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Senate Sends Governor Sales Tax, Ball and Dice, Lodging Tax Bills

Matt Trotter
/
KWGS

In a rare Friday session promised to be "an important day," the Oklahoma Senate passed three bills affecting revenue that are on the watchlist of education funding advocates.

The Senate debated House Bill 1019XX for nearly three hours after Sen. Josh Brecheen proposed two amendments to change the bill so it would cap or end refunds of wind tax credits.

Majority Leader Greg Treat said the House would reject either change.

"It’s not a choice between $20 million or $70 million. It’s a choice between $20 million or $0, and I can tell you that with the utmost confidence," Treat said.

Brecheen said he saw Friday's session as the only opportunity to tackle wind tax credit reforms. Treat and other Republican supporters of HB1019XX said wind credits will be a separate issue.

Lawmakers say it will be easy for the Oklahoma Tax Commission to work with Amazon to identify third-party vendors.

Another bill passed by the Senate Friday means casinos in Oklahoma may be offering proper roulette and craps soon. House Bill 3375 approves ball and dice games, a move expected to bring in $24 million, with $21 million going to education.

Sen. Wayne Shaw was among those opposed to increased gambling options when many in the state struggle with gambling addiction.

"As you go home today, drive faster. You may get caught, but that will just contribute to our state," Shaw said. "I mean, after all, you haven’t been killed by driving too fast yet."

Keeping to a reported deal to get last week’s more than $400 million revenue package passed, the Senate also passed House Bill 1012XX, repealing the $5 lodging tax it contains. Sen. Jack Fry said potentially losing out on events because of higher room taxes is a big deal.

"If we lose that ability to compete against Dallas, against Kansas City, against St. Louis and Wichita … [we lose] not the $5,000 I’ve lost on the room but the millions of dollars that those rooms create. My whole community suffers," Fry said.

Of the places Fry named, total lodging taxes in Oklahoma are currently higher than just Wichita’s. The $5 lodging tax could push Oklahoma's higher than Dallas and Kansas City, depending on the city the hotel is in and the cost of the room.

Sen. Roger Thompson said he's spoken to officials in Georgia, who reported no serious consequences after enacting a similar lodging tax.

It's not known when Gov. Mary Fallin will sign the three measures passed by the Senate on Friday. Fallin is in Washington, D.C., for an education and workforce development conference.

Matt Trotter joined KWGS as a reporter in 2013. Before coming to Public Radio Tulsa, he was the investigative producer at KJRH. His freelance work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and on MSNBC and CNN.