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Oklahoma House passes ballot question
State Rep. Leslie Osborn, R-Tuttle
By RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer
Published: 5/15/2009 11:40 AM
Last Modified: 5/15/2009 5:34 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma House of Representatives voted to essentially put competing measures on the state ballot with the passage Friday of a measure intended to counteract on Oklahoma Education Association-backed initiative petition.
House Joint Resolution 1014 by Rep. Leslie Osborn, R-Tuttle, is a constitutional amendment giving the Legislature authority to ignore budget mandates such as those imposed by the OEA’s HOPE initiative.
The HOPE initiative, which already has already secured a ballot spot, is a constitutional amendment that would require education spending to be pegged at the regional average.
Osborn told House members her amendment is necessary to preserve the Legislature’s “constitutional integrity.”
“This is not about education,” she said. “If (the HOPE initiative) succeeds, what’s to prevent other special interest groups from taking the some route?”
Several Democrats ridiculed the measure’s rationale, saying its supporters are afraid to let the voters decide the education-funding amendment.
“This is from people who are terrified that the people are going to support the HOPE petition,” said Rep. Scott Inman, D-Oklahoma City.
Inman said he opposes HOPE, too, but said the proper way to oppose it is to convince the public to vote against it.
“This legislation says we’re scared the people of Oklahoma may vote for something we don’t like,” he said.
Several representatives asked if the amendment would not also prevent implementation
of spending restraints such as the so-called Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Osborn sharply denied that it would, but Rep. Ryan McMullen, D-Burns Flat, said, “Anybody who denies a correlation, you’re just fooling yourself.”
Despite her earlier denial that HJR 1014 had anything to do with education, Osborn spoke at some length about the dangers of the HOPE initiative. It would have caused an additional $800 million to go into education this year, Osborn said – money that would have had to come out of other government functions.
“The people elect us to make these decisions,” she said.
HJR 1014 passed 65-29 and now goes to the Senate.
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Reader comments for this page have been moved to the most updated version of the story, now under the headline "
Education bills, teacher contracts focus of debates," which was published on 5/16/2009. So far, 9 comments have been made.
