We had our final group of pages this week. This year, we’ve received many great pages from House District 21.
Last week, I had my last page of the year, Katelyn Ortiz, who showed great enthusiasm for learning about the legislative process. Katelyn plans to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University in the fall, where she will pursue a double major in chemistry and biology. She hopes to become a surgeon one day.
This week, the House recognized National Police Week and Peace Officers Memorial Day in Oklahoma. I want to thank all the law enforcement officers in House District 21 for keeping our communities safe and secure. Our police do so much for our citizens, from keeping them safe from criminals to helping direct them to needed assistance and providing community services to youth, the elderly, and many others.
The budget summits between House and Senate leadership continued this week. The governor recused himself from the latest rounds to allow the focus to be on the work of budget leaders going line by line through the appropriations for each state agency.
Until this point, much of the focus has been on whether or not the Senate would vote to cut income taxes for Oklahomans. The Senate president pro tem made it abundantly clear he will not allow his chamber to vote on further tax cuts this year after passing a cut earlier in the session that eliminated the state’s portion of the grocery tax.
Two years ago, the Legislature cut both personal and corporate income tax. Records show that since 2012, the state has cut more than $872 million in taxes. Data from the financial website WalletHub shows Oklahoma, at 7%, has the lowest overall tax rate among states in the region. Texas’ rate is 7.6%; New Mexico 8%; Colorado 8.4%; Kansas 9.3%; Missouri 7.8%; Arkansas 8.8%; and Louisiana 8.3%.
With two weeks remaining before the Legislature is constitutionally required to adjourn, let’s hope a budget agreement can be reached soon.
Again, thank you for electing me to serve District 21. It is truly an honor and privilege to represent you at the State Capitol. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any concerns at 405-557-7366 or cody.maynard@okhouse.gov.
Rep. Cody Maynard, a Republican, serves District 21 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, which covers Bryan and Marshall counties.
