For the 18th consecutive month, sales tax collections in Henryetta have been on the positive side.
The May return from the state was $246,182.14, a gain of $7,375.37 above the $238,806.11 collected a year ago. It is welcome news when compared to the 2017 returns that saw only two of the ten months with increases.
Also showing an increase was the $26,375.59 use tax check from the state, up from the $16,155.86 in May 2018.
While Henryetta was celebrating the increase, Dewar, Morris and Okmulgee city officials were contending with declines. Morris received $22,567, down $123 from a year ago; Dewar picked up a check for $9,970.38, a drop of $643 and Okmulgee received $509,111.17,a loss of $51,141.18 from last May.
The Okmulgee County treasury swelled by $369,250, a gain of $54,000 from a year ago.
Statewide, $160,347,064 in sales tax collections came back to the cities and towns reflected an increase of $3,259,524 from the $157,087,540 distributed to the cities and towns in May last year.
In county returns, Oklahoma’s 77 counties shared in a $27,889,173 sales tax disbursement.

By Rep. Scott Fetgatter
As promised, I’m giving an overview of a few of the 17 House and Senate bills I authored this legislative session that were signed into law by the governor.
These bills are a mix of tax and revenue reforms that clean up our tax incentive structure, that help grow our economy and recruit new jobs to our state, as well as several that create necessary frameworks around the state’s new medical marijuana law, and an important constituent request. All will provide positive benefits for Oklahomans.
First, I want to mention Kaylee’s Law, House Bill 1881, which directs the courts to issue orders of no contact from people convicted of sexual abuse or exploitation crimes to their victims. This bill came from a constituent who was sexually abused as a child and then later contacted by the man serving prison time for the crimes against her. He sent her a birthday card, pictures and newspaper clippings talking about how beautiful she’d grown up to be. This law puts orders in place to protect such victims.
On a much different note, Senate Bill 485 repeals a tax exemption currently enjoyed by sponsors of small business incubators. The bill instead gives the exemption to qualifying tenants of the incubator. When considering tax credits or exemptions, I always have to make sure they are good for the state in terms of total return on investment through the number of jobs that result and the increase in economic activity.
I also ran a few bills that will streamline the tax collection process to help the Oklahoma Tax Commission do their jobs. This in turn benefits Oklahomans through the funding of core state services – such as better schools, better health care, better roads, better public safety services and more.
In addition, I ran several pieces of legislation that will help us better implement and regulate the state’s new medical marijuana industry. These are with an eye toward keeping consumers and the public safe as well as to clarify gaps in the law for those who will be growing, testing or selling this product.
I also want to mention Senate Bill 210, which I carried in the House. The House version of this bill was the one signed into law, but it does the same thing as the bill I carried. This allows private entities to provide up-front financing and to be repaid with public dollars only when certified results are achieved. This program originally provided substance abuse treatment for women who otherwise would have gone to prison. This helped Oklahoma address prison overcrowding and actually turned lives around, reuniting these women with their families and helping them secure jobs. This legislation expands the program throughout state government, encouraging innovative programs and services with private entities but without risk to taxpayer dollars.
This is just a snapshot of the work I accomplished this year at the Capitol. Now, I am studying possible legislation for next year.
My Capitol phone is still being answered during the interim, and I am checking my email. Feel free to contact me at (405) 557-7373 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A plan to replace the 25-year-old bucking chutes at the Jim Shoulders Living Legends rodeo arena was presented to the Henryetta Economic Development Authority (HEDA) Monday morning.
Rodeo committee head Mark Hiatt said the existing bucking chutes, “are worn out,” and presented some problems during the rodeo this past weekend.
The plan calls for four new all steel chutes and gates and would replace the six currently in use. That would also entail the addition of a folding walkway behind the chutes for stock workers and five gates to more efficiently move the stock.
The project, including removal of the existing chutes, welding and dirt work is projected to be $28,700.
That work would also be an enhancement for the upcoming Labor Day rodeo which, for the first time, would be sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PCRA).
“The impact of being sanctioned by the PRCA is a big deal,” he told HEDA members. “It gets us to the level of rodeo that Jim Shoulders would be in. Terry Don West won two of his world championships in the PCRA.”
That PRCA sanction would also allow the rodeo to have access to major corporate sponsors adding to the money available to pay contestants. Because there wold be more money available, Hiatt said the number and quality of rodeo contestants would be improved. “If we have a better event, we provide fans with more entertainment for their dollar.”
He pointed out that Henryetta and Oklahoma is part of the PRCA Prarie circuit but, because of the location, would also be drawing contestants from the Southeast and Texas circuits. “We will be getting NFR qualifiers for our rodeo,” he added.
Even though the rodeos are conducted through the Henryetta Chamber of Commerce, the arena and all the facilities at Nichols Park belong to the city of Henryetta. Since the rodeos began over 25 years ago, the chamber has made a number of improvements ranging from lighting to work on the stock pens and added new bleachers this past year.
Hiatt projected the PRCA sanction would attract more people to town to participate in and watch the rodeos. “They, in theory, will spend money for gas and at the restaurants.”
Unanimously approved by the HEDA members, the request will be going before the city council at the June 18 meeting.

There’s going to be a lot of bicycles going through Henryetta Wednesday as the 2019 edition of OK Freewheel reaches the midpoint.
Riders started June 9 in Hugo and will finish up in Sedan, Kansas Saturday. Henryetta’s portion of the ride will see the bikers nearing the end of day three pedaling from Warner to Okemah, a distance of 69 miles. When the ride is completed Saturday, the participants will have covered 432 miles in all.
The annual event started in 1979 and has grown to nearly 1,000 riders. They will be covering between 50 to 75 miles each day.
While the riders provide pedal power to get from one camping site to the next, their gear is transported in a semi. In each overnight community, the riders can rest, clean up and are often provided with local entertainment. Henryetta was a host to the riders several years ago.
The route is marked in yellow along the highway surface. From Warner, the riders will be using US 266 to Arbeka Road then turning west on Holly Road and going through downtown Henryetta. The meet up with the old US 62 and follow it to Okemah where they will stay at the fairgrounds.
The more ambitious riders have an option of turning north just past Pharoah and riding a special “century” route that will cover some 50 more miles through part of Okfuskee County before coming back to the highway. After leaving Okemah, they head to Drumright then to Pawhuska before the final push to Kansas.