Representative Jay Steagall is returning to the proverbial legislative well by introducing his idea to eliminate the state’s income tax gradually over ten years. He introduced nearly the same bill last year. House Bill 1009 will be his vehicle for the tax cuts for the upcoming legislative session.
The measure, if passed, would reduce personal income tax by .00475% per year and corporate income tax by .004% per year over a ten-year period.
“Recent polls show that Oklahomans overwhelmingly support the elimination of the state income tax, an effort for which I have filed legislation in the past two years and filing once again for the 60th Legislature,” Steagall said. “The state income tax is a clear violation of our own state constitution and I will continue to pursue righting this wrong in the upcoming session.”
Steagall believes Article 2, Section 2 of the Oklahoma Constitution is what makes income taxes unconstitutional. It says in part, “all persons have the inherent right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the enjoyment of the gains of their own industry.”
As far as replacing the lost revenue to help fund state government, Steagall says the ten-year period gives lawmakers time to act on tax reform.
