Fallin tax proposals face rocky road in Oklahoma Legislature

Fallin tax proposals face rocky road in Oklahoma Legislature
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Gov. Mary Fallin’s ambitious proposal to expand Oklahoma’s sales tax to dozens of services to help balance the budget and raise teacher pay appears to be on life support just two weeks into the legislative session.
Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb resigned his position on Fallin’s cabinet over the proposal last week. Other potential candidates for governor in 2018 and rank-and-file GOP House members have panned the plan as a non-starter.
Fallin’s plan would generate about $840 million by extending the state sales tax to 164 services that are currently untaxed. It also calls for eliminating the state sales tax on groceries and the corporate income tax.
House Speaker Charles McCall and Senate President Pro Tem Charles Schulz say it will be difficult to get the three-fourth’s vote needed to pass.