State Senate GOP leaders leery of Stitt's call for tax cuts

Senate Leaders Respond to Gov. Stitt’s Continued Call for Tax Cuts

OKLAHOMA CITY (September 27, 2022) – Leadership in the state Senate Republican Caucus today released the following statements after Gov. Kevin Stitt continued his call for tax cuts.

“Philosophically, I am for lower taxes,” said Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat. “Last year, I championed tax cuts and the members in the Senate were able to send responsible tax cuts and inflation relief to the governor’s desk. I’m proud to be part of the leadership in the state of Oklahoma, who has contributed to our current record savings, made critical investments into essential services, while living within our means. As we enter a recession, we must remember just a few short years ago we were scrambling with a $1.3 billion shortfall. We must be mindful and do tax cuts the right way. That is why I have appointed a tax policy working group. The members of this group are making serious strides to a long-term, sustainable plan to responsibly cut and reform taxes in our state.”  

“Economists predict this recession is going to be durable and painful,” said Senate Appropriations Chairman Roger Thompson. “We have lived through years where we’ve had $1.3 billion shortfalls. We don’t want a repeat of those years. Looking at tax cuts holistically and taking a deliberate approach is the best way for us to do tax reform.”

“To correctly navigate and engineer a path to the best way to do tax cuts requires time”, said Senator Dave Rader. “One could argue that a reason for our complicated tax structure is due to the many one-off tax cuts that were not nor are not of long-term vision. The tax reform working group continues its work to find the best path forward to help Oklahomans now and in the future.”

“There is reckless spending on the federal level that is leading the country in the wrong direction,” said Senator Julie Daniels. “Doing tax cuts wrong will put the burden on the backs of Oklahomans for generations. Our tax working group is examining our tax code to determine the best way to cut taxes for the citizens of our state.”