02/26/2008
The Legislature has passed its first deadline of the 2008 session.
Last Thursday was the deadline for Senate bills to be heard in Senate committees. Now all Senate work will be on the floor of the Senate for the next three weeks. House committees are still meeting and their deadline is March 6 for House bills to heard in House committees.
In addition, the session has been rather quiet. Once the legislators found out they were $178 million short of projected income, you could feel the air leave the building. Teacher raises, extended school year, and any tax cuts projected for passage this session are most assuredly in trouble.
One of the items balloted by NFIB in Oklahoma for this legislative session was the workers' compensation system, and changing it from a court to an administrative commission. The balloting found that many NFIB members were not aware of the board makeup and did not have an opinion, but of those that did, they were favorable to the proposed change. House Bill 2605 would accomplish that end, and it has made it out of the first test in the House. It now goes to the full house for discussion, and we will keep you apprised of the outcome, as it continues its journey through the legislative system.
Senate Bill 2024 by Sen. Mike Mazzei has been the topic of discussion among business lobbyists this week. It would eliminate all tax exemptions. That would include everything; sales tax exemptions to veterans, and the blind, exemptions that were used to lure businesses to Oklahoma, and the list goes on. It actually was voted out of committee this week and will be heard on the floor. Businesses that receive some exemptions are going crazy, and legislators that represent them are too. Let's see what happens, but I imagine when newspapers tax exemption for advertising is discussed the proponents will begin to back off. The newspapers and other media have all the ink, and most of the airwaves.
