By:
Gene Perry
March 12, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019

Arthur Laffer and OCPA have begun responding to a few of the many criticisms of their tax proposal. Their latest argument boils down to this: it’s “Economics 101” that tax cuts are always pro-growth, because when less income goes to…
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By:
Gene Perry
March 7, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019

The tax cut plans being pushed by Oklahoma lawmakers contain plenty of bad ideas, but one may eclipse them all: Governor Fallin’s tax cliff.
The tax cliff is the result of a badly designed tax bracket structure. Very few other…
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Could doing away with Oklahoma’s income tax shift taxes not only onto low and middle–income families but also from urban areas to rural areas? Many programs, services, and incentives important for rural Oklahoma rely on our existing revenue structure and…
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Fact Sheets
Don’t Pay for Tax Cuts on the Backs of Working Oklahoma Families [HTML Version]
Why It’s Critical to Save the Income Tax, and What You Can Do Today [HTML Version]
Why Saving the Income Tax is Critical for…
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A new study of state tax costs on business from the Tax Foundation ranks Oklahoma fifth best in the nation for new firms and 16th best for mature firms. Among states in the region, Oklahoma ranked second lowest in business…
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By:
Gene Perry
February 29, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Oklahoma Policy Institute Director David Blatt released a statement in response to Governor Fallin’s tax plan, which will be heard in a House committee for the first time this afternoon:
As details emerge about Governor Fallin’s plan, more problems are…
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By:
David Blatt
February 27, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019

The personal income tax is Oklahoma’s largest single revenue source. In 2011, the state collected $2.412 billion from the personal income tax, or slightly less than one in three dollars (31.7 percent) of total state tax collections. With a strong…
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By:
David Blatt
February 22, 2012 // Updated: May 2, 2019

After three straight years of budget cuts, funding for public education in Oklahoma is in dire straits. This year’s appropriation to the Department of Education is $254 million, or 10.0 percent, less than it was in 2009. In the past…
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By:
Gene Perry
February 21, 2012 // Updated: May 1, 2019

Even as the economy recovers, it’s become increasingly apparent that there is no end in sight to Oklahoma’s budget woes. Oklahoma has seen three straight years of budget cuts, and according to one House leader, we may be in for…
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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…
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