Legislature considers health funding; Fallin amends call

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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma lawmakers are considering measures to pump about $44 million into two key state health care agency budgets for the rest of the fiscal year.

House and Senate budget committees are meeting Tuesday to approve two bills in a second special session of the Legislature. One appropriates $17.7 million to the state's Medicaid agency, the Health Care Authority, and the other provides $26.5 million to the Department of Human Services.

Gov. Mary Fallin formally amended her special session call late Monday to include funding for DHS.

The emergency funding comes from a bill passed in the first special session to end a tax break on certain oil and gas wells.

The Legislature has struggled to raise revenue after the state Supreme Court ruled a $215 million cigarette tax was unconstitutional.

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