The buck stops anywhere but here

Last week I participated in a StateImpact Oklahoma forum on the state budget with Rep. Earl Sears, the Chair of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee (R-Bartlesville),  and Sen. Tom Adelson (D-Tulsa).  An audience member asked the legislators what they… Read more [More...]

Read This: A glossary of tax terminology

If all the recent talk about tax credits and exemptions and tax reform have left you scratching your head, you’re not alone.  Keeping up with the tax debate – and its accompanying jargon and terminology – can challenge even the… Read more [More...]

Eliminating tax breaks: The dog that didn't bark

In her first State of the State speech, Gov. Fallin said, ”Our course of action will be simple: only tax credits that create jobs will stay. For instance, my budget begins the process of restoring the Aerospace Engineer Tax Credit,… Read more [More...]

More states push to end the Amazon tax loophole. Will Oklahoma join them?

The state budget crisis has put nearly all public services under intense scrutiny. With most state agencies taking cuts of 15 percent or higher, and more cuts expected, public officials have been forced to streamline operations, eliminating both waste and… Read more [More...]

Should Oklahoma expand its property tax caps and exemptions?

Once again this session, property tax cuts are on the table in Oklahoma. Although curtailing Oklahoma’s already low property taxes with additional freezes and caps may sound appealing, a better approach would target help to people who need it without… Read more [More...]

Citizens for Tax Justice questions Oklahoman's defence of state income tax break

Last week, the Oklahoman published a “Tax Day” editorial addressing OK Policy’s recent contributions to the debate on the state budget crisis. They began by emphasizing our common ground: Along with the Oklahoma Policy Institute’s David Blatt, we’ve been urging… Read more [More...]

A balanced approach to the state budget: How are we doing?

Our friends at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) have put out a new paper addressing the acute fiscal crisis facing states across the nation. As shortfalls reach a level where they are seriously compromising the ability of… Read more [More...]

Better Served: States are encouraged to broaden sales tax base

Should states be looking at broadening their sales tax bases to cover more currently untaxed services? That is the argument made in a recent paper by Michael Mazerov of  the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Most states could improve… Read more [More...]