Caregivers File Lawsuit Against Fallin Concerning Budget Surplus

<p>Oklahoma&rsquo;s budget crunch Tuesday spilled out into the offices of the state Supreme Court. &nbsp;</p>

Tuesday, August 9th 2016, 10:11 pm

By: News 9


Oklahoma’s budget crunch Tuesday spilled out into the offices of the state Supreme Court. 

A group of caregivers of Oklahomans with physical and mental disabilities is suing Gov. Mary Fallin for wanting to turn nearly $141 million of “found money” in the state budget into raises for teachers. 

Their attorney David Slane said when state bean counters declared a “revenue failure” twice this past fiscal year, too much money was taken from state departments like the Department of Human Services in the first place. 

Carrol Stanley and her husband John said they’ve cared for 41 foster children over the past 25 years. 

She said recent DHS cuts have robbed her present foster child out of in-home visits she desperately needs.

“We have to divide it up equally, just like it should have been, just to be fair. These kids are human beings, too. They forget they are human beings too,” Carrol Stanley said.

Kimberly Gabriel said she’s the legal guardian of a 30-year-old Lawton man who is severely autistic and non-verbal. He’s blind, and two months ago, doctors diagnosed him with cancer. 

“The agency I am supposed to call for help when I don’t know what to do no longer exists,” she said. 

A spokesman for Fallin’s office told News 9 Tuesday afternoon that until they see the actual lawsuit they will have no comment on it.

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