WKSU News: Ohio lawmakers consider drilling tax increases

Monday, September 14, 2015 Ohio lawmakers consider drilling tax increases State legislators who have stalled the tax for four years are meeting privately with oil and gas reps by WKSU's ANDY CHOW	Reporter Andy Chow

State lawmakers may have reached an agreement -- or be moving toward one -- on a severance tax.

Courtesy of File photo

State leaders could be announcing a new agreement that increases the tax on oil and gas drilling, also known as the severance tax, as soon as the end of the month. Statehouse correspondent Andy Chow reports.

LISTEN: But is Oct. 1 a hard or soft deadline?

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After Gov. John Kasich once again proposed raising the severance tax in his budget, House and Senate leaders shelved it by announcing a commission that would come up with a proposal by Oct. 1.

Senate spokesperson John Fortney says there’s been movement in the form of informal conversations with the industry behind closed doors.

“You know with the oil and gas industry really breaking oil and natural gas records in the first two quarters of the year in Ohio, we really are optimistic they want to be part of a long-term plan here in the state and we want them here,” says Fortney.

Though Senate President Keith Faber said in July that Oct. 1 was a “hard deadline," Fortney says it’s more of a goal that can go unmet if that means taking more time to “get it right.”