For Immediate
Release: August 24, 2005
Senator Randy Brogdon
Senate Republican Calls for Tobacco Tax
Arbitration
Republican Senator Randy
Brogdon of Owasso said today that the state and Native American
tribes should enter into arbitration to the fix tobacco tax problems.
“I would encourage the governor and the tribes
to start the process for arbitration to fix the current tobacco
tax structure. This needs to happen quickly to help stop the bleeding
of the non-tribal retail stores and to help the state to start
collecting the proper amount in tax dollars for the health care
programs.
“Gov. Henry and Treasurer Meacham over-promised and under-delivered
on their tobacco tax proposal for the state. The governor was
out-negotiated by the tribes on state-tribal compacts, and then
Mr. Meacham jeopardized the state’s relations with the tribes
by accusing them of ‘cheating’ and ‘skimming’
instead of working with them to resolve tobacco tax disparity
issues. The tribes negotiated the best deals they could with the
state, and you can’t blame them if they took full advantage
of the poor negotiating skills of the governor and Mr. Meacham,”
stated Brogdon.
Brogdon also said the longer it takes to fix the tobacco tax the
further behind the state will get in revenue collections and the
longer the non-tribal retail business continue to hemorrhage customers.
“There is strong support within the Senate Republican Caucus
to fix the tobacco tax sooner rather than later so these problems
don’t continue to worsen,” Brogdon said.
For
more information contact:
Republican
Assistant's Office - (405) 521-5654
