OPI Statement On Cigarette Tax Standoff
For Immediate Release
Oklahoma Policy Institute Executive Director David Blatt released the following statement in response to the standoff in the Legislature over a tobacco tax increase:
Accepting available federal dollars for health care and rolling back an income tax cut that should not be happening in the midst of a massive budget shortfall are both reasonable and popular measures. A grand bargain is in reach if Oklahoma lawmakers are willing to show leadership: accept federal funds or suspend the tax cut as part of a deal to ensure supermajority support to increase the tobacco tax. This is the responsible path forward to prevent the closure of nursing homes and rural hospitals and other devastating cuts to critical services.
Maybe instead of taxing people, our Legislature should use some spending restraints. People will just go out of state to get cigarettes or stop smoking, so how will that put more money into the Oklahoma Medicaid system. Maybe some of the able body people need to work instead of suck the taxpayers dry.
This state is one of the worst for taxes and you want to add to it?????