State Senate finance chair: GOP senators working to eliminate loopholes, lower taxes

In the last decade, our top income tax rate has dropped from 7 percent to 5.25 percent. I supported each of those tax cuts. But years of budget cuts have brought us to a point where it's no longer possible to adequately fund education and fix our roads and bridges while cutting taxes, unless we have revenue offsets from the elimination of ineffective tax subsidies.

Cutting taxes without a single item of tax reform takes little imagination, leadership or political courage. By doing things the Ronald Reagan way, we can both lower tax rates and increase funding for education.

Mazzei, R-Tulsa, represents District 25 in the Oklahoma Senate. He is chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.