Democrats Blast Governor’s Gasoline Tax Hike Plan

State House Democratic leader Scott Inman, the announced candidate for governor,  knows he has Republican leadership in a bind in its efforts to raise the state’s gasoline tax.

And this week, Rep. Inman used a service station near the State Capitol as the site to call for returning Oklahoma’s gross production tax on oil and gas to 7 percent as it once was.

With the State Capitol in one backdrop and downtown, the site of big oil and gas companies in another, Rep. Inman blasted the Governor’s plan.

“It is appalling to us to think they would rather raise taxes on somebody named Harold Jackson who works at Lowe’s but they don’t want to raise taxes on billionaire Harold Hamm who works at Continental Resources,” charged Inman. “It is laughable and insulting for the major oil and gas companies to tell us if we go from 2 percent to 7 percent on gross production taxes that they will leave the state. Make no mistake about it. We have the lowest gross production rates of any major producing state in the nation.”

Harold Hamm is the CEO of Continental Resources.

House Republican leadership knows if it is to pass any tax hike on gasoline, it will need support from some Democrats. The GOP controls 72 House seats but it also needs a three-fourths majority to pass the governor’s plan to increase gasoline and diesel tax by 6 cents.

Inman says such a tax hike would cost $150 a year for a typical Oklahoma family.

The idea of returning gross production taxes to 7 percent has received support in recent weeks. The new group, Oklahoma Energy Producers Alliance announced lobbying efforts this week to increase the 2 percent tax on horizontal drilling to 7 percent as it once was.

“Those same companies in downtown Oklahoma City that are paying 2 percent in Oklahoma today are paying 10 to 11 percent in North Dakota. they are paying 8 percent in Texas. They are paying 8 percent in New Mexico,” added Rep. Inman.

Listen to his news conference.