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Special session comes to an end on first day after Oklahoma Senate decides to sine die

Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat said there was no reason to continue since Gov. Kevin Stitt did not attend their budget meeting to explain his case for tax cuts

Special session comes to an end on first day after Oklahoma Senate decides to sine die

Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat said there was no reason to continue since Gov. Kevin Stitt did not attend their budget meeting to explain his case for tax cuts

IS OVER THE SAME DAY IT BEGAN. YEAH, THE SENATE SAYS BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR FAILED TO OFFER SOLID PROOF THAT OKLAHOMA CAN AFFORD TAX CUTS, THEY CHOSE TO SIGN E DI, WHICH MEANS ENDING THIS SPECIAL SESSION. THIS MEANS THEY WILL HEAR. THEY WILL NOT HEAR, NOT VOTE OR PASS ANY SORT OF TAX CUT BILLS. IT IS NO SECRET THAT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES I MYSELF AND THE MAJORITY PARTY, THE REPUBLICANS ARE FOR CUTTING TAXES. DON’T LET SOMEBODY IN LEADERSHIP KEEP JUST A VOTE FROM HAPPENING. THE GOVERNOR HAS CALLED US IN FOR TAX CUTS AND LET’S LET’S LET THEM VOTE ON IT. TWO OF OKLAHOMA’S THREE MOST PROMINENT ELECTED OFFICIALS REPEATED THEIR SUPPORT FOR TAX CUTS TUESDAY MORNING AS BOTH THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE CONVENED FOR A SPECIAL SESSION ON TAX CUTS. THAT WAS OVER BY THE END OF THE DAY WHEN THE SENATE VOTED TO SIGN DIE. HOUSE SPEAKER CHARLES MCCALL WAS ON BOARD WITH THE CUTS AND ALREADY HAD A FIGURE IN MIND. WE WILL BE IN THE HOUSE ADVANCE A QUARTER PERCENT TAX CUT. WE’VE DONE IT. THREE, FOUR OTHER TIMES. WE WILL DO IT AGAIN. THE HOLDOUT WAS THE SENATE LED BY PRESIDENT PRO TEM GREG TREAT. WE WANT TO CUT INCOME TAX, BUT WE WANT TO DO IT IN A WAY THAT’S RESPONSIBLE AND TAKES INTO ACCOUNT WHAT WE’VE DONE ON SCHOOL CHOICE RECENTLY AND THE HISTORIC INVESTMENTS WE’VE MADE. WHAT IT REALLY CAME DOWN TO IS A DISAGREEMENT OVER MATH. THE GOVERNOR SAID THE STATE CAN AFFORD TAX CUTS, POINTING TO THE STATE’S RECORD SAVINGS. WE CAN ABSOLUTELY DO IT WHEN WE HAVE THESE TYPE OF SURPLUSES. AFTER ALL, WE HAVE A $5.4 BILLION SAVINGS ACCOUNT. WE DON’T BELIEVE THE GOVERNOR’S NUMBER IS ACCURATE. HE COUNTS IN SOME MONIES THAT WE WOULD NOT COUNT IN THERE, BUT HE AT LEAST OWES IT TO US TO COME AND EXPLAIN HOW HE ARRIVED AT THOSE NUMBERS. THE SENATE DID HOLD A BUDGET MEETING TUESDAY INVITING THE GOVERNOR TO ATTEND, BUT STITT DECLINED, WHICH LED TO THE SENATE ENDING THE SPECIAL SESSION AND THE LATEST WORD FROM THE HOUSE IS THAT THEY DO PLAN TO CONVENE TOMORROW TO ADVANCE
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Special session comes to an end on first day after Oklahoma Senate decides to sine die

Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat said there was no reason to continue since Gov. Kevin Stitt did not attend their budget meeting to explain his case for tax cuts

The special session appeared to have come to an end Tuesday with no plans to cut taxes after just a few hours of Oklahoma lawmakers meeting.Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat said the Senate agreed to sine die their half of the special session because Gov. Kevin Stitt failed to offer solid proof that the state could afford tax cuts.No one has changed their position since the special session started Tuesday morning. The governor and the speaker of the House want cuts, but the Senate pro tem is against such a move."It's no secret that the House of Representatives, I myself, and the majority party, the Republicans, are for cutting taxes," House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, said.| MORE | Oklahoma House, Senate leadership not on same page regarding tax cuts ahead of special sessionTwo of Oklahoma’s three most prominent elected officials repeated their support for tax cuts as the House and the Senate convened for a special session. The session was over by the end of the day when the Senate voted to sine die, meaning they’re not going to hear any bills on tax cuts.McCall was on board with tax cuts and already had a figure in mind."We will, in the House, advance a quarter of a percent tax cut," McCall said. "We've done it three or four other times. We will do it again."The holdout was the Senate, led by Treat.“We want to cut income tax, but we want to do it in a way that’s responsible and takes into account what we’ve already done in school choice recently and the historic investments we’ve made,” Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said. What it really came down to was a disagreement over math. The governor says Oklahoma can afford tax cuts, pointing to the state’s record savings. "We can absolutely do it when we have these types of surpluses. After all, we have a $5.4 billion savings account," Stitt said.Treat contended that Oklahoma is not in a position to touch tax revenues.“We don’t believe the governor’s number is accurate,” Treat said. “He counts in some monies we would not count in there. But he at least owes it to us to explain how he arrived at those numbers.”The Senate held a budget meeting Tuesday and invited the governor to attend, but Stitt declined – which led to the Senate ending the special session.The latest word from the House is that they’ll be back Wednesday to advance tax cut legislation. But as it stands Tuesday, with the Senate out of the building, those bills will go nowhere.Top Headlines TIMELINE: Risk for severe storms on the risk as Oklahoma sees hail, tornado threat A ransom note, fingerprints and cell phone pings led to missing 9-year-old girl and suspect in her disappearance OHP: Woman dies after deer hits windshield on northeastern Oklahoma highway Sea lion escapes enclosure at Central Park Zoo due to New York flooding These popular fall-scented candles are on sale for 40% off

The special session appeared to have come to an end Tuesday with no plans to cut taxes after just a few hours of Oklahoma lawmakers meeting.

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Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat said the Senate agreed to sine die their half of the special session because Gov. Kevin Stitt failed to offer solid proof that the state could afford tax cuts.

No one has changed their position since the special session started Tuesday morning. The governor and the speaker of the House want cuts, but the Senate pro tem is against such a move.

"It's no secret that the House of Representatives, I myself, and the majority party, the Republicans, are for cutting taxes," House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, said.

| MORE | Oklahoma House, Senate leadership not on same page regarding tax cuts ahead of special session

Two of Oklahoma’s three most prominent elected officials repeated their support for tax cuts as the House and the Senate convened for a special session. The session was over by the end of the day when the Senate voted to sine die, meaning they’re not going to hear any bills on tax cuts.

McCall was on board with tax cuts and already had a figure in mind.

"We will, in the House, advance a quarter of a percent tax cut," McCall said. "We've done it three or four other times. We will do it again."

The holdout was the Senate, led by Treat.

“We want to cut income tax, but we want to do it in a way that’s responsible and takes into account what we’ve already done in school choice recently and the historic investments we’ve made,” Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said.

What it really came down to was a disagreement over math. The governor says Oklahoma can afford tax cuts, pointing to the state’s record savings.

"We can absolutely do it when we have these types of surpluses. After all, we have a $5.4 billion savings account," Stitt said.

Treat contended that Oklahoma is not in a position to touch tax revenues.

“We don’t believe the governor’s number is accurate,” Treat said. “He counts in some monies we would not count in there. But he at least owes it to us to explain how he arrived at those numbers.”

The Senate held a budget meeting Tuesday and invited the governor to attend, but Stitt declined – which led to the Senate ending the special session.

The latest word from the House is that they’ll be back Wednesday to advance tax cut legislation. But as it stands Tuesday, with the Senate out of the building, those bills will go nowhere.


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