We have great news! Last week, Oklahoma SB 1712 passed the sub-committee and is on its way to the full appropriations committee for a vote this Wednesday (February 17).

We need your help to get this bill through the full appropriations committee!

Our state is in the middle of a financial crisis, yet these breeders as a group are making literally millions of dollars in untaxed, undocumented income. You and I have to pay taxes on our income, why shouldn’t they? These breeders are unscrupulous, unlawful and are operating illegally, since the vast majority of them do not collect sales tax or pay income tax on the income they make from breeding and selling dogs and cats on the black market (i.e., the street corners).

What we need you to do now

What needs to happen NOW, before Wednesday, is for you to contact these senators below if you live in their district. If you don’t know who your senator is, find out here by typing in your address.

These are the Senators in the full Appropriations Committee. This is going to be a tough battle so every call and email and letter is important. If you can post this on your Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc., that’s great–but don’t forget to also call and email! Each and every person in these districts needs to call their senators and urge them to support SB 1712.

So what is the message? What is SB 1712?

SB 1712, “The Black Market Breeders Bill,” is legislation designed to address tax evasion by black market breeders. These people breed and sell dogs (and cats) on the black market (unregulated) in Oklahoma and other states. Because this “industry” is operating on the Internet and on the street corners of towns and suburbs, these individuals are not paying sales tax or income tax on these transactions. This robs Oklahomans of millions of dollars in tax revenue every year. Tax evasion, animal cruelty and consumer fraud hurt Oklahoma.

Under current State law, a seller of dogs and cats must collect and remit sales tax to the State of Oklahoma. Currently these breeders are flaunting this law and operating outside the law. This is fraud. This is tax evasion. This is illegal.

(The current law does require these breeders to pay sales tax, but does not provide for enforcement of that law. SB 1712 provides for the enforcement. So arguments that “why don’t we just enforce the law we already have?” don’t really make sense, particularly in this budget crisis. SB 1712 will make it possible for these laws to be enforced and taxes to be collected.)

On February 10, SB 1712 moved through the Natural Resources and Regulatory Services subcommittee in the Senate and was recommended to the full Appropriations committee.

IMMEDIATE ACTION

First…please thank the Natural Resources and Regulatory Services subcommittee members listed below for their support for Oklahoma taxpayers and for common sense in our state!

Senator David Myers – Chair 405.521.5628 ingraham@oksenate.gov
Senator Ron Justice – Vice Chair (405) 521-5537 justice@oksenate.gov
Senator Roger Ballenger (405) 521-5588 ballenger@oksenate.gov
Senator Johnnie Crutchfield (405) 521-5607 bigger@oksenate.gov
Senator Steve Russell 405.521.5618 purinton@oksenate.gov

Then please ask the following committee members to support Senate Bill 1712!

If the bill passes the Appropriations Committee, it will go to the full Senate floor. These Senators will make the decision!

Senator Mike Johnson – Chair 405.521.5592 johnsonm@oksenate.gov
Senator David Myers – Vice Chair 405.521.5628 ingraham@oksenate.gov
Senator Patrick Anderson (405) 521-5630 anderson@oksenate.gov
Senator Randy Bass (405) 521-5567 bass@oksenate.gov
Senator Brian Bingman (405) 521-5528 bingman@oksenate.gov
Senator Randy Brogdon (405) 521-5566 brogdon@oksenate.gov
Senator Kenneth Corn (405) 521-5576 cochran@oksenate.gov
Senator Brian Crain (405) 521-5620 crain@oksenate.gov
Senator Johnnie Crutchfield (405) 521-5607 bigger@oksenate.gov
Senator Mary Easley (405) 521-5590 easley@oksenate.gov
Senator John Ford (405) 521-5634 fordj@oksenate.gov
Senator Jay Paul Gumm (405) 521-5586 gumm@oksenate.gov
Senator Jim Halligan 405.521.5572 halligan@oksenate.gov
Senator Ron Justice (405) 521-5537 justice@oksenate.gov
Senator Charlie Laster(405) 521-5539 laster@oksenate.gov
Senator Debbe Leftwich (405) 521-5557 holland@oksenate.gov
Senator Richard Lerblance (405) 521-5604 lerblance@oksenate.gov
Senator Mike Mazzei (405) 521-5675 mazzei@oksenate.gov
Senator Susan Paddack (405) 521-5541 paddack@oksenate.gov
Senator Jim Reynolds (405) 521-5522 reynolds@oksenate.gov
Senator Gary Stanislawski 405.521.5624 stanislawski@oksenate.gov
Senator Anthony Sykes (405) 521-5569 lewis@oksenate.gov
Senator Jim Wilson (405) 521-5574 wilson@oksenate.gov

Talking Points on the “Black Market Breeder Bill”

Oklahoma is the second largest commercial dog producing state in the nation, but unlike all other high volume breeder states, these facilities are unregulated in Oklahoma. By continuing to allow black market puppy sales, our state loses millions of dollars in tax revenue and welcomes people who cannot comply with basic laws in their own states. Without the protections of SB 1712, Oklahoma will continue to lose out.

Who is affected? Only those people who are engaged in the business of selling dogs and cats and have eleven (11) or more female dogs or cats which they breed.

Why is an important bill? It insures that the taxes owed to the State are collected. Estimates are that annual dog sales in Oklahoma total between 75 and 200 million dollars; these sales should be bringing 3 to 9 million dollars in sales tax revenue to Oklahoma. Yet many sellers do not report their cash.

• This bill treats this measure as the profession that it truly is (again, this bill does not affect “hobby breeders.”)
• It protects consumers by helping to assure they get a quality product.
• And it will ultimately help the industry by eliminating substandard breeders that are not providing proper care and treatment for their animals.