Lawton residents react to elimination of state sales tax on groceries

Passage of House Bill 1955 to eliminate the 4.5 percent state sales tax on groceries was met with relief from Lawton shoppers on Thursday morning.

“Tomorrow would not be soon enough,” Sandy Honeycutt said. “I don’t know why it hasn’t happened sooner.”

The state House passed the bill Wednesday and the Senate followed suit Thursday morning. Even though the state may eliminate its portion of the sales tax, city and county sales tax still will be collected. The measure goes to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk for his signature. Stitt released a press release Thursday afternoon celebrating the tax cut.

Honeycutt said she spends about $500 a month on groceries and a cut of 4.5 percent would be welcome. She said she just retired and her husband still works. She shops for the two of them and occasionally feeds her grandson.

“We have a decent amount of income, but I still have to stop and think ‘Do I want that?’” she said.

Patty Oakes concurred with Honeycutt.

“Everything has gone up. Every little bit helps,” she said.

Oakes and her husband are both semi-retired. They make a “big haul” once a month and go to the store for bread and milk as needed. Oakes estimated they spend between $300-400 a month on groceries.

“We eat a lot of soup,” she said. “We have been married for 40 years and we eat the same thing. Sometimes it is just a sandwich and soup. We eat a lot of leftovers. I just got a few things in three bags and it was $17. Everything has doubled and tripled.”

Oakes said her husband went to the store recently for canned goods to make chili. “He just got beans and Rotel, just canned goods, and it was $39.”

Oakes said she probably will be able to buy more groceries if the sales tax is cut.

One thing she is proud of though, is that the price of Jiffy cornbread mix has not increased.

“It is still 79 cents,” she said.