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"Will Inman support the legalization of cannabis?" Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WEBVTT STEVE: WE ARE BACK WITH HOUSEMINORITY LEADER STEVE INMAN.WE ARE GETTING YOUR QUESTIONSFROM FACEBOOK.MARY JACKSON ASKING DO YOU AGREEWITH GOVERNOR MARY FALLINTHATOUR BUDGET DEFICIT IS CAUSED BYONLINE SHOPPING INSTEAD OF TAXBREAKS FOR OIL AND GASCOMPANIES?WHEN THE GOVERNOR WAS HERETHURSDAY, SHE SAID THE MAJORCONTRIBUTORS TO THE DEFICIT WERETHE OIL DOWNTURN AND THE ONLINESHOPPING TAX.SCOTT: IT PLAYS A SMALL PORTIONBUT TO SAY IT IS ANYWHERE NEARTHE GROSS PRODUCTION TAX CUTSARE ALMOST LAUGHABLE.IF YOU WERE TO SAY LET'S COLLECTALL OF THE TAXES THAT PEOPLE PAYWHEN THEY SHOP ON AMAZON, THATBRINGS THE STATE ABOUT $200MILLION, BUT HALF OF THAT ISSPLIT UP, AFTER HIS TO THE CITY,HAVE GOES TO THE STATE.MAYBE $150 MILLION IN REVENUE.TAX CREDITS ARE $2 BILLION TOWILL THE CORPORATIONS.WHILE IT IS A SMALL PORTION OFIT, TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE IS JUSTBECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE TO SHOP INAMAZON AND THAT IS THE REASON OFTHE FINANCIAL MESS IS TOO SHORTTHE RESPONSIBILITY SHE HAS FORGIVING EXEMPTIONS AWAY TO HERWEALTHY FRIENDS.STEVE: IS THIS SOMETHING WE NEEDTO LOOK AT, THE FACT THAT PEOPLEARE BUYING ONLINE AND NOT BEINGTAXED?SCOTT: THAT IS JUST PAR FOR THECOURSE FOR WHAT HER PLANS ARE,LET'S RAISE GAS TAXES, LET'S HITMORE PEOPLE WHO SHOP,MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILIES WHO SHOPONLINE.ALL OF THOSE NEED TO BE PART OFTHE SOLUTION BUT AS LONG AS SHEWILL CONTINUE TO NOT RESTORETHOSE TAX CUTS ON INCOME TAXES,JUST MAKING MIDDLE-CLASSFAMILIES PAY MORE WHEN THEYSHOP, THAT IS NOT THE WAY TOBALANCE THE BUDGET.STEVE: SHE SAYS ALL OPTIONS AREON THE TABLE.IN TERMS OF THE GASOLINE TAX,SHE SAYS THEY WERE 49TH IN TERMSOF PEOPLE PAYING AT THE PUMP.WITH VEHICLES GETTING MOREFUEL-EFFICIENT, WHY IS THAT NOTSOMETHING TO LOOK AT?SCOTT: IT CAN BE PART OF THESOLUTION BUT WE ARE ALSO THELOWEST GROSS PRODUCTION TAXSTATE IN THE NATION BUT THAT ISNOT ON THE TABLE.SHE HAS NOT SET I WANT IS ON THETABLE.STEVE: SHE SAYS SHE WANTS ALLOPTIONS ON THE TABLE.SCOTT: THAT SOUNDS GOOD, BUTUNTIL IT HAPPENS, IT DOESN'TMEAN ANYTHING.WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO GROSSPRODUCTION TAX, THAT DOESN'TMAKE SENSE.IF THEY CAME TO US WITH APACKAGE THAT SAID WE ARE GOINGTO LOOK AT A GAS TAX AND LOOK ATRAISING TAXES ON COMPANIES, THATIS AN OPTION WE WOULD CONSIDER.RIGHT NOW IT ALL SEEMS TO BE ONMIDDLE-CLASS FAMILIES, AND THATIS A NONSTARTER FOR US.STEVE: WILL INMAN SUPPORT THELEGALIZATION OF CANNABIS?WOULD YOU SUPPORT THAT AS A WAYTO BRING IN MONEY, SIMILAR TOWHAT COLORADO HAS DONE?MORE THAN $2 BILLION IN TERMS OFTHEIR OVERALL IMPACT REVENUE.SCOTT: I SUPPORT THE MEDICINALUSE OF MARIJUANA.RIGHT NOW FOR MEDICAL ONLY.WE STILL HAVE TO SEE WHAT THEFEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL DO.WE HAVE A SITUATION IN COLORADOWHERE IT BRINGS IN SEVERALHUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS INTO THEBOTTOM LINE, BUT AS LONG AS ITIS OUTLAWED, YOU CANNOT HAVEPEOPLE PUTTING IT INTO A BANK.THAT WOULD VIOLATE ALL SORTS OFFEDERAL LAWS HERE THAT BRINGSMORE OPPORTUNITY FOR CRIME.UNTIL THE FEDS GET ALL OF THATSITUATED GO THAT FOLKS CANHANDLE THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THATINDUSTRY, I WOULD BE CONCERNEDABOUT MOVING FORWARD TO QUICKLY.ON THE MEDICINAL SIDE, WHERE YOUGO TO A PHARMACY AND GET IT THATWAY, IT MAKES SENSE.STEVE: AND TAX THAT AS WELL?SCOTT: ABSOLUTELY.STEVE: PATRICK ASKS, HOW DO YOUFEEL ABOUT THE LEGISLATOR BEINGFINED FOR EVERY DAY THAT ABUDGET IS NOT PASSED?SCOTT: ESPECIALLY IF THIS GOESINTO SPECIAL SESSION, THEY WILLNOT COME TO THE TABLE WITH REALREVENUES.I THINK THE LEGISLATORS OUGHT TOHAVE SOME SORT OF PUNISHMENT, IFNOT FINANCIALLY, THEN AT THELEAST WHEN THEY GO TO THE BALLOTBOX NEXT NOVEMBER, THEY SHOULDBE PUNISHED FOR NOT DOING THEIRJOB.STEI DO THINK THERE IS A POTENTIALWE COULD CUT A DEAL AROUND ASMALLER PACKAGE OF REVENUE THATWOULD MITIGATE OR REDUCE SOME OFTHE CUTS THAT WOULD COME TOEDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, PUBLICSAFETY.IF WE CAN COME TO A HALFWAYPOINT, LAWS ARE THE BUDGET WILLSIGN -- WILL BE SIGNED.STEVE: UNLESS THERE ARE SOMEREAL MEASURES, SHE WILL NOT SIGNTHIS.SCOTT: WE ARE WILLING TO LOOK ATAUTO MISE DUCTION, CORPORATEREPORTING, ALSO LOOKING AT THECIGARETTE TAX.IF WE ARE REALLY GOING TO RAISETHE REVENUE TO BALANCE THEBUDGET, IT NEEDS TO HAVE GROSSPRODUCTION TAXES.STEVE: ANY POLITICALCALCULATIONS HERE?YOU HAVE ANNOUNCE YOU ARERUNNING FOR GOVERNOR.THE FAILURE OF REPUBLICANLEADERSHIP COULD CREATE A GOODENVIRONMENT FOR YOU.SCOTT: PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY SEENTHE LAST SEVEN YEARS.IF I WERE TO ASK THE AVERAGEOKLAHOMAN IF YOU ARE BETTER OFFTODAY THAN SEVEN YEARS AGO, THEANSWER IS NO.IF IT WERE UP TO ME, IF I JUSTWANT TO PLAY THE PURE POLITICALGAME, I WOULD NOT HAVE OFFERED A$1.4 BILLION TO STORE OKLAHOMAPLAN.I WOULD NOT BE WORKING WITH THESPEAKER AND PRO TEM TO FUNDREVENUES TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.THAT WOULD BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVETO THE ARGUMENT YOU ARE MAKING.IF THE STATE DOES WELL, AND THATIS AT MY EXPENSE, THAT IS OK.I DON'T WANT TO DO WELL AT THESTATE'S EXPENSE.THOSE ARE POLITICAL GAMES.STEVE: WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF ATEACHER PAY RAISE?SCOTT: PRETTY SMALL UNLESS WEFIND SOME SIGNIFICANT REVENUE.