Funny how all the legislative "fixes" require sacrifices and hardships for everyone else.. except them.     We will never see a story on legislators proposing THEY are rolling back their salaries, benefits and compensation packages to the days when oil was at the current prices it is today.       

That's the only real fix.  Dig out a budget from years when the state had the same money flow as today.. and use that budget.  YES that means rolling back salaries.. because realistically, the cost of living is paced with cost of fuel.  In the future, they should consider just adding a payment in salaries that is a "fuel surplus bonus" (comparable to a fuel surcharge) that fluctuates with the oil price index.   Thus if fuel costs more.. state is also getting more.. and costs of living are offset.. but the wages are not just locked in at higher rates that the state cant maintain when oil prices drop.   I also felt this was the way to solve min wage issue.