Bingman: Need To Be ‘Responsible’ on Budget, Tax Cut
Route to cutting income tax unclear for state leaders
By RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer
State Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman said Friday that the Capitol feels more like the end of the legislative session than the beginning, but he acknowledged that several important issues remain unresolved.
Speaking to the Tulsa Republican Club, Bingman, R-Sapulpa, said legislative leaders and the Fallin administration are still struggling with how to proceed with a promised income tax cut, and with addressing concerns about some education reform measures while maintaining performance standards.
“I’m sure everyone in the room would like it if we didn’t have an income tax, but we have to have a balanced budget, so any change we make in the tax rate we have to make sure at the end of the day it balances,” he said.
The Fallin administration has proposed lowering the top rate from 5.25 percent to 5 percent, a reduction that would cost the state about $130 million a year when fully implemented.