State Senator Don Barrington, the author of Oklahoma’s sales tax holiday, announced Monday he will introduce legislation expanding Oklahoma’s annual back-to-school sales tax holiday to include school supplies.

Currently, clothing and footwear valued up to $100 are tax-free during the first weekend in August. Barrington’s bill would expand the list of tax-free items to include school supplies such as pencils, paper, crayons, notebooks and calculators.

Sen. Kenneth Corn and Rep. Bud Smithson announced that they had filed legislation to help ensure Oklahoma workers would keep more of their hard earned dollars. Senate Bill 1132 would exempt most overtime pay from state income taxes. The lawmakers unveiled the measure at a State Capitol press conference on Monday.

Republican leaders in the Oklahoma Senate said they are willing to consider a proposal to exempt overtime pay from income taxes. Sen. Kenneth Corn, D-Poteau, announced Monday he is introducing the legislation.

“The idea of exempting overtime pay from income taxes is being promoted nationally by prominent Republicans like former Speaker Newt Gingrich, and it is an idea Senate Republicans are willing to consider here in Oklahoma,” stated Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

A task force created during the 2007 legislative session to address Oklahoma's growing hunger crisis will hold its first meeting Tuesday, September 25. Sen. Andrew Rice and Rep. Kris Steele were the authors of SB 499 creating the task force.

Rice said he is anxious to hear expert testimony on this issue that affects thousands of Oklahomans on a daily basis.
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Calling it a “moral imperative” for Oklahoma’s working families, a southern Oklahoma senator again will introduce legislation to remove the state sales tax on groceries.

This will be the third year Senator Jay Paul Gumm will try to end collection of the state’s portion of the sales tax on groceries. The state sales tax on groceries is 4.5 cents on every dollar spent at the check-out stand.

As Oklahoma’s baby boomers enter their retirement years, more of the state’s citizens will face issues such as the need for senior services and programs. They’ll also face a greater risk of financial exploitation and other crimes that target the elderly. Those issues and others are on the minds of the state’s Silver Haired Legislature which convened on Tuesday at the State Capitol.
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OKLAHOMA CITY – One newspaper called it “a great idea for Oklahoma families, and one of the most taxpayer-friendly moves the State Legislature has made in decades,” a statement proven by Oklahomans.

The state’s first “Back-to-School” sales tax holiday exceeded expectations across Oklahoma, with retailers showing record business and families getting a real tax break they could see at the cash register.

Following a Minnesota bridge collapse that has forced states to reevaluate the safety of their roads and bridges, Sen. Kenneth Corn is calling upon lawmakers to change the state’s transportation funding formula and make a meaningful investment to improve transportation infrastructure.

Statement by Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan
“For years the Democratic Senate has put education first, because we understand every dollar invested in education is a critical investment in the future of all Oklahomans.
“We have led the way in bringing Oklahoma teacher pay to the regional average, and have fought for fairness in any teacher pay plan that has been signed into law. read more.

The author of Oklahoma’s legislation to bring transparency to state government spending was tapped to address a national conference on “transparency in state government” last week.

State Sen. Randy Brogdon, author of Oklahoma’s Taxpayer Transparency Act, joined officials from Pennsylvania, Kansas, Texas, and Washington to discuss efforts to make government more open and accessible. The August 9th event in Boston, Mass., was sponsored by the National Legislative Program Evaluation Society.