gross production tax receipts.

“High gas prices help the state’s bottom line but they are creating a hardship for working Oklahomans. It only makes sense to me that the state share the wealth with Oklahoma families who are struggling to make ends meet,” Crutchfield said.

Governor Henry first proposed adding state funds to the LIHEAP program two weeks ago. Crutchfield convened Wednesday’s special meeting of the Senate Appropriations Committee to gather information about the extent of the need for additional home heating bill assistance in Oklahoma.

In addition to Hendricks, the committee heard from Bob Bristow, the president of the Oklahoma chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons; and Ann Roberts, executive director of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy.

“What we’ve learned is that there is definitely a need for additional funding for the LIHEAP program and that the state has the money to help make a difference in the lives of thousands of Oklahoma families,” Crutchfield said.

The Chairman said he hopes to work with the governor and House leaders to reach an agreement to replace the DHS funds during the appropriations process in the coming Legislative session so that expanding the LIHEAP program won’t detrimentally affect any other DHS programs.