State finance officials say collections to
the state’s general revenue fund in March decreased slightly over
the same time last year because about $34 million in oil production
taxes were diverted to help pay for teacher health benefits.
Figures released on Tuesday by the Office of State Finance show
March collections to the general revenue fund totaled $434 million,
a drop of about $4 million from March 2011.
Collections would have been higher, but Secretary of Finance
Preston Doerflinger says nearly $34 million in oil revenue was
diverted this month to the state Department of Education as part of
a legislative agreement on supplemental funding.
Collections through the first three quarters of fiscal year 2012
totaled $3.9 billion, which is $400 million more than the first
nine months of FY2011.