Senator Patrick Anderson says he was shocked when he learned the State Department of Education spent $33,268.00 on its annual report.
The 60-page report, including 50 glossy color photos was delivered to legislators Wednesday.
According to the document, the Department of Education printed 2,000 copies, meaning each copy of the report cost taxpayers $16.63.
Right now lawmakers are trying to figure out how to pay for $600 million increase to help fix education across the state.
One thing is certain; part of the money will come from the General Revenue Fund, the primary fund used to pay for state government programs.
That means less available money for got other programs.
“This is a total waste of taxpayer dollars,” said Anderson, R-Enid. “The State Department of Education is simply required to make an annual report to the members of the Legislature, not produce a coffee table book. The fact that our limited education dollars are being spent on projects like this is mind-boggling.”
Anderson was the author of Senate Bill 1697, which directed state agencies to issue such reports in electronic format to save taxpayer dollars.
SB 1697 was signed into law in 2010.