IT IS 910. SO GOVERNOR STITT HAS CALLED FOR A SPECIAL SESSION COMING UP TWO WEEKS, OCTOBER 3RD, AMID CALLS FOR CUTS TO THE STATE INCOME TAX. BUT NOT ALL LAWMAKERS ARE IN AGREEMENT HERE. SO BEFORE THE LAWMAKERS HEAD BACK TO THE CAPITOL, WE WANTED TO SIT DOWN WITH SENATE PRO TEM GREG TREAT TO GET HIS THOUGHTS. SENATOR TREAT WELCOME IN GREAT TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME BACK. THANKS FOR MAKING TIME FOR US HERE. SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS. THE GOVERNOR HAS SAID HE WANTS YOU, ALL THE LAWMAKERS TO DELIVER ON A TAX CUT TO ESSENTIALLY PUT OKLAHOMA ON THE PATH TO ZERO INCOME TAXES. YOU’VE COME OUT AND SAID THIS REALLY DOESN’T MAKE SENSE TO YOU. CAN YOU TELL OUR VIEWERS WHY THAT IS? WHY ARE YOU NOT IN AGREEMENT? YEAH, WE SHARE A DESIRE TO GET TO ZERO, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN. WE HAVEN’T TALKED AT ALL. HIS PLAN DOESN’T ARTICULATE ANY WAY TO GET THERE. THE REAL PROBLEM IS THE 0.3 OF A SPECIAL SESSION CALL, WHICH SAYS IF THE STROBEL CASE, WHICH IS A CASE PENDING BEFORE THE OKLAHOMA SUPREME COURT, GOES AGAINST THE WAY HE DESIRES IT AND FRANKLY, THE WAY I DESIRE IT TO HAVE AN OUTCOME THAT INCOME TAX GOES TO ZERO OVERNIGHT. THAT’S ABOUT $4 BILLION OF OUR STATE BUDGET. AND I BELIEVE THAT’S RECKLESS. SO I’VE INVITED HIM OCTOBER 3RD, TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY, TO WELL, TWO WEEKS FROM TOMORROW TO COME AND EXPLAIN. DO YOU HAVE A PLAN? WHERE DO YOU PLAN ON RAISING TAXES TO MAKE UP FOR THAT GAP? OR WHERE DO YOU PLAN ON CUTTING ESSENTIAL SERVICES LIKE PUBLIC EDUCATION? YOU KIND OF ELABORATED ON MY NEXT QUESTION IS YOU’VE COME OUT AND SAID THOSE ARE SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS, EDUCATION, THINGS LIKE THAT, WHERE WOULD THE MONEY THEN COME FROM? ELABORATE FOR OUR VIEWERS A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE. YEAH, SO I AGREE WITH THE GOVERNOR THAT WE NEED TO GET RID OF THE INCOME TAX, BUT WE NEED TO DO IT IN A METHODICAL AND THOUGHTFUL WAY. THE 0.3 OF HIS SPECIAL SESSION CALL, WHICH SAYS THAT IF THE CASE GOES AGAINST THE WAY HE AND I BOTH DESIRE IT TO COME OUT, THAT IT WILL GO TO ZERO OVERNIGHT AND ZERO OVERNIGHT MEANS THAT WE HAVE A $4 BILLION HOLE IN OUR STATE BUDGET. AND WE JUST PASSED SCHOOL CHOICE. WE JUST MADE HISTORIC INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION. SO I’M ASKING HIM FOR DETAILS LIKE WHICH OF THESE PROGRAMS DOES HE WISH TO CUT? OR IF HE DOESN’T WISH TO CUT THOSE, WHICH TAXES WOULD HE WANT TO RAISE IN LIEU OF THE INCOME TAX? NOW, THE STROBEL CASE IS THAT ALONG THE SAME LINES OF THE GOVERNOR’S CALLS FOR TAX FAIRNESS WHEN IT COMES TO TO EVERYONE BEING, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE NOT HAVING SOME PEOPLE EXEMPT VERSUS OTHERS? YEAH, IT’S ALICIA STROBEL. SHE’S FROM OKMULGEE, OKLAHOMA, AND SHE’S A NATIVE AMERICAN. SHE HAS A CASE SAYING SHE DOESN’T THINK SHE OWES INCOME TAX. THE GOVERNOR AND I BOTH DISAGREE WITH ALICIA STROBEL. WE HOPE THAT SHE DOES NOT PREVAIL IN THE OKLAHOMA SUPREME COURT. BUT IF SHE DOES, I’M NOT WILLING TO PLAY RUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH EDUCATION, WITH TRANSPORT NATION AND ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS TO SAY THAT IF IF IT GOES AGAINST THE STATE THAT I’M NOT WILLING TO SAY WE FORFEIT THE OTHER $4 IN TAX REVENUE. SO IT’S REALLY A MCGIRT RELATED CASE OF EXPANDING FROM A MAJOR CRIMES TO TAXATION. IT’S A DANGEROUS PATH. I AGREE WITH THE GOVERNOR. I HOPE FOR THE SAME OUTCOME. NOW, HAVE YOU HEARD FROM THE GOVERNOR YET THAT THOSE AREAS LIKE TRANSPORTATION AND EDUCATION, ARE PLACES THAT WOULD THEN FEEL THE BURDEN IF THIS WERE TO GO TO ZERO? I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM HIM YET. WE HAVEN’T SPOKEN PERSONALLY SINCE MAY. AND SO THIS SPECIAL SESSION CALL CAME AS A SURPRISE TO ME. I HEARD ABOUT IT SAME TIME THE REST OF OKLAHOMA HEARD ABOUT IT. NOW, WHEN YOU SAY YOU’RE IN AGREEMENT THAT YOU GUYS BOTH WANT TO GET TO ZERO, WHAT WOULD YOU PROPOSE IS A BETTER WAY TO DO THIS? I THINK YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LONG RAMP. YOU HAVE TO HAVE TEN, 20, EVEN LONGER. FOR YEARS, NO STATE HAS GONE FROM A TAXING ON INCOME TAX TO ZERO. TENNESSEE IS GOING TO TRY IT IN 2027, BUT WE’D BE THE FIRST STATE TO DO IT. I HOPE WE CHART A PATH TO DO THAT, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE REFORM IN THAT. DO YOU BROADEN THE BASE? DO YOU HAVE A LEGACY FUND THAT CREATES REVENUE OFF OF INVESTMENTS AND YOU CAN PAY DOWN INCOME TAX? WE CAN’T DO IT OVERNIGHT. HAVE YOU BEEN LOOKING AT OTHER STATES THEN AS YOU MENTIONED? YES, SENATOR, OTHER WAYS. WHAT DO THEY DO? WELL, LIKE FLORIDA, FOR INSTANCE, WE ALWAYS GET COMPARED TO FLORIDA AND TEXAS. OUR ECONOMIES ARE A LOT DIFFERENT. FLORIDA HAS A HUGE TOURISM BASE. TEXAS HAS A HUGE, DEEP WATER PORT. WE JUST WERE NOT THE EXACT SAME. BUT WE CAN LEARN FROM THOSE. THE STATES THAT DON’T HAVE INCOME TAX ARE GROWING FASTER. THEY ARE GETTING MORE BUSINESSES. SO IT’S A WORTHWHILE ENDEAVOR. IN FACT, I HAVE CHAIRMAN DAVE RADER FROM TULSA. HE’S BEEN LEADING A STUDY GROUP IN THE SENATE TO FIND A WAY TO GET TO ZERO. BUT IT’S NOT AN OVERNIGHT PROCESS. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT TAXES IN GENERAL, THOUGH, AND YOU HEAR ABOUT OKLAHOMANS WHO ARE JUST STRUGGLING IN GENERAL INFLATION, THINGS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE. METV HOW IS THERE ANOTHER WAY TO HELP OUT OKLAHOMANS WHO ARE STRUGGLING, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT CUTTING TAXES? OR WHAT DO YOU THINK? YOU KNOW, I DON’T KNOW THE GOVERNOR HAS NOT ARTICULATED TO ME ANY PLAN. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING IF HE HAS A PLAN. WE’RE VERY SYMPATHETIC TO IT. I JUST WENT TO THE GROCERY STORE YESTERDAY, SPENT. $385 WHERE I WOULD NORMALLY SPEND ABOUT 200 AND SOMETHING. SO I’M FEELING IT PERSONALLY AS WELL. AND AND WE’VE GOT TO GET OUR ECONOMY ON THE RIGHT TRACK. PART OF THAT’S NATIONAL PART OF IT’S THE FAILED POLICIES OF JOE BIDEN, IN MY OPINION. BUT WE’VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT OKLAHOMA IS ON A SAFE, SECURE PATH. AND OUR INVESTMENTS ON PUBLIC EDUCATION, TRANSPORTATION, HEALTH CARE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS. OKAY. SO OCTOBER 3RD COMES AROUND. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO BE ASKING THE GOVERNOR? WHAT ANSWERS DO YOU WANT FROM HIM? I WANT TO HAVE A PLAN. IT’S REALLY EASY TO PUT OUT A ONE PAGE MEMO SAYING WE WANT TO CUT TAXES, WE WANT MORE TRANSPARENCY AND WE WANT TO ELIMINATE THE INCOME TAX, SHOW US A PATHWAY. THE GOVERNOR IS A VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL SALES PERSON. HE’S GOT AN ACCOUNTING DEGREE. MAYBE HE CAN COME ARTICULATE A PLAN TO US ON OCTOBER 3RD. I HOPE HE DOES. ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT THERE’S A WAY FORWARD HERE? IS THERE A COMPROMISE? WHAT DO YOU THINK? YOU KNOW, I DON’T KNOW. I DIDN’T CALL THE SPECIAL SESSION. I’M COMPLETE CONTENT GOING INTO SESSION IN FEBRUARY, TRYING TO COME UP WITH A PLAN. WE HAVE LIVED WELL BELOW OUR MEANS IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE. ONE OF THE REASONS WE HAVE RECORD SURPLUSES, BECAUSE WE HAVE SPENT MUCH LESS THAN WE’VE BEEN AUTHORIZED TO SPEND TRYING TO PLAN FOR A RAINY DAY. AND WE’VE SEEN TWO MONTHS OF LESS RECEIPTS AT THE TREASURER’S OFFICE. WE’VE GOT TO BE PREPARED TO WEATHER A STORM AND CUTTING TAXES WITHOUT A PLAN IS NOT THE WAY TO GET THERE. ANY FINAL MESSAGES FOR OUR VIEWERS BEFORE I LET YOU GO? NO, I’M SERIOUS THAT I WANT THE GOVERNOR TO SHOW UP ON OCTOBER 3RD. I HOPE HE ANSWERS THE CALL ALL IN A TRANSPARENT WAY AND COMES COMES AND SHARES THE PLAN WITH ALL 4 MILLION OKLAHOMANS. OKAY, SENATOR GREG, TREAT, WE, OF COURSE, WILL BE THERE ON OCTOBER 3RD AND WE’LL BRING YOU GUYS ALL THE UPDATES THERE AND WE’RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE TALKING TO THE GOVERNOR, I BELIEVE, NEXT WEEK AS WELL TO