Gov. Stitt now won't apply Oklahoma's Parental Choice Tax Credit, says he'll give others a chance

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has apparently changed his mind.

Last week, after the Oklahoma Tax Commission confirmed problems in the launch of the portal for the Parental Choice Tax Credit, Stitt told the news outlet Oklahoma Watch that he and his family planned to apply for the credit.

On Wednesday, the governor said after thinking about it, he decided not to apply after all.

“I think my wife was planning to fill out the form,” Stitt told the outlet last week. “Everybody knows what my salary is as the state of Oklahoma governor. Every bit helps. There’s caps on it, where we’re going to prioritize it with the $75,000 and $150,000 (income levels) all in one bucket. But we’re all anxious to find out how many people are out there, how many people sign up for it, and also how many new schools are started, which I’m real excited to see.”

More: Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit open for applications after delay

As governor, Stitt receives a salary of $147,000, though as founder of Gateway Mortgage Group the self-made millionaire is worth substantially more. He pumped $1.9 million of his own money into his 2022 re-election campaign and close to $5 million into his 2018 campaign.

Three of the governor's children attend private schools.

However, on Wednesday morning, Stitt’s spokesman Abegail Cave said the governor, upon reflection about the issue, decided not to apply for the tax credit.

“The Governor encourages all Oklahoma families to apply for the tax credit,” Cave wrote in an email to the Oklahoman. “He did say he would, but after talking to his wife, they decided to not apply and make sure other Oklahoma families have the opportunity to get the credit.”

The tax portal is set to open today at 2 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Gov. Kevin Stitt now won't apply Oklahoma's Parental Choice Tax Credit