TULSA — A third budget summit meeting opened Monday morning with the governor appearing to put the leader of the state senate on the spot, by asking him directly if his legislative body would take up the governor’s proposal for a cut to the state income tax.

“Mr. Speaker, will you vote on, will you talk about an income tax cut with your chamber?’ the governor asked House Speaker Charles McCall, who replied that yes, they’d take up the tax cut bill - again.

The governor then turned to Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat.

“Mr. Pro Tem, will you vote on and take up with your chamber an income tax cut for the poorest Oklahomans?” the governor asked.

Treat, whose made his opposition to the income tax cut clear on any number of occasions, answered by stating that “we did.”

“On the grocery tax,” he continued, “we took it, took a definitive step. We’ve taken steps over the last few years to make it much better for the poorest Oklahomans.”

That was not what the governor wanted to hear - nor did it please Speaker McCall, who a few minutes later tried to press the issue.

“We’ve got to decide if the tax cut is going to be something considered - personal income tax or a variation of it - is going to be considered in the Senate,” he said to Treat.

The response was that “it takes you passing it, it takes us passing it.” Treat continued: “I’m telling you that your bill did not advance. House Bill 2950 did not advance. We are operating under the assumption that we are not passing any more tax cuts this year.”

Lawmakers then began going through the budget items, essentially bypassing the governor’s request to take up the tax cut first.