Oklahoma Highway Patrol Gets Money to Avoid Furloughs

By Jennifer Pierce, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is getting money to keep troopers on the roads. DPS and House leaders reached a funding deal late Tuesday afternoon.

DPS will get $2.5 million to prevent trooper furloughs. The money is coming from the state's general revenue fund.

"If you start taking troopers of the road, obviously safety is jeopardized," said Oklahoma Highway Patrol Major Rusty Rhoades.

"We came to an agreement with the commissioner of public safety and the troopers association that if we could locate an additional $2.5 million that that would effectively proclude any trooper furloughs from occuring," said Rep. Randy Terrill.

They will face some cust including not holding a trooper academy next year.

Officials at the Department of Public Safety said they won't be able to fill administrative positions its losing through attrition and may have to consolidate some of the department's 70 driver's license testing offices.