Articles
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Budget & Tax
Tax cuts and opportunities for happiness
Lower taxes are not a panacea for all social problems, but they unequivocally help people find more work. That work helps people become more stable family and community members and offers a chance at finding a purpose for their lives.Curtis Shelton | July 8, 2022
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Budget & Tax
Inflation is cause for extreme caution on Oklahoma use of ARPA funds
What Oklahoma needs is private-sector growth, not increased government planning and spending. The former is the only path to increased prosperity for all.Jonathan Small | June 17, 2022
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Budget & Tax, Law & Principles
Fuzzy math in House tax-and-spending plan?
The leadership of the Oklahoma House of Representatives says that chamber will advance several tax proposals this week in response to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s call for passage of broad-based, pro-growth tax cuts—but indicated passage of tax cuts relies in part on cutting the budget of the governor’s office, citing the state’s balanced-budget requirement.Ray Carter | June 14, 2022
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Budget & Tax
Inflation crisis is vexing, but tax cuts can help
More than half a dozen states have already cut taxes this year. The current special legislative session gives Oklahoma a chance to join that group and not get left behind.Curtis Shelton | June 14, 2022
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Budget & Tax
Lawmakers start tax-cut session, but action appears unlikely
Conceding to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s wishes, members of the Oklahoma Legislature met briefly on June 13 in a special legislative session that will focus on tax cuts.Ray Carter | June 13, 2022
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Budget & Tax, Law & Principles
Lawmakers differ on reining in inflated tax bills
State lawmakers spent much of the past year trying to rein in practices that critics say have dramatically inflated businesses’ property-tax valuations in some Oklahoma counties.Ray Carter | June 8, 2022
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Budget & Tax
Provide tax cuts (not rebates) to combat inflation
Oklahoma lawmakers can do more than rebates to give their constituents a more stable footing to withstand the global shocks of inflation.Curtis Shelton | June 3, 2022
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Budget & Tax, Law & Principles
Stitt’s fiscal views a culture shock for Legislature?
Since Stitt entered office, the state government has shifted from having massive annual budget shortfalls to having historic levels of savings, and from constantly enacting tax hikes to debating tax reductions.Ray Carter | June 1, 2022
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Budget & Tax, Law & Principles
GOP struggles to defend slush fund, projects for ‘rural’ OKC
With only days left in this year’s legislative session, Oklahoma state lawmakers deposited $250 million into a “slush fund”-style account with no legal restrictions on how that money can be spent.Ray Carter | June 1, 2022
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Budget & Tax
Stitt wins on vetoes as lawmakers agree to tax-cut session
Gov. Kevin Stitt’s last-minute vetos and call to instead enact meaningful tax cuts has been met with agreement from legislative leaders. But state House leaders made clear they aren’t happy about it.Ray Carter | May 27, 2022