The progressive case for increasing the cigarette tax

Out of all the revenue options that Oklahoma has to fix a deep budget hole, the one getting the most attention from legislative leaders is increasing the cigarette tax. Last year’s attempt to increase the cigarette tax received a majority of votes in the… Read more [More...]

Lawmakers have time to fix this budget crisis, if they choose to (Capitol Updates)

Steve Lewis served as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1989-1991. He currently practices law in Tulsa and represents clients at the Capitol. The reaction to Lt. Governor Todd Lamb’s resignation from the governor’s cabinet over opposition to… Read more [More...]

Taxing services shouldn’t be all or nothing

A centerpiece of Gov. Mary Fallin’s FY 2018 Executive Budget is her proposal to expand the sales tax base on services. As she explained in her State of the State address: “As the economy in the United States has shifted… Read more [More...]

The politics of revenue raising matters for health care and teachers (Capitol Update)

Steve Lewis served as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1989-1991. He currently practices law in Tulsa and represents clients at the Capitol. There are couple of big issues starting their trek through the legislative process, and the… Read more [More...]

Budget Update: Key takeaways from the February Board of Equalization meeting

The State Board of Equalization met on February 21st to approve revised revenue estimates for FY 2017 and FY 2018. This estimate will be binding on the Legislature as it develops the FY 2018 budget over the coming months. Here are… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma bill would shed light on who pays taxes

In her 2017 State of the State address, Gov. Mary Fallin called for the elimination of the state sales tax on groceries, saying that “this plan eliminates the most regressive tax on the books today.” It’s widely accepted that taxing… Read more [More...]

Governor’s budget shows how bad Oklahoma’s fiscal health has gotten (Capitol Update)

Steve Lewis served as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1989-1991. He currently practices law in Tulsa and represents clients at the Capitol. Looking at Governor Fallin’s FY-18 budget proposal makes one realize how poor the fiscal condition… Read more [More...]

Across core services, Oklahoma underspends (Guest post: State Treasurer Ken Miller)

Ken Miller, Ph.D., is the State Treasurer of Oklahoma. A Republican, Miller was first elected to a four-year term in 2010 and was unopposed for re-election in 2014. Miller earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Oklahoma, an… Read more [More...]

OK PolicyCast Episode 24: All about the revenues

You can subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or RSS. The podcast theme music is by Zébre. The OK PolicyCast is back! Governor Fallin surprised many observer of Oklahoma politics by calling for dramatic revenue increases and major tax reforms in her State… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma’s wind subsidies are dwarfed by subsidies to the oil and gas industry

One certainty about the 2017 legislative session is that tax breaks for the wind industry are going to be a prime target for lawmakers looking for ways to address the state’s short-term budget gap and long-term structural budget deficit. Close… Read more [More...]