(The Center Square) - What was supposed to be a special session in Oklahoma on tax cuts and government spending is not happening this week as the House of Representatives adjourned Wednesday, a day after the Senate did the same.
The House met briefly on Wednesday morning, then adjourned to the call of the chair. There are no plans to return as of right now, Daniel Seitz, communications director for the House Republican Caucus, said.
House Speaker Charles McCall participated in a news conference Tuesday morning with Gov. Kevin Stitt. The governor said he called for budget transparency, tax cuts, and tax equality, specifically, a .25% income tax cut. The state has $1.2 billion that could be used to offset the tax cuts, he said.
Senate Speaker Pro Tem asked Stitt to present his plan to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Stitt did not appear. Treat said later in the day he was not sure what Stitt's plan was.
Stitt's office said the governor has been clear.
"He wants a quarter point tax cut and to slow the growth of government," Stitt's office said in a statement emailed to The Center Square on Wednesday. "Senate leadership is denying Oklahomans their right to keep their hard earned money while continuing to increase the size of government every year."
The governor posted a snippet of his news conference on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday afternoon.
If I could write the bills, we’d have cut the grocery tax and income tax a long time ago.My friends in the House understand the plan: take up tax cuts for Oklahomans and slow the growth of government. pic.twitter.com/ZXZXVNhJYd— Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) October 4, 2023
"If I could write the bills, we'd have cut the grocery tax and income tax a long time ago," Stitt said in the post. "My friends in the House understand the plan: take up tax cuts for Oklahomans and slow the growth of government."
Lawmakers are divided on the adjournment. Sen. Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa, said Wednesday he was disappointed the Senate did not "deliver a tax cut to Oklahomans."
"One of the arguments against lowering income tax is that we will lose too much revenue or will have to raise other taxes to make up the difference," Rogers said. "Oklahoma's economy has seen continued growth and our historic state savings offer security in the event of a downturn."
House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, called the special session "unproductive" and "wasteful."
"The Governor should have never called us into a special session without first meeting with legislative leaders from each chamber and caucus to share a detailed plan of what he wanted to see accomplished and receive feedback," Munson said. "It is clear his intention was not to lead on this issue, but to keep the attention on himself for whatever he is aiming for next."
via Oklahoma's Center Square News