Lawmakers Hold The Future For Car Tags

Saturday, February 12th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Putting the brakes on expensive car tags. Most Oklahoma drivers want lawmakers to keep their promise of cutting the cost of car tags. Some lawmakers say this is the year we will see progress as promised.

Do you know your tag number? Dollars from drivers bulk up Oklahoma's coffers even on Saturday's at the Southside Tag Agency in Tulsa.

For the Berkshire's, it's the one time of the year, where they wish those coffers needed less of their help.

"In my opinion it's Oklahoma trying to get their money any way they can," says Robert Bershire. It's also the time of the year where lawmakers annually promise to put the breaks on the cost of tags.

Relief was on the way last year, but Governor Keating struck down the plan with the stroke of his pen.

"I don't mean the kind of reform that we attempted last year. I vetoed it because it raised taxes on half and lower taxes on the other half," says Keating.

What's different this year about the tag debate, is the Governor has stepped up to the podium with a plan of his own. Keating wants Oklahomans to pay $85 to license cars five years and newer $45 for cars six to ten years old and $15 dollars for cars eleven and older. The sticker price is around $70 million , a price Jim Yearous thinks may be too high.

â€œThey are making it up somewhere else as far as who's being taxed and who has to pay,â€ says Yearous.
Tulsa Democrat Representative Russ Roach says lawmakers can't decide, so he's filed a bill where voters would decide.

"This is an issue where they public is ahead of the legislature way ahead," says Roach.

Berkshire heard the talk he just wants lawmakers to walk the walk. So next year when he's here, they take a smaller chunk out of his checking account. Lawmakers have filed at least three bills asking to cut the price of car tags.