In a recent editorial, The Oklahoman notes that tax cuts aren't the only cause of Oklahoma's revenue shortfall and budget deficit. Clearly, other factors such as energy prices are part of the picture. The editorial compares Oklahoma's predicament to other states, which I think provides the opportunity to re-examine our situation and our priorities.

Make no mistake: Oklahoma is an extreme outlier when it comes to the size of the hole in our budget. The state faces an $868 million shortfall. That represents nearly 13 percent of the current $6.8 billion in state appropriations. And importantly, this follows a total 5 percent cut in state appropriations for fiscal year 2017, when the Legislature disproportionately gashed higher education with a devastating 14 percent cut.

These cuts have left agencies, including the University of Oklahoma, nearly two decades behind the times. In 2017, OU's Norman campus received $5 million less than was received in 1999, despite a 32 percent increase in enrollment and a 45 percent increase in degrees awarded. We are doing far more, with far less.

Oklahoma's crisis is vastly worse than the other states used as comparisons. The editorial refers to larger dollar shortfalls, but neglects to put these figures in context. The deficits in the states cited, California, Connecticut, Maryland and New York, represent only 1.3 percent, 0.3 percent, 3.2 percent and 1 percent of their general fund budgets, respectively. And all of these states have significantly larger rainy day fund balances that allow for greater flexibility.