For Immediate Release:
August 24, 2005
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