Vote NO on SQ744

This November, SQ 744 will be one of 11 State Questions on Oklahoma's ballot.  This is a constitutional amendment designed to ensure that appropriations for our state's common education system must at least equal the average per pupil expenditure of our neighboring states.  This proposition SOUNDS great...BUT WHAT ARE THE FACTS?

What is SQ 744?

State Question (SQ) 744 amends the Oklahoma Constitution and requires that the Oklahoma Legislature annually provide an amount of funding, based per pupil, for public schools equal to the average of the amount spent by the states surrounding Oklahoma (Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico and Colorado). If approved, it can only be changed by another vote of the people. The Oklahoma Legislature cannot change any part of SQ 744. The Legislature will be forced to follow the requirements of the new law whether the people of Oklahoma like it or not.

Oklahoma would no longer set its own education budget. State Question 744 would prohibit Oklahoma lawmakers from ever spending less than the regional per-pupil average on public schools – even if a devastating budget catastrophe, like the one the Oklahoma is experiencing now, takes place. It would take the largest appropriations decision out of the hands of the state legislature and the Governor and give that power to the legislatures in other states.

Why is SQ 744 a bad idea?

There are hundreds of reasons to vote “NO”. But here are four big ones . . .

  • No oversight or accountability of how millions of your tax dollars will be spent.
  • No guarantee that any new funding is spent on children, computers, books, classroom needs or teacher pay raises.
  • No reforms in public schools of any type are included in SQ 744.
  • No way to pay for SQ 744 without massive tax and fee increases or without devastating budget cuts to all other state programs and services.

State Question 744 is an unfunded mandate. It requires the Oklahoma Legislature to spend billions of dollars, but does not provide any mechanism for generating the money. It will have to come from cutting all other government services  a minimum of 20% across the board (over 40% by some estimates) or the passage of significant tax and fee hikes.

SQ 744: The Numbers

By the OEA’s own estimate, when fully implemented, this state question will cost a minimum of $938 million dollars more a year to fund, with no mechanism for finding this money. The lowest estimated cost is $850 million, with the Oklahoma Policy Institute estimating it at closer to $1.7 Billion.

$938m – OEA’s original estimated cost for the amendment – is:

  • More than 6 times the annual CareerTech budget
  • 4.5 times the budget for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation this year
  • 91% of the state's entire Higher Education budget
  • Almost twice the entire DHS budget
  • Over $120 million MORE than the entire Public Safety and Judiciary budget

Remember, this is only the amount of the INCREASE in spending.  Without this question, public education will still be the single largest expenditure of the state.

SQ 744: The Cost

Proponents of SQ 744 have refused to offer a plan for how they intend to fund this mandate.  With such a significant cost, it simply cannot be paid for out of growth revenue.  Those who have studied the issue paint a dreary picture for what this drastic measure would mean for Oklahoma.

From an official State House of Representaives Interim Study, the full funding of this state question, without raising taxes, would require all non-common education portions of the state budget to take a cut of more than 20%. Of course, some services/agencies would ultimately be cut more than others, but, according to testimony given during the interim study, if the cuts were equal and across the board, these cuts would mean all of the following:

  • 125 State Troopers laid-off
  • 8 or 9 Prisons closed and 8,400 criminals released
  • Dramatic tuition hikes and the likely elimination of OHLAP (Oklahoma’s Promise) funding.
  • Severe cuts to DHS in areas like foster care
  • $192 million eliminated from the road and bridge program in first year alone (resulting from $42 million cut, and loss of bonding capacity.)
  • $336 million cut from 8-year road and bridge plan, if no federal match is lost
  • Loss of up to $400 million a year from federal matching funds related to health care alone

These numbers do not reflect results from the Oklahoma Policy Institute’s recent brief saying the actual cost would be $1.7 billion, compared to the interim study cost of $850 million.

  • DON'T BE FOOLED...those opposed to SQ 744 represent virtually EVERYONE in the public and private sector.  To see a list of those opposing SQ 744, click here.
  • To see a summary of the implications of passing SQ 744, click here.  To see a resolution for you or your organization to consider and pass in order to oppose SQ 744, click here.
  • Also, go to the following website www.nosq744.com to get more information and help support the TRUTH about SQ 744!
  • For additional No campaign materials, click here.

 

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