Fred Morgan, president and CEO of the State Chamber of Oklahoma, tells The McCarville Report his group’s opposition to Republican Senator Josh Brecheen is based in large part on Brecheen’s vote on oil and gas gross production tax rates.
In a statement, Morgan wrote, “The State Chamber endorses candidates based on numerous factors, not just one issue or one vote. The incumbent voted against a compromise bill that provided stability to the oil and gas industry on gross production tax rates. Had that bill failed, thousands of jobs in one of Oklahoma’s key industries were at risk of leaving for other states. He opposed the extension of an economic development program geared towards aerospace engineers and their employers which was already responsible for 500 direct jobs with a payroll of $70-million to the state. He opposed an affordable housing program which allows rural Oklahoma to meet the needs of a growing economy. And he voted for a bill which would have put a moratorium on building wind farms in half of the state, sending the message to an entire industry which has billions of dollars in capital investment in the state that the rules can change at a moment’s notice. The State Chamber supports candidates who will vote to support business and industry and grow the economy and not limit or hinder job creators. The stances taken by the incumbent on the above issues are not ones the State Chamber can endorse.”
Thanks Josh Brecheen! You said no to sweetheart deals – no wonder Senator Coburn endorsed you, which is who we trust, not the special interest big city chamber. Thanks for trying to even the tax rate for ALL business, creating a low tax environment which would have started business statewide and built a stronger economy, something the chamber doesn’t seem to support.
http://www.theredriverchronicle.com/josh-brecheen-oipa/
Looks like Josh Brecheen had a great reason to oppose the production tax bill. What’s wrong with lowering the overall tax for every corporation and letting the economy grow across all sectors? We’re pretty tired of sweetheart deals and special interests. Brecheen wanted to lower everyone’s tax rate – how many more businesses would that have allowed to grow and the economy to move faster? Special Interest/ pay to play/special deals… no thanks Chamber, We’ll keep our State Senator who is honest and represents his district well, not someone who you think you can ‘keep in line’.
I must have missed where brecheen tried to lower business taxes. Can you please cite a reference there?
He did, of course, join with the Democrats in trying to grow government by targeting the oil and gas industry for higher taxes.
One man’s economic development incentive, is another man’s corporate welfare. Every single vote at the legislature usually involves a matrix of issues that are rarely described accurately by the supporters and opposition, except from their point of view.
The Chamber cannot honestly say that this is the only reason that they opposed Senator Brecheen. They just need to admit it, they couldn’t control him like they wanted to and they want someone from Southeast Oklahoma that they can control.
That is what this whole issue is about. Oklahomans are tired of this style of politics. Thank you Senator Brecheen for standing on principle at all times.
When the State Chamber and oil companies whine, I feel good knowing Brecheen standing up to them.
oh yea– way to side with the liberal Democrats and “stand up” to the folks who provide all of the jobs, economic growth and revenue to the state. Go get um Josh– stick it to those evil oil companies who are responsible for hundreds of thousands of OK jobs!
Oklahoma has one of worst tax burdens amoung conservative states. We shouldnt be focused on targeted tax cuts. We should be focused on cutting taxes for all business regardless of industry. We shouldnt be in the business of picking winners and losers.You cant grow an economy by picking the biggest industry and awarding them a tax break. You build an economy by lowering the tax burden for all business. Josh gets this so I stand with him. The income tax in Oklahoma is even worst.
http://taxfoundation.org/article/2014-state-business-tax-climate-index
So it’s not ok to target an industry for tax cuts, but it I ok to target it for tax hikes? Because that’s exactly what Brecheen and the liberal Dems did!
Spin it how you like, but Brecheen has never tried to “cut taxes for all business”?all he’s done is side with the liberal democrats in attempting to raise taxes on the industry that’s the economic backbone of the state. Not exactly the kind of conservative leadership I’m looking for.