Senator Jay Paul Gumm and Representative John Carey spoke briefly and answered questions at the Chamber of Commerce Legislative Luncheon held Friday at REI in Durant.

Representative Carey spoke first and thanked the community leaders in the city for their support while he has been in office.

“This will be my last year in office,” Carey said. “I will certainly miss my time in Oklahoma City.”

Senator Gumm announced that he will be running for what will be his third and final term next year, then went on to discuss some of the budget issues facing the state this year.

“If you are depending on state funds for this year, you can expect a five percent reduction in those funds,” Gumm said.

However, all is not bleak for the state. According to Gumm, Oklahoma is in better shape than many of the surrounding states because of decisions made by state leaders seven years ago during the last budget shortfall.

“With the ‘Rainy Day’ fund established at that time, and the natural gas reserves in the state waiting to be drilled, the state is looking good for the future,” he said.

After updates on projects in the city by Mayor Jerry Tomlinson, and City Manager Jim Dunegan, Gumm and Carey answered questions from the audience.

Gumm was asked by one of those in attendance whether or not the state legislature would require a special session to deal with the budget shortfall.

“We’ll have to get back to you on that,” he said.