OKLAHOMA CITY – Taxes are a popular subject going into the First Session of the 60th Oklahoma Legislature and Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle) has been asked multiple times over the last few months about his stance on the topic.
The most recent questions came when he addressed representatives from multiple state media outlets, including Southwest Ledger, at the Feb. 6 Legislative Summit hosted at the Capitol by the Oklahoma Press Association.
Paxton strongly reiterated that he is in support of Gov.
Kevin Stitt’s half-point cut to the individual and business income tax, which is 4.75% at the top end of the range. Stitt’s ultimate goal is a progressive path to zero income tax and the proposal is known as “halfand- a-path.”
Preliminary numbers have been discussed in regards to how much the cut would chisel out of the budget. Paxton said early numbers, which excludes one-time spending, would put the state about “$300 million under water” with a goal of keeping the budget flat.
There is the matter of about $4 billion in savings and reserves, but Paxton said he doesn’t want to dip into the Rainy Day Fund for recurring expenses. The 2024 elimination of the state’s portion of the sales tax on groceries also affects this year’s budget, as it added up to about $450 million for a full year, he said.
“It will be a tightrope to walk if we do tax cuts,” he told the packed room of reporters.
State leaders are committed to “trying” and, if done, it must be carried out in a responsible way, he said. The Senate Pro Tem also said they will have a better idea of budget projections around Feb. 15 when the Board of Equalization releases final numbers on what the state Legislature can appropriate for the upcoming fiscal year.
In addition, Paxton has more than 30 bills that he has authored or co-sponsored that are headed for various committees this week. Senate Bill 631, which pertains to crimes and punishments, is scheduled for a Feb. 11 hearing date in the Public Safety Committee. If passed, this proposal will modify Oklahoma criminal law by expanding the list of offenses that would require convicted persons to serve at least 85% of their prison sentence before eligible for parole.
Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee Sen. Brent Howard (R-Altus) has multiple bills going to committee, including six scheduled for hearings on Feb. 11. Those proposed measures include topics pertaining to civil procedures (modifying procedures for offers of judgment); county election boards (addressing actions by assistant secretaries).
The Oklahoma Discovery Code (requiring production of commercial litigation funding agreement upon request and prohibiting admissibility of certain information as evidence); the Oklahoma Evidence Code (providing for admissibility of certain statements in certain proceedings); recordable instruments (modifying certain margin requirements); and damages (increasing maximum limitation on compensation for noneconomic loss).
Two freshman senators from southwest Oklahoma, Sen. Spencer Kern (R-Duncan) and Sen. Kendal Sacchieri (R-Blanchard) also have several bills in committee.
Kern has addressed multiple topics, including contractors, district courts, healthcare, agriculture and fish and wildlife. Sacchieri has proposed bills related to elections, revenue and taxation, the environment, water rights, childcare, income tax and the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System.