Fallin appoints Clark Jolley to Tax Commission

Governor Mary Fallin Announces Oklahoma Tax Commission Appointment

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today announced the appointment of former state Sen. Clark Jolley to the Oklahoma Tax Commission. He succeeds Dawn Cash, who resigned earlier this month.

Jolley’s appointment to the Tax Commission requires confirmation from the state Senate. His term would expire Jan. 10, 2023.

Jolley, of Edmond, serves as an adjunct professor at Oklahoma Christian University and Mid-America Christian University. He served in the state Senate from 2004 until 2016, the last five years as chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee. He could not seek re-election because of 12-year legislative term limits.

“Clark Jolley understands well the intricacies of our state budget and brings a vast knowledge of how taxes fund our state government,” said Fallin. “He realizes that our economy has shifted from manufacturing-based to services-based. He understands that the way we impose taxes and collect revenue no longer reflects our current economy, but instead an outdated system that has not changed much since the inception of Oklahoma’s sales tax in 1933. Clark will work to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely, both in government agencies and as it relates to the state’s many tax credits and economic incentives.”

Jolley earned two degrees from Oklahoma Baptist University, a law degree from the University of Oklahoma, and a certificate in public treasury management from the National Institute of Public Finance at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.

"It is an honor to serve the people of Oklahoma and I appreciate the governor’s confidence in my abilities to perform the duties as a member of the Oklahoma Tax Commission,” Jolley said.

He and his family make their home in Edmond, where his children attend Edmond Public Schools.

According to Fallin's Communications Director Michael McNutt: "if confirmed, Sen. Jolley would be paid $131,835 a year. All three commissioners are paid. Their salaries are tied to judicial pay, which is recommended by an independent commission and approved by the Legislature. The last pay change was approved in 2014."

McNutt further stated that "A 1985 state attorney general's opinion addressed the question of a former state senator being appointed to the Oklahoma Tax Commission."

In years past, the hiring of ex-legislators has been the cause of some controversy, due wording in Article V, Section 23 of the state constitution.