Zombies — Opposing Tax Hikes — Fought Off In Staged Event Near Oklahoma Capitol

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — There were zombies outside Oklahoma's state Capitol over the weekend, but it wasn't because of Halloween or the series premiere of AMC's The Walking Dead. No, these zombies — holding anti-taxation signs — were stopped outside the entrance to the building Saturday as part of a staged event organized by groups that want to increase oil and gas taxes to avoid cuts to health, education and other services.

The zombies held signs that read: "Don't tax job creators," "Teachers make more than enuff [sic] $$$$," and "Taxes are fine the way they are."

Together Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Policy Institute organized the undead gathering, which was recorded so videos could be posted on Facebook and Twitter. State lawmakers are in special session to tackle a $215 million budget hole.

Charles Martin, of Together Oklahoma, said the group supports increasing gross production taxes on oil and gas from 2 percent to 7 percent, which would raise an estimated $400 million. The oil and gas industry oppose the increase. (For more information on this and other Oklahoma City stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

"Gross production should be the first place that we look," Martin said. He said the group hopes that oil and gas companies and the wealthy should pay their fair share.

Many Republican lawmakers oppose increasing taxes on oil and gas production and support a $1.50 per pack cigarette tax increase, which Democrats oppose without an energy production tax increase to at least 5 percent.

The special session was called by Gov. Mary Fallin after the state Supreme Court ruled a "fee" on cigarettes passed on the final day of the regular legislative session was unconstitutional.

The special session convened Sept. 25, but recessed two days later because a deal to close the budget hole had not been reached.

Ann Young, of Tulsa, one of the volunteers warding off the zombie attack, said political leaders must realize that taxes must be increased to fund basic services including education, teacher pay and health programs.

"Our leaders are fooling themselves if they think that a company like Amazon would ever consider coming to Oklahoma, it's just absurd that they would think any company like that would come to a place where we can't even educate our kids," Young said.

City and Chamber of Commerce officials in Oklahoma City and Tulsa have announced plans to compete for Amazon's second headquarters in North America, a massive $5 billion project that will eventually include as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs.

Oklahoma Policy Institute coordinator Kara Joy McKee said the goal is to provide information to the public and lawmakers about the need to increase revenue, rather than reducing services.

"Some of our legislators, some of our ... friends and neighbors are still under the delusion that we have a spending problem and not a revenue problem," McKee said.

The Capitol has been closed for the past week because of an ongoing construction project and is scheduled to reopen Monday.

By KEN MILLER, Associated Press

Photo credit: Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP