Grocery sales tax

Now that Governor Kevin Stitt has delivered his State of the State address and executive budget, the work picks up in the Oklahoma legislature.

With the drought continuing, the Oklahoma Conservation Commission adopted a plan proposed by the Emergency Drought Commission to deliver $33,000 in emergency funds to each Oklahoma county. The legislature also allocated an additional $20 million for the second phase of the plan, which is also on its way to farmers and ranchers.

Gov. Kevin Stitt stood on the steps of the capitol building in Oklahoma City Tuesday morning and called on the legislature to deliver inflation relief via a grocery sales tax cut during a special session.

Legislators returned to the State Capitol on June 13th for the start of the third special session, called to consider repeal of the grocery sales tax and reduction of the state individual income tax rate. The extraordinary session ended when the House of Representatives adjourned Sine Die with leaders of the two houses disagreeing over the results.

Oklahoma legislators called a special session to approve legislation authorizing expenditures of federal funding for projects under the American Rescue Plan Act. In late May, Governor Kevin Stitt called another special session to consider tax cuts. In the week ahead, the Oklahoma capitol will see a rarity - two special sessions going at the same time.