Standing Up for Our Veterans
June 4th, 2010
Hello again, everyone! As many of you know, I wrote the bill creating the sales tax exemption for veterans with a 100 percent service-connected disability.
That important benefit was among bills I passed giving Oklahoma families the largest tax cut in state history – before or since. Some retailers refused to honor the exemption.
That forced veterans to file for a refund with the Tax Commission to get an exemption they should have gotten at the cash register. The next year, we passed a $500 administrative fine for retailers denying veterans their exemption. Five years after the exemption became the law of the land, a few retailers continue to ignore the law. For many veterans this has simply gone on too long.
Veterans groups with which I visited were clear: they wanted the strongest enforcement possible. They wanted to make the offense a criminal one and make certain those retailers which deny the exemption are punished in a way that got their attention.
The first new enforcement mechanism is a criminal misdemeanor fine as a potential punishment. Secondly, believing "sunshine is a great disinfectant," communication between the Tax Commission and retailers ignoring the law would be public; under current law, those are confidential.
Finally, veterans groups told me they wanted the state to suspend sales tax permits of stores repeatedly refusing to honor veterans, effectively closing such retailers for a week. That was the sticking point. In the Senate, the measure passed without opposition.
Republican House leaders refused to hear the bill, despite the fact one of their own members was the bill’s House sponsor. When told veterans groups would be outraged, the response by one of those in power was, "I’m term-limited, what do I care?"
At that moment, it became far more important to get new effective penalties in place than to fight a battle for which time was rapidly running out. We quickly devised an enforcement scheme that would be equally effective and get the bill heard in the House.
Senate Bill 1321 would keep in place the administrative penalty for a first offense. A second offense would go to local prosecution for a misdemeanor fine, making those who dishonor veterans criminally liable.
The biggest enforcement piece is the "sunshine" provision. All communications between the Tax Commission and retailers refusing to follow the law will be public record. We all will know who is dishonoring our veterans. Information is power.
The bill is very strong; it could have been stronger. Our veterans were willing to give the "last full measure of devotion" for us. It is sad some lawmakers, in their final days in office, would not step up and give veterans the greatest protection possible.
Despite that, we made great progress and, once the governor signs the bill, it will take effect July 1. That will be a good day for Oklahoma’s veterans.
Thanks for reading this week’s "Senate Minute." Have a great week, and may God bless you all.