Grocery tax elimination should be priority

According to a recent poll, 75% of Oklahomans are in favor of eliminating the state’s 4.5% grocery sales tax. That is more than those favoring cutting the state’s income tax. So as with most things in America today, what the people want is not going to happen.

At next week’s special legislative session, the governor has asked the legislature to work on cutting the state’s income tax to zero. Eliminating the grocery tax was not on his agenda, and, therefore, cannot be considered by the legislature.

The average U.S. household spends $7,316 on food every year, according to a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer expenditure survey using 2021 data. We know since 2021 our food bills have gone up tremendously Removing the state’s 4.5% sales tax from $7,316 in groceries would save each Oklahoma family $329.22 per year.

It’s been pointed out that groceries paid for with food stamps and SNAP benefits are not taxed and, therefore, enacting the exemption would not help our neediest.

Since when has it been less important to help those trying to make ends meet? Even with the exemption, groceries are more expensive than what they were before inflation started a few years ago.

Exempting the grocery tax would reduce Oklahoma’s tax collections by an estimated $300 million. Oklahoma is one of only 12 states that taxes groceries. Texas doesn’t, and the Lone Star and the other 37 states have figured it out.

The governor and legislature should move up eliminating the grocery sales tax in their priorities. It will have an immediate benefit to people buying groceries, and they don’t have to wait until tax season to feel the savings.

What makes eliminating the income tax more important than the grocery tax? Why couldn’t it be part of the special session?

If our legislature and governor are fighting for the common working Oklahoman to reduce their tax burden, why isn’t this worthy of action during the special session?