We only had a small amount of floor work last week as the bills we received from the Senate were still being assigned to their House committees, but I expect it to pick up this week!
I will present three Senate bills during the first session of the 59th Legislature: SB34, SB398 and SB483. I plan to keep you updated on their progress throughout session.
Now, I want to discuss tax relief and inflation. Inflation remains at a 40-year high, and House Republicans are committed to providing Oklahomans much-needed relief.
Americans across the nation are feeling the burden of the federal government’s out-of-control spending. States across the country are cutting taxes, including income taxes, and Oklahoma must take action to remain competitive economically.
Due to wise budgeting, Oklahoma is in a position to help provide relief to hardworking families. This is being done through a very systematic approach, just like Oklahoma Republicans have done for the past 15 years.
We must address inflation today without causing budget problems tomorrow. Oklahoma House Republicans have passed multiple bills to provide tax relief for our state’s hardworking citizens.
House Bill 1955 passed the House, which would end the state grocery sales tax. Did you know that Oklahoma is one of only 13 states with a sales tax on groceries?
At the current rate of 4.5%, people spending $200 a week on groceries pay $468 in taxes on those groceries every year.
HB1955 would only apply to state sales taxes. Many counties and municipalities have their own sales taxes, and groceries would still be susceptible to those local taxes.
Another bill that passed was House Bill 1645. It repeals the corporate “throwback rule” in the Oklahoma Tax Code.
The “throwback rule” punishes businesses that sell out of state, encouraging them to relocate their headquarters or distribution facilities to other states. Over time, tax avoidance strategies eliminate most or all revenue gains from throwback rules.
Eliminating this rule will strengthen Oklahoma’s economy and prevent avoidance and restructuring issues in the future.
The last bill I am going to mention is House Bill 2695. It eliminates the Oklahoma franchise tax and the requirement to file a franchise tax return.
We have passed several more tax bills, but those are just the few I wanted to mention. This isn’t the government’s money—it’s your money, and House Republicans are working to get more of it back to you.
Last, I am excited to announce that Speaker McCall appointed me to serve on the Administrative Rules Committee this session in addition to my regular duties. In this role, I will review the rules promulgated by several different agencies to ensure that they are abiding by the authority delegated to them by the Legislature.
I am thankful and honored that the constituents of House District 31 have entrusted me with the responsibility of serving in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any concerns at 405-557-7350 or collin.duel@okhouse.gov.
Rep. Collin Duel, a Republican, serves District 31 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, which covers Logan and Oklahoma counties.
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