The OMA this week submitted testimony on House Bill 166 — the bill to fund the state’s two-year operating budget — as the Senate Finance Committee received testimony on the legislation. The OMA made its suggestions based on changes made to the budget by the House of Representatives. The OMA requested the following:

• Remove the detrimental House changes to the business income tax deduction.
• Support exempting from sale tax any supplies or janitorial services purchased to clean machinery in a manufacturing facility.
• Support exempting from sales tax any equipment and supplies used to clean equipment that produces or processes food for human consumption.
• Support the eligibility expansion for the Job Retention Tax Credit.

The Senate is expected to make a variety of changes to the bill in the first week of June. The budget must be signed by June 30 for the appropriations to take effect on July 1, the first day of the new state fiscal year. 5/23/2019