Oklahoman: Tax Cut Agreement Was In Peril For Weeks
Tax bill’s failure nearly led to collapse of agreements
By Michael McNutt | Published: April 29, 2013
Agreements involving key issues sought by Gov. Mary Fallin and the two Republican legislative leaders nearly fell apart earlier this month with the defeat of a separate bill to reduce Oklahoma’s top personal income tax rate, The Oklahoman has learned.
But determination by the Republican governor to get a tax reduction and by the Senate president pro tem to change how workers injured on the job are treated, along with the House speaker’s concern that GOP House members would not support a bond issue to pay for state Capitol repairs kept talks going.
They culminated in last week’s agreement, a source close to the high-level discussions said.
The bond issue proposal was favored by Fallin and President Pro Tem Brian Bingman.
With those issues worked out and advancing, legislative leaders and the governor will focus primarily on a budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Legislative leaders said last week they could finish their work by May 24, or a week earlier than the scheduled end of this year’s session.