State Legislative Leaders Push Back On Income Tax Cut Proposal
State legislative leaders expressed skepticism Thursday over Gov. Kevin Stitt’s proposed income tax cut.
Stitt wants to reduce the 4.75% rate by .5% and eventually eliminate it, but lawmakers worry about the financial impact.
Non-profit news outlet Oklahoma Voice reports Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton said the cut could cost up to $600 million, far more than Stitt’s estimate of $202 million.
House Speaker Kyle Hilbert said he would like to do a tax cut, but stressed the need for a responsible budget.
House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson opposed the cut, citing tax increases that were needed in the past to stabilize state coffers.
International Canoe Federation Leaders Visit OKC River Venue
Oklahoma City is in the running to host the canoe slalom events.
The city may now be one step closer to being approved as a host venue for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
On Thursday, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt welcomed members of the International Canoe Federation to the city’s Riversport Rapids facility.
The $45 million whitewater and kayaking facility is located on the banks of the Oklahoma River. It opened in 2016 as part of OKC’s MAPS 3.
Holt said the ICF has already placed their 2026 Canoe Slalom World Championships and 2026 Congress in OKC.
OKC is also in the running to be the 2028 Summer Olympics host venue for softball. Those decisions are up to the Los Angeles City Council.
ICF President Thomas Konietzko said he expects OKC will be approved.
The International Olympic Committee’s sustainability strategy includes using existing venues instead of building new ones for the Olympic Games.
Proposal To Increase State Agencies’ Transparency
A state House committee has approved a bill to make it easier to get open records.
Republican Rep. John Pfeiffer of Orlando said his bill creates a position in the state attorney general's office to review open records requests that have taken too long.
“Anybody who wants to, if they feel like they're getting stonewalled in an open records request, if this passes they will now have someone to call,” Pfeiffer said.
Currently.the only option to force a state agency to produce records is to go to court.
The bill now goes to an oversight committee for a vote.
This story was produced by Sam Moore at The Freelancer.
Tribal Leaders Commend Secretary of Interior For DEI Exemption
The new Secretary of the Interior is exempting tribal nations from cuts to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs.
Some tribal leaders are responding positively, noting the order acknowledges them as sovereign nations.
Doug Burgum is the new Secretary of the Interior, which oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education. Burgum is the former governor of North Dakota, home to five tribal nations.
In a recent Secretary Order ending DEI programs and Gender Ideology Extremism, tribal nations were exempt because of the department’s trust and treaty obligations. It ultimately recognized the unique political status Native Americans hold.
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. applauded Burgum’s order and expressed optimism for the future, similar to the Caddo Nation chairman’s response.
Seminole Nation Principal Chief Lewis Johnson’s statement took it one step further, requesting this trust and treaty obligation be shared with the White House and other federal agencies.
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