Oklahoma
States with “High Rate” Income Taxes are Still Outperforming No-Tax States
February 28, 2013 • By Carl Davis
Lawmakers in about a dozen states are giving serious consideration to either cutting or eliminating their state personal income taxes. In each case, these proposals are being touted as a way to boost economic growth.
Politifact: Dick Saslaw says all states, except Virginia, “keep raising their gas tax”
February 28, 2013
(Original Post) Sen. Minority Leader Richard Saslaw has spearheaded the opposition this winter to Gov. Bob McDonnell’s plan to raise transportation revenues by abolishing the state gas tax and replacing it with a sales tax increase. Saslaw, D-Fairfax, says the only way to raise ample money for roads is to increase both the sales and […]
Campus Progress: What ALEC’s Arthur Laffer Wants to Do To Your Tax Code
February 27, 2013
(Original Post) Posted Tuesday, February 26, 2013 by Chris Lewis Arthur Laffer might just be the Doctor Nick of taxes—all that’s missing is a degree from Upstairs Economics College. Earlier this month, we reported on the “Brownback Experiment,” a wild plan by Gov. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) to cut the state’s income tax. Brownback said he […]
Oklahoma Policy Institute: What’s unaffordable?
February 26, 2013
The Governor’s assertion that extending Medicaid is unaffordable to Oklahoma is unconvincing in at least two respects. First, the study on which she bases her cost estimates makes clear that extending Medicaid would have a very modest fiscal cost to the state and would bring in over twelve new federal dollars for every additional dollar […]
Oklahoma Policy Institute: Governor Fallin’s tax cut would do little to nothing for the average Oklahoman
February 19, 2013
In her State of the State address, Governor Fallin unveiled yet another proposal to cut Oklahoma’s income tax. Her plan is drastically scaled back from last year’s proposal, which attempted to stretch out Oklahoma’s tax brackets, cut the top rate in half, and eliminate dozen of tax credits, exemptions, and deductions. This year, the Governor […]
Tulsa World: Fallin Hopes to KISS tax issue goodbye
February 4, 2013
BY WAYNE GREENE World Senior Writer Sunday, February 03, 2013 2/3/2013 6:10:41 AM In the debate over state personal income tax rates this year, look for Gov. Mary Fallin to adopt the KISS method – Keep It Simple, Senator. Last year, her proposal seemed like it had more moving parts than a whirligig factory. She […]
Public Radio Tulsa: Two Reports Detail Low Savings Rate, Higher Tax Burden for Poor Oklahomans
February 4, 2013
(Original Post) By Catherine Roberts Two new reports are out this week about Oklahomans and their money: one (read it here) is about how many people save their money and to what extent, and the other (read it here) is about who pays the biggest percentage of their money in taxes. Forty-four percent is […]
New York Times: Kansas’ Governor and G.O.P. Seek to End Income Tax
January 25, 2013
(Original Post) By JOHN ELIGONPublished: January 23, 2013 TOPEKA, Kan. — President Obama stood on the steps of the Capitol in Washington on Monday afternoon and laid out an expansive liberal agenda for the nation. Inside the Kansas State Capitol here this week, Gov. Sam Brownback and Republican legislators have been drafting what could be […]
Politico: Ambitious governors dominate tax debate
January 23, 2013
(Original Post) By: Rachael BadeJanuary 22, 2013 04:41 PM EST Looking for the next big tax debate? Talk to a governor — preferably one with presidential ambitions. From Louisiana to New York, and Wisconsin to Massachusetts, some of the nation’s most prominent governors in both parties — more than a few of whom have grander […]
The Omaha World Herald: Other states also target income tax to spur growth
January 18, 2013
By Paul Hammel WORLD-HERALD BUREAU LINCOLN — Nebraska isn’t the only state looking to eliminate state income taxes. Republican leaders in both Louisiana and North Carolina are pushing plans similar to Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman’s pitch — elimination of income taxes on individuals and on corporations to boost their local economies. Other states, including Oklahoma, […]
Blog of the Century: Republican Governors Promise Tax Cuts for “Job Creators” Financed by Higher Taxes on the Poor
January 16, 2013
(Original Post) Blog Post by: Benjamin Landy, on January 16, 2013 In the days and weeks after Mitt Romney’s electoral defeat, there was what seemed like an endless stream of hand-wringing and soul-searching among Republican elites. The political landscape had changed overnight, forcing rising stars within the party to acknowledge the need for greater diversity, […]
Oklahoma Policy Institute: Oklahoma’s Tax Cuts: Who Benefits?
January 15, 2013
Tax cuts enacted between 2004 and 2006 will reduce Oklahoma’s revenues by more than $800 million when fully phased-in. Among the many tax cuts, the two largest involved cutting the top personal income tax rate and raising the standard deduction. Read the Full Report (PDF)
Oklahoma Policy Institute: Giving Credit Where Credit is Due: Boosting the Grocery Tax Credit Would Provide Targeted Help for Struggling Families
January 15, 2013
The family budgets of low- and moderate-income Oklahomans are under increasing strain from the rapidly rising costs of such essentials as food, fuel and utilities. Food costs rose 5.9 percent over the past year, according to the government’s August inflation data. Price increases have been particularly steep for such dietary staples as dairy (6.4 percent […]
Dallas Morning News: Report: Poor Texans shoulder heavy tax burden
January 8, 2013
(PDF of Original Post) 07:44 AM CST on Thursday, November 19, 2009 By ROBERT T. GARRETT / The Dallas Morning [email protected] AUSTIN – Texas’ low-income residents bear heavier tax burdens than their counterparts in all but four other states, a new study shows. The bottom fifth of Texas earners pay just over 12 percent of […]
The Providence Journal: Some tax exemptions in other states border on ludicrous
January 7, 2013
(PDF of the Original Post) By RANDAL EDGAR Journal State House Bureau The tone was somewhat glum as the Poverty Institute held its annual state budget conference on Friday, in anticipation of Governor Chafee’s budget address this week, but there were some moments of levity. One came during a presentation by Meg Wieghe, of the […]
Tulsa World: Report: Poor spend more of income on taxes
January 7, 2013
(PDF of the Original Post) by: SHANNON MUCHMORE World Staff Writer Thursday, November 19, 2009 11/19/2009 5:01:04 AM The poorest 20 percent of Oklahomans pay the most in state and local taxes, a trend seen throughout most ofthe nation, a report issued this month states. “Who Pays?” — an analysis by the nonprofit Institute on […]
The Oklahoman: Editorial: No simple solutions to easing tax burden
January 7, 2013
(PDF of the Original Post) The Oklahoman Editorial Published: November 22, 2009 NO further tax cuts are in the offing for the foreseeable future, so Oklahoma’s tendency to tax lower-income citizens disproportionately is also unlikely to change any time soon. The state is rated as having an exceptionally regressive tax system by the Institute on […]
The Oklahoma Daily: Tax cuts do not improve economy
January 7, 2013
(PDF of the Original Post) Thursday, March 10, 2011 Another Oklahoma income tax cut is expected to come into effect Jan. 1, 2012, despite evidence that strongly suggests the tax cut’s adverse impact on public services and income equality far outweigh its contrived benefits. The initial justification for the cut was based on projections that […]
Tulsa World: Report: Tax cuts won’t benefit most state households
January 7, 2013
(PDF of the Original Post) by: RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer Monday, March 14, 2011 3/14/2011 5:35:07 AM Eighty percent of Oklahoma households would see little or no direct benefit from an impending quarter-percent income tax cut, according to a report issued last week by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Nearly three-quarters of the $120-million tax […]
OK Policy Blog: Tax cuts do not have to be regressive
January 7, 2013
(PDF of the Original Post) by David | March 17th, 2011 A recent OK Policy fact sheet that analyzed the distribution of benefits from cutting the state’s top personal income tax rate from 5.5 to 5.25 percent has generated considerable interest and discussion. The tax cut would have a $120 million revenue impact; the analysis […]
Oklahoma Gazette: Students cover tax cuts
January 7, 2013
(PDF of the Original Post) By Kurt Hochenauer Oklahoma college students should expect another increase in tuition costs this fall, in part, because the state Legislature will probably not stop what University of Oklahoma President David L. Boren has called an “irresponsible” tax cut. Boren reportedly made the remark in early May at a meeting […]
Toledo Blade: Revisit Ohio’s tax cuts
January 7, 2013
(PDF of the Original Post) By ZACH SCHILLER THE State of Ohio, you may have heard, has a budget problem. The state budget will be billions of dollars short in the two years that start next July 1. It’s easy to attribute this problem to the economy, and that’s certainly part of it. But a […]
Missouri Record: ‘Fair Tax’ Anything But Fair
January 4, 2013
(PDF of Original Post) November 18, 2010 08:00 AM An issue likely to be debated in the 2011 Missouri Legislative Session is the proposal to replace state income tax—both individual and corporate—with a greatly expanded sales tax. Proponents of the legislation refer to it as the “fair tax,” but Missourians should think twice because it […]
St. Louis Business Journal: Missouri would not fare well under “fair tax”
January 4, 2013
(PDF of Original Post) by Amy Blouin Date: Friday, December 3, 2010, 5:00am CST If there’s an issue “most likely to be debated” in the 2011 Missouri legislative session, it’s a proposal to replace state income taxes – both individual and corporate — with a greatly expanded sales tax. Proponents refer to it as the […]
KWGS News: Big Corporations Avoiding Taxes
December 19, 2012
(2011-12-07) OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (kwgs) – A comprehensive new study finds that many consistently profitable companies are paying little to no corporate income taxes on those profits. Out of 265 Fortune 500 companies examined, 68 managed to pay no state income tax in at least one out of the last three years, despite making almost […]
