A former Oklahoma lawmaker has filed an initiative petition with the state secretary’s office seeking to let voters decide whether to eliminate most property taxes at the next general election—an idea currently being discussed in several Republican-led states.
The proposal comes from former state Representative Mike Reynolds, a Republican who served the 91st district from 2002 to 2013 and is now a private citizen, along with two current state legislators.
“I have discovered over the last few months, specifically, that property taxes have become a major issue, not just in Oklahoma, but nationwide,” Reynolds told Newsweek in a phone interview.
One county commissioner has already warned that the measure would “destroy county government.”
Why It Matters
Property tax bills have climbed across the country over the past five years as home values surged during the pandemic housing boom. In response, a number of Republican-led states are exploring ways to cut property taxes, and some are entertaining the idea of doing away with them altogether.
Experts caution that a full repeal could create serious budget gaps, since local governments rely heavily on property tax revenue to fund public services.
What To Know
Reynolds’ petition, known as State Question 841, proposes an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution that would gradually eliminate property taxes on homesteads.
“I am very disappointed with government giveaways to corporations and things of that nature when we can’t eliminate or reduce citizens’ taxes,” he said.
“And it’s become obvious that the legislature has no will to reduce property taxes. So the next step is to create an initiative so that the people can express their will.”
Under the proposal, beginning with the 2027 tax year, “every homestead qualified under the laws of this state shall be entitled to an exemption from all ad valorem taxation,” with the exemption ramping up over three years.
- In 2027, the exemption would cover 33⅓ percent of the full assessed value of a homestead.
- In 2028, it would increase to 66⅔ percent.
- By 2029, the exemption would reach 100 percent of the assessed value.
The measure specifies that this exemption would not apply to ad valorem taxes used to pay principal or interest on any bonded debt incurred by a school district, county, municipality, or other political subdivision prior to December 31, 2026.
Reynolds estimates that the change would reduce ad valorem revenue by about $400 million in 2027, $800 million in 2028, and $1.2 billion annually starting in 2029.
That potential revenue loss alarms local officials, who depend on property taxes to pay for services such as roads, public safety, and schools. Oklahoma County Commissioner Jason Lowe described the proposal as “a scary proposition,” according to the Oklahoma Voice.
“That would destroy county government,” he said. “As commissioner, my responsibility is to protect the stability, safety, and long-term well-being of Oklahoma County.”
Reynolds stressed that he is not opposed to government itself, and framed the proposal as an opportunity for Oklahoma to rethink how it funds public services.
“I think that government is a good thing,” he said. “There’s nothing in the funding mechanism for counties that prevents them from getting their funding from other sources. More pushback is probably [going to] come from schools. And they say, well, that’s where we get our school funding. It is, but that’s just because the legislature conveniently chose to use ad valorem taxes to fund things that way. And so this will be a method to get the legislature to fund things a different way.”
Two sitting lawmakers have joined Reynolds as official proponents of the petition: state Senator Shane Jett (R-Shawnee) and state Representative Jay Steagall (R-Yukon).
“In Oklahoma, there can only be three people on an initiative petition as what’s called proponents. And so it seemed good to have a private citizen, myself, a state senator and a state representative on the petition—so that we’ve got all our bases covered,” Reynolds said.
Newsweek attempted to reach Lowe by phone on Tuesday.
What Happens Next
Before the question can appear on the November 2026 ballot, the proposal must first be reviewed by the state attorney general’s office. Supporters will then have 90 days to collect 92,260 valid signatures.
Reynolds said he is confident they can meet that requirement. “If we were asking people to sign a petition today, everybody I’ve talked to says they’ll sign it. So I don’t think we’ll have any problem at all,” he told Newsweek.
“I would say it’s gonna take three to four months before we can even begin gathering signatures, but by then I think we’ll have a lot of people that are going to sign it and are willing to work as volunteers to help us gather the signatures.”
If voters ultimately approve the measure, the changes outlined in Reynolds’ petition would take effect on January 1, 2027.
