By State Representative Regina Goodwin
The Cigarette “Fee” is Ruled Unconstitutional
The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Thursday, Aug.10, 2017, found SB 845, renamed a cigarette “Fee” to be a tax. Our Dem. Leader Scott Inman sounded alarm bells that fell on some deaf Republican ears. Not one Democratic member voted in favor of the illegal bill. The revenue raising measure would have an estimated $214 million dollars to help fill Oklahoma’s budget gap. The super majority Republican led legislature passed the bill which violated the Oklahoma Constitution, Article 5, Section 33.
The state constitution requires that revenue-raising bills originate in the House, shall not be passed during the last five days of a legislative session, and be approved by 76 votes, three-quarters of the members of the House. The illegal Smoking Cessation Act originated in the Senate, passed on the final day of the legislative session, and barely won a simple majority vote of 51-43. Services now left hanging in the unbalance are:
- $75 million- Ok. Health Care Authority
- $70 million-Ok. Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
- $64 million- Ok. Dept. of Human Services
Legislature will now be called back for a special session this summer to balance the budget at a cost of $ 31,000 a day of tax payer’s money. A minimum of three days is expected. Oklahoma is not OK! As a member of the Democratic Caucus, we again point to our Restoring Oklahoma Plan with needed recurring revenue for core services. We are better than our present circumstances. Oklahomans deserve far greater!
Note- State Representative Regina Goodwin will be leading the first of three interim studies at the State Capitol in Oklahoma City on Tues, Aug. 15., on Insurance Committee/Topic Healthcare Center Challenges and Success.
Healthcare Center Challenges and Successes
