Last month a task force report outlining ways to reform Oklahoma tax law was released. It contained several recommendations for ending special interest tax breaks and eliminating numerous credits so that the state could reduce the personal and corporate income tax rates and still fund core services such as schools, roads and public safety.

 That sounds great on the surface, but as more analysis is done, we’re learning the net effect of these recommendations would be that most Oklahomans would wind up paying more taxes as a result of these changes. Further, those who would be hurt the most would be low-income seniors and families with children.

Under the recommendations made by the task force, everyone in Oklahoma would lose their personal exemption. The state’s child-care credit would be eliminated along with other breaks for families and individuals who are barely making ends meet as it is. A new report analyzing the impact of the task force recommendations should raise red flags for most Oklahomans.

 While 55 percent would actually see a tax increase, only 31 percent would see a net decrease. The remaining 13 percent would see no change at all. Economist who have analyzed the task force recommendations say that when you break it down by income, the bottom 60 percent of households in our state would see an average tax hike of $107 a year.

What about those Oklahomans who are better off?As it turns out, they have to be a lot better off before they see any real benefit.A married couple with two children making $50 thousand a year would still see their taxes go up by $186.If they earned $150 thousand annually, they’d only see their taxes go down by $74.  Even a married couple with two children earning a quarter of a million dollars a year wouldn’t see that big of a break.Their taxes would only go down by $299.But if you are fortunate enough to be in the top one percent of income earners in Oklahoma, it is a pretty sweet deal.Those Oklahomans who make at least $357,400 a year would see an average tax break of $2,833.

It is one thing to propose closing tax loopholes and credits for special interests—that is certainly something that needs to be considered.But eliminating things like child care credits and personal exemptions that could cause most of the people in the state to pay more in taxes is something I strongly oppose.

As always, I welcome your comments on state government.Please feel free to contact me by writing to Senator Charles Wyrick at the State Capitol, Room 521, Oklahoma City, OK, 73105; call me at (405) 521-5561.