Fiscal issues gain focus in Oklahoma Republican agenda
THE PARTY IN POWER OUTLINES PRIORITIES FOR LEGISLATIVE SESSION

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BY JULIE BISBEE

Published: January 8, 2009

Republicans want to use their majority status in the state Senate to promote fiscal responsibility, lower taxes and enact civil lawsuit reform in the upcoming legislative session.

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Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, and other Republican leaders gathered Wednesday to outline their agenda.

"A lot of the agenda is what you’ve seen us propose in the past,” Coffee said. "But very often, it was never heard again in the session. This time, it’s different and new.”

Republicans have a 26-22 majority. It is the first time in state history Republicans outnumber Democrats in the Senate.

Republicans have proposed the creation of an Office of Accountability and Innovation to look for ways to make government more efficient.

"It’s not a witch-hunt,” Coffee said. "In the next decade, we’re going to have a large percentage of state employees who are going to retire. If there is a way to make agencies more efficient and not have to replace those positions, we can save taxpayers a lot of money.”

The GOP fiscal agenda also includes reducing the personal income tax rate, slowing the increase of personal property tax assessments, and expanding the back-to-school sales tax holiday and adding school supplies to the list of tax-exempt items.

Senate Democrat leader Charlie Laster of Shawnee said these are "issues that are meant to divide us rather than unite us. And issues that will do nothing to help Oklahoma become a better place.”