A proposal to increase taxes on low-point beer in Oklahoma has failed to pass a state Senate committee after members expressed concern it appeared to target a specific product.
The Senate Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget on Tuesday voted 27-16 against the bill. The proposal would quadruple the excise tax rate on low-point beer to $45 per barrel and apportion part of the proceeds to the state's general revenue fund.
The Oklahoma Tax Commission estimates the proposal would increase state revenues by $5 million, while raising about $4 million more for county or municipal governments.
Republican Sen. Clark Jolley says if Oklahoma voters were to repeal the legal distinction between high- and low-point beer in 2018, these revenue increases would also expire.