Oklahoma Watch: Little-known group reviews Oklahoma tax breaks

Yet it's hard to find anyone at the Capitol who's even aware of the Incentive Review Committee or the recommendations it has made every year since 2005.

“Who are they?” said State Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones, when asked if he was familiar with the panel and its work. “This is the first time I've ever heard of it.”

Rep. David Dank, who is chairman of a legislative task force that began looking at tax credits in August, said he knew about the IRC but had deliberately refrained from reading its recommendations.

“I really wanted to form my own judgments and my own opinions on these credits without any outside influences,” said Dank, R-Oklahoma City.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Mazzei, R-Tulsa, said he had read the IRC's reports, although he was not certain anyone else did. He said the IRC's recommendations dovetailed with legislative action to tighten up two widely criticized venture capital incentives that allowed some early investors to receive tax credits worth more than their investments.

But Mazzei agreed that for the most part, the IRC's reports have been overlooked. “Am I aware of anybody else that's read them besides me? Wow. I can't ...,” he said.

Two IRC members who have been on the nine-member panel since its first meeting in December 2004, said they could not recall the Legislature taking specific action in response to any of the 29 recommendations they have made over the years.