OK Senate Committee Approves Repeal of Grocery Sales Tax
February 9th, 2010
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- An Oklahoma Senate committee has approved a bill to eliminate the sales tax on groceries once state revenues return to where they were before the economic downturn.
The Senate Finance Committee voted 10-4 on Tuesday for the bill by Durant Democrat Jay Paul Gumm.
With the state facing an estimated $1.3 billion shortfall, Gumm acknowledged now is not the time to eliminate the tax, which would cost the state an estimated $406 million each year.
But he says once the state's economy has recovered to pre-downturn levels, the proposal would provide a big financial boost to low- and middle-income families.
The measure also would require the state to reimburse cities and counties for the local sales taxes.
The New York Times/AP