A Debate over whether small businesses can compete with
big box chains produced an embarrassing moment for House of Representatives
Co-Majority Leader Dennis Johnson on Wednesday.
In debating in favor of a bill that would repeal a 70-year-old ban on
"loss-leader" selling, Johnson, a small business owner, said service and not
price were the key to success.
He then acknowledged that some customers "try to Jew me down."
Johnson, R-Duncan -- who, with Rep. Fred Jordan, R-Jenks, is the third-ranking
member of the majority leadership -- immediately apologized, adding that "Jews
run good small businesses, too."
"Jew down" is a slang term for haggling and is generally considered derogatory.
Through spokesman Joe Griffin, House Speaker T.W. Shannon, R-Lawton, said
Johnson "is not the first person to make a comment they regret. The chamber
accepted his apology and has moved on."
Neither the Oklahoma House nor Senate has a Jewish member.
SB 550, the bill under debate at the time of Johnson's gaffe, passed 69-23
despite concerns that it would hasten the demise of Oklahoma's Main Street
businesses.
The bill removes a 1941 requirement that retailers cannot sell merchandise for
less than 6 percent more than cost. The law's intent is to prevent selling at a
loss to put competitors out of business.
Supporters of SB 550 said the law is outdated and prevents Oklahomans from
getting the best prices possible during such periods as "Black Friday" sales.
Filmmakers: Also Wednesday, the House spent the better part of the day debating
two bills dealing with relatively minor business incentives.
SB 330, the "Compete with Canada Film Act," by Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Oklahoma
City, would reauthorize and potentially expand a program that pays rebates to
filmmakers for eligible expenses in Oklahoma for movies approved by the Oklahoma
Film Commission.
The bill would reduce from 37 percent to 25 percent the portion of expenses that
can be rebated for any one project, but it would raise the cap for total rebates
paid in any one year from $5 million to $10 million.
Rep. Mike Reynolds and Rep. David Dank, both Oklahoma City Republicans, argued
passionately against the bill, with Reynolds trying to introduce two amendments
that would have effectively ended the program.
Dank said encouraging the film industry will bring in "people I don't want
here."
"Let's bring them in with all their sex and violence," he said. "Probably 99.9
percent of the people we're rebating money to are pro-abortion."
The bill's House sponsor, Earl Sears, R-Bartlesville, had said earlier that
movies such as "August: Osage County" and "To the Wonder" would not have been
made in northeastern Oklahoma without the tax-credit program.
The bill passed 55-30, with 51 votes needed for passage. Sixteen members did not
vote.
Quality Events: Also debated at length was SB 976 by Sen. Dan Newberry, R-Tulsa.
The bill would make changes to the state's Quality Events program that some
rural legislators said would virtually exclude all but Oklahoma City and Tulsa
from participation.
The program provides for a state sales-tax rebate to local governments for
events that bring in new revenue. Under SB 976, those rebates would be available
only to "national, world and international" events.
The measure passed 69-22.
SB 330 must return to the Senate for final approval, but SB 976 heads to the
governor.
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(c)2013 Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.)
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