As Oklahoma lawmakers prepare for the 2026 legislative session, agricultural groups are once again zeroing in on tax policy, private property rights, and regulatory issues that directly affect rural communities. State Representative John Pfeiffer, who is in his final year in the House due to term limits, says those concerns will be front and center when lawmakers convene in early February.
Pfeiffer says Oklahoma’s tax structure needs a more comprehensive review rather than continued incremental changes. “What’s scary to me, we keep piecemealing this tax code,” Pfeiffer said. “Every other state in the country has sat down and completely revamped their tax code from top to bottom. We haven’t done that.” He added that lawmakers need “a holistic picture of where we want Oklahoma to go and what our tax policy needs to be, instead of just continuing to bite around the edges.”
Ad valorem taxes remain a major focus for farmers and ranchers, and Pfeiffer cautioned against unintended consequences. “There’s probably going to be an initiative petition on it,” he said, noting proposals ranging from eliminating ad valorem taxes to capping them on primary residences. “What we have to be careful of, especially in agriculture, is making sure that we don’t just shift the burden completely to agriculture and commercial businesses.”
Beyond taxes, Pfeiffer says education and government efficiency will also dominate the session. “Education is going to continue to be a hot topic,” he said, pointing to discussions on adding school days, third-grade reading coaches, and improving outcomes overall. He also emphasized efforts to reduce bureaucracy, saying lawmakers will continue “to decrease regulation… cut down on bureaucracy, speed things up, and then taxes, as always.”
Looking ahead, Pfeiffer said he feels optimistic about Oklahoma’s direction as he prepares to leave the House and run for Labor Commissioner. “The state’s heading in the right direction,” he said. Calling the Labor Department a “really unique agency,” Pfeiffer added, “It covers a lot of ground, but it can do a lot of good.” He said traveling the state during the campaign has reinforced his optimism, noting Oklahoma has reached a “turning point” and that “it’s going to be exciting to see where we go in the next 5, 10, 25 years.”
