State Rundown 10/10: Lottery Bust, Music Credits on the Table

In a development sure to shock you, the Oklahoma State Lottery has not fixed Oklahoma’s education funding woes (in other news, water is wet). The Oklahoma Policy Institute reports that the combination of the economic downturn and ill-advised tax cuts has reduced education funding by more dollars than the lottery, created in 2003, has raised. For example, last year the lottery brought in $70.1 million, while the Legislature passed an income tax cut projected to cost $237 million. The kicker is that the bottom 60 percent of Oklahoma families will get just 9 percent of the benefits from this tax cut, while lotteries have a notoriously regressive impact.

For the fourth time in six months, tax collections in Kansas fell way short of revenue projections — $21 million short, according to state officials. The shortfall would have been twice as large if not for a big increase in corporate income tax receipts, as individual income tax receipts were $42.4 million less than estimated. The report is a blow for Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration after July and August revenue met official estimates, suggesting that the worst was over. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that “the state could burn more rapidly through cash reserves and force the 2015 Legislature to take a scythe to the budget in January.”  The governor said his tax cuts were “like going through surgery. It takes a while to heal and get growing afterwards.” It looks like the patient is back on life support.

A music industry lobbying group is pushing the New York state legislature to pass a tax incentives bill similar to the state’s film credits program, according to The New York Times. If the group, New York Is Music, gets its way, $60 million in tax breaks will be available to studios, record companies and other firms involved in creating music. Businesses would be entitled to a 20 percent credit on expenses related to music production. Supporters claim that high rents in New York City and the attraction of incentives in other states mean the measure is vital to the health of New York’s music industry. The truth, however, is that incentives merely subsidize already-planned economic activity rather than promoting new business, and that they rarely pay for themselves. For more, check out this ITEP report on state tax incentives.

California Democrats hope to use the upcoming 2016 election to advocate for the extension of sales and income tax increases, according to The Sacramento Bee. Proposition 30, which increased the sales and income tax for the state’s highest earners, was passed in 2012 as a temporary measure. Supporters of extending the tax increases, including state superintendent Tom Torlakson and the California Federation of Teachers, argue the revenue will be critical to maintaining investments in education and the social safety net. Critics argue that lawmakers would be acting in bad faith if they sought to extend Proposition 30, which was sold as a temporary measure, and that the measure has hurt the state’s business climate. Gov. Jerry Brown, who supported Proposition 30 when it was introduced, has not taken a position on its extension. 

Got a great state tax story you want to share? Send it to Sebastian at sdpjohnson@itep.org for the next Rundown!