Fiscal Plan

Fiscal plans have come and gone for years and something inevitably gets in the way. This year the high price per barrel of oil combined with federal infrastructure spending has decreased the urgency for the legislature to deal with the problem of our structural deficit. Past administrations have proposed a package of tax increases across all sectors of the economy so everyone is contributing at a slightly greater level and this could be one way of cracking the nut. Without addressing the significant amount of money we are giving away in oil tax credits, it is hard to have a serious discussion about a statewide income or sales tax. I am going to listen carefully to all as we work to craft a durable tax policy for the state that protects the PFD and core government functions.