Oklahoma Senate Passes Resolution To Increase State's Gross Production Tax

The Oklahoma Senate presented and passed a resolution Thursday asking the state House to increase Oklahoma's gross production tax (GPT).

State senators met late Thursday morning, a day after a budget plan failed to achieve 75 percent approval in the House on Wednesday. That budget plan included new taxes on cigarettes, gas and alcohol among other things.

It did not, however, include an increase in the gross production tax on oil and gas -- something Democrats said they need in a budget to agree to one.

Republicans said, "No," to that and instead offered a separate vote on the oil and gas tax but Democrats turned that down, saying it wasn't a serious offer.

The plan needed 76 votes to pass and it only got 54, meaning there were 18 Republicans that broke with their own party.

After a rare press conference and a testy exchange, House Speaker Charles McCall used explicit language to address Democrats, seeming to think he was away from reporters.

Click here to read coverage from Wednesday's proceedings.