News You Didn't Expect To See: Chambers of Commerce Oppose Tax Cuts This Year?

From the Oklahoma House of Representatives press office:

OKLAHOMA CITY - Officials with the Oklahoma City and Tulsa Chambers of
Commerce recently announced their opposition to expanding state tax
cuts, state Reps. Ed Cannaday (D-Porum) and Mike Brown (D-Fort Gibson)
noted today.

"It is encouraging to see business leaders acknowledge something
that many of us in the Legislature have been proclaiming for some time,"
Cannaday said. "It has been shown that a state cannot expand its
economic base and provide the needed labor force and infrastructure
while instituting reckless tax-cutting programs."

The chambers announced their position during a House Economic
Development and Financial Services Committee interim study on the issue
of restructuring the Oklahoma Opportunity Fund. The Oklahoma Supreme
Court's recently ruled that the fund's Review Board was unconstitutional
because it violated the separation of powers portion of the Oklahoma
Constitution.

As part of the review of the Opportunity Fund, lawmakers focused
on funding for projects that provide "a significant economic benefit to
the state." The goal of the Opportunity Fund was to have state money
that can be made immediately available to entice businesses to locate in
Oklahoma.

"When officials were asked about the potential conflict between
the Legislature's continued focus on cutting state taxes and expanding
this business incentive program, the presidents of the Oklahoma City and
Tulsa Chambers of Commerce both stated unequivocally that having low
state taxes is not an incentive that spurs a state's economic growth,"
Cannaday said. "Roy Williams said that 'cheapest is not best.' I hope my
colleagues will take note."