Task force proposal would hike taxes for 55 percent of Oklahomans; especially harms seniors and families

Gene — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:10:01 -0600

For Immediate Release: January 11, 2011

Report: Oklahoma ranked 6th in the nation for safeguards on tax breaks

Gene — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:24:59 -0600

Contact:
Michelle Lee 202-232-1616 x 210 or mlee@goodjobsfirst.org
Gene Perry 918-794-3944 or gperry@okpolicy.org

December 14, 2011--States are spending billions of dollars per year on corporate tax credits, cash grants and other economic development subsidies that often require little if any job creation and lack wage and benefit standards covering workers at subsidized companies.

New report shows tax avoidance by 265 major, profitable U.S. corporations costs states $42 billion over three years

Gene — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:22:05 -0600

For Immediate Release: December 7, 2011

Contact:
Anne Singer, 202-299-1066, ext. 27, anne@ctj.org
David Blatt, (918) 794-3944, dblatt@okpolicy.org

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 $117 billion in pretax profits in those no-tax years.

OK Policy Forecasts Show Continued Tough Budget Times Ahead (Nov 2011)

david — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:02:23 -0600

Contact: David Blatt, Director

Office: (918) 794-3944; Cell: (918) 859-8747

OK Policy Forecasts Show Continued Tough Budget Times Ahead;

"Incomplete Recovery" Calls for Fresh Perspectives and New Strategies

New Report Finds State Costs Under Health Care Reform Are Likely to be Modest (Oct. 2011)

david — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:32:35 -0500

Contact: David Blatt, Director

Office: (918) 794-3944; Cell: (918) 859-8747

New Report Finds State Costs Under Health Care Reform Are Likely to be Modest

STATEMENT: Governor's plan to fix bridges demonstrates need to preserve income tax

Gene — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:42:16 -0500

Oklahoma Policy Institute released the following statement in response to Governor Fallin's announcement of her plan for repairing Oklahoma bridges:

We welcome Governor Fallin's focus on fixing Oklahoma's crumbling bridges. However, we must note that her proposal would be paid for entirely by diverting more income tax revenues from an already cash-strapped state budget. At the same time, Governor Fallin and other state leaders are promoting further cuts or outright abolition of the income tax. This should remind us that the income tax remains vital for funding Oklahoma's needs and that we cannot meet our obligations to pay our bills while undermining our revenue base.

Income tax proposal would do lasting damage to state's prosperity

Gene — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:16:41 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- September 28, 2011

Contact: David Blatt, dblatt@okpolicy.org, (918) 859-8747

Oklahoma Policy Institute finds that task force's income tax proposal would do lasting damage to state's prosperity

A new report on economic development prepared for Governor Fallin includes some worthwhile ideas, but its suggestions on tax policy would do serious harm to the state's economy, according to the Oklahoma Policy Institute, a state policy think-tank. The report calls for doing away with the state income tax in favor of heavier sales and property taxes and funding cuts.

Flip It to Fix It: An Immediate, Fair Solution to State Budget Shortfalls

Gene — Wed, 25 May 2011 11:55:40 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 25, 2011
Contact:

David Blatt, dblatt@okpolicy.org, (918) 794-3944
Shannon Moriarty, smoriarty@faireconomy.org, (617) 824-0069

United for a Fair Economy Releases Flip It to Fix It: An Immediate, Fair Solution to State Budget Shortfalls, Documents Current Regressive State Tax Structures

A new study has found that inverting state tax structures—whereby the highest income earners would be taxed at the current percentage of income for the lowest income earners, and vice versa—would raise more than $4 billion in new revenue for Oklahoma (a 35 percent increase), immediately eliminating state budget shortfalls and avoiding the serious consequences of budget cuts.

New Fact Sheet Shows State Appropriated Spending Is at a Thirty-Year Low

kate — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 12:43:54 -0600

Contact: David Blatt, Director

Cell: (918) 859-8747; Office: (918) 794-3944

Oklahoma’s Economy Grows, Spending on Public Services Lags

(Tulsa, March 1, 2011): A new fact sheet released today by Oklahoma Policy Institute reveals that the state appropriated budget in relation to the size of the state's economy has been in long-term decline and this decline has accelerated sharply in recent years. 2011 marks the lowest percentage of state appropriated spending as a share of personal earnings in thirty years. {C}

Fixing the Sales Tax: Options for Reform (February 2011)

david — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:31:16 -0600

Contact: David Blatt, Director

Office: (918) 794-3944

dblatt@okpolicy.org

New Issue Brief Calls for Fixing Oklahoma's Sales Tax;

Exemptions and Loopholes Are Distorting Economy, Starving Public Services

(Tulsa, February 22): Reform of Oklahoma's sales tax is needed to support state and local services and to ensure fairness for Oklahoma businesses, according to a new issue brief from Oklahoma Policy Institute.