Grocery Sales Tax

Buying groceries will soon be a little cheaper. Plus some various updates and a look at a western Oklahoma county.

Mar 04, 2024

Buying groceries will soon be a little cheaper

Grocery Sales Tax

On February 27, 2024, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed HB1955. This rare bipartisan legislation benefits all Oklahomans by eliminating the 4.5% state sales tax on groceries, specifically "food and food ingredients." This applies to any food items that can be consumed, with a few exceptions, such as dietary supplements, alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and prepared foods, which are still subject to state sales tax.

In other words, you'll still be taxed on that delicious rotisserie chicken, but if you go to the meat department and get a raw chicken to cook yourself, there is no state sales tax.

This new law doesn't eliminate all sales taxes on groceries; county and municipal sales taxes still apply. However, it did include a pause on any new local sales taxes on groceries until June 30, 2025.

The law does not go into effect immediately since the legislation didn't include an effective date. We'll have to wait 90 days from the end of the legislative session. So, you'll still have to pay state sales tax until late August or early September.

I've provided a link to HB1955 if you want to read the legislation yourself. The first two-thirds of the document are all definitions. These are helpful if you’re unsure what "Food or Food Ingredients" or "Prepared Foods" are specifically.

What do you think about this tax cut?

Election Reminder

The polls are open Tuesday, March 5, 2024, from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM for the presidential preferential primary and local elections.

Oklahoma's next election will be the school board general election on April 2, 2024.

For details on voting in Oklahoma, please visit the Oklahoma State Election Board's website at oklahoma.gov/elections.

Please, go vote.

Solar Eclipse

Don't forget to get some solar eclipse glasses for the April 8, 2024, solar eclipse. Please make sure the glasses you get are CE and ISO-certified for direct sun viewing. Many local retailers offer glasses for sale; I saw some for sale at the checkout of our local Atwood’s as an example. If you want to order a pack for the whole family, here are some examples I ordered some from Amazon for past eclipses: Soluna - 10 pack and LUNT - 5 pack (both are CE and ISO certified).

A1C and Our Garden

I got my A1C test results and am happy to say I'm at 6.5. Lower would be better, but I'm satisfied with anything below 7. I hope for a better result in three months since warmer weather means more exercise by working out in our yard again.

Speaking of which. I'm moving our keyhole garden raised bed to a new location in our backyard. I've posted Shorts on the Blog Oklahoma YouTube Channel about the move. Please feel free to subscribe to watch my progress.

In The News

A look at some of the latest headlines from around Oklahoma and beyond.

About Oklahoma: Ellis County

Welcome to Ellis County.

Ellis County is in the northwestern part of the state bordering Texas. The county was created at statehood—the northern half from parts of Woodward County and the southern half from Day County, Oklahoma Territory. The county was named after Albert H. Ellis, a vice president of the 1906 Oklahoma Constitutional Convention.

Arnett, Oklahoma, located in the south-central part of the county at the intersection of U.S. Highway 60 and U.S. Highway 283, is the county seat. Shattuck, Oklahoma, in the county's northern half, is the largest community by population and home to the Shattuck Windmill Museum & Park.

Other notable communities include Catesby in the northwestern, Fargo and Gage in the western, and Harmon in the southwestern parts of the county.