Topic: Budget & Tax

No leg left to stand on: Laffer and OCPA debunked again

By: David Blatt
February 20, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
The push to eliminate Oklahoma’s personal income tax relies heavily for intellectual support on a study done for the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs by economist Arthur Laffer and his colleagues. The Laffer report makes two claims: (1) that states… Read more [More...]

Over a Barrel: How we ended up on the hook to oil and gas producers to the tune of $294 million

By: David Blatt
February 19, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
NOTE: This week, Oklahomans learned the state was on the hook to pay oil and gas producers $294 million over the next three years in deferred tax rebates for horizontal and deep well drilling in 2010 and 2011, an amount… Read more [More...]

The myth about Oklahoma’s tax system that we keep repeating

By: Gene Perry
February 14, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Something we often hear about Oklahoma’s tax system is that the top rate kicks in so low that it affects almost everyone. Most recently, a Tulsa World article stated: The current comparable top rate is 5.25 percent, which kicks on… Read more [More...]

Laffer Debunked: States without an income tax do not enjoy stronger economic growth

By: David Blatt
February 13, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Update: We have put out a fact sheet summarizing major flaws in the Laffer report. Do states without an income tax enjoy stronger economic growth? This is one of the central claims made by economist Arthur Laffer in a recent… Read more [More...]

State of the State Analysis: Gov. Fallin is playing catch-up

By: Gene Perry
February 8, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
In her State of the State address, Governor Fallin laid out numerous areas where Oklahoma needs to invest to fix serious problems. She mentioned the shortage of troopers on the highways, the millions still owed to local governments to reimburse… Read more [More...]

STATEMENT: Governor Fallin's plan to end income tax would bust huge hole in the state budget

By: Gene Perry
February 6, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Oklahoma Policy Institute Director David Blatt released a statement today in response to Governor Fallin’s plan for an immediate tax cut and ultimate elimination of the state income tax: Governor Fallin’s plan would bust a huge and permanent hole in… Read more [More...]

The buck stops anywhere but here

By: David Blatt
January 30, 2012 // Updated: May 1, 2019
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...]

What the coming federal budget cuts could mean for Oklahoma

By: Gene Perry
January 24, 2012 // Updated: May 1, 2019
Election news may soak up a lot of the attention this year, but we shouldn’t lose sight of the major policy changes set to go into effect no matter who wins in November. High among those are the automatic budget… Read more [More...]

Why the Laffer proposal is like an ice cream diet

By: Gene Perry
January 18, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Some Oklahoma politicians have trumpeted a report by economist Arthur Laffer to claim that eliminating the state income tax will fuel an economic boom. Laffer is best known for the Laffer Curve, which he famously sketched on a napkin while… Read more [More...]

Who are the real losers in the tax shift plan? It's not "special interests"

By: Gene Perry
January 16, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
[UPDATE: A previous version of the graph left out the Child Tax Credit from the list of broad-based credits that make up the 68 percent.] In a recent interview with KWGS, tax reform task force co-chair Senator Mike Mazzei argued:… Read more [More...]