Gov. Kevin Stitt and legislative leaders on Monday met in a historic public budget summit to try to hammer out differences in proposed appropriations for next fiscal year.
While the summit began with a prayer, the meeting, which lasted a little over two hours, was tense at times as emotions ran high.
For the first time, the negotiations were live streamed and made public.
Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, pressed on a proposed personal income tax cut, asked whether it was a budget negotiation or a “press conference.”
Stitt and House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, are supporting another drop in the personal income tax.
The Senate has held fast against further reducing the 4.75 % personal income tax.
Treat, R-Oklahoma City, relayed the numerous tax cuts over the years, including this year’s elimination of the state sales tax on groceries.
He also reminded McCall of the recent historic budget shortfalls the state has endured and struggles to raise taxes for a teacher pay raise a few years ago.
“We are not interested in the next election,” Treat told McCall.
Stitt said the state has record savings and needs a tax cut to compete with other states.
“We have to think about the taxpayers,” he said.
McCall said a tax cut would put more money in people’s pockets.
“The Senate has not taken a vote on a personal income tax cut,” McCall said. “Are you going to take one or has 20 or 25 members of your body or more asked you, told you, they don’t want to vote for a tax cut?”
Treat didn’t specifically answer McCall’s question.
“This is a budget meeting,” Treat said. “It’s not a press conference on tax cuts and who can be the most conservative.”
It takes a simple majority of the legislature to cut taxes, but raising them takes a super majority.
Leaders of both chambers repeatedly talked about how transparent they were in the budget process.
One thing leaders appeared to agree on was $45 million for emergency management to help with the costs associated with responding to and rebuilding following recent tornadoes.
“We don’t even know where we are at right now,” Stitt said, suggesting the bodies reconvene later.
The three sides are expected to reconvene at 2 p.m. Thursday.
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