Tulsa - For the first time in state history Republicans have control of the state Senate. And today, they rolled out their agenda for the new year.

Legislators are hoping to help save the OSU Medical Center, secure funding for roads and bridges, promote energy independence, and expand the back to school sales tax holiday to include school supplies as well.

But all of that, of course, hinges on a strong economy, And as NewsChannel 8's Burt Mummolo reports, state revenue is not going up.

Due to the recession, state revenue is down 4 to 5%, which may not sound like a lot , but that translates into hundreds of millions of dollars.

Comparatively speaking, for being in the middle of a national recession.

Rep. Lucky Lamons says, "Oklahoma is so much better than most of the other states." But comparatively comes with a big price tag. "We could be down a half a billion dollars."

State coffers are starting to feel the pinch, make that punch, of the recession.

"We are going to get hit, right now, the first time that we have looked at how much money we're going to have for 2010 budget, we're down $309 million, talking with people down at the capital yesterday it could go to $500 million by the time we're out of session in May."

Even so, when state lawmakers rolled out their agendas today, there were no specific plans to address the recession.

State Senator John Ford says, "I don't think it's necessarily a time when we need to put programs where we're putting massive amounts of aid out to citizens."

As for the state's $600 million rainy day fund, both republicans and democrats, say, hold off.

"Do we want to spend it now or do we want to wait until the second wave of the downturn comes," says Lamons.

A wave, which could hit with a fury in 2010.

Lamons says, "Looking at the crystal ball, for this session I don't see us dipping into the rainy day fund, for the next year, that'll be different."

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