BY JULIE BISBEE Oklahoman, NewsOK
Published: September 8, 2010

A state question that would mandate how much money is spent on common education would make it extremely difficult to balance the budget without a tax increase, top economists said Tuesday.

During a news conference at the state Capitol on Tuesday, economists working with the One Oklahoma Coalition said SQ 744 is flawed and could do more harm than good for the state.

"It's hubris to suggest that you now know, here, today in 2010, exactly how it is that money should best be spent for all time perpetuity," said Alexander Holmes, chair of the department of economics at the University of Oklahoma and a former state budget official. "The constitution needs to have in it fundamental principles. It should not have in it mathematical formulas."

Under former Gov. Henry Bellmon, Holmes worked with other lawmakers to come up with a plan to increase funding for education in the historic House Bill 1017... FULL ARTICLE

NewsOK

BY MICHAEL MCNUTT Oklahoman
Published: September 8, 2010

Oklahoma will be ready with projects if President Barack Obama gets Congress to pass a $50 billion plan to rebuild roads, state Transportation Department Director Gary Ridley said Tuesday.

"We will be prepared to act," Ridley told members of the Oklahoma Transportation Commission.

Ridley held a meeting later in the day with field division engineers and designers to go over projects in the state's eight-year construction work plan, which the commission approved last month, to make sure the state can act quickly "if additional funds were made available to Oklahoma."

"If you get additional money then you're ready to go," he said. "If you don't, there's no harm because you're designing projects you intend to do anyhow." FULL ARTICLE

NewsOK

BY MICHAEL MCNUTT Oklahoman
Published: September 8, 2010

A second paving contract for the new Interstate 40 Crosstown was approved Tuesday, with transportation officials saying the roadway is still on track to be open to motorists by late 2012.

The Oklahoma Transportation Commission approved a $29.3 million contract with Duit Construction Co. Inc. and TTK Construction Co. Inc., both of Edmond, to pave 2.3 miles from just west of May Avenue east to Classen Boulevard. The two companies are working together on the project.

The work is expected to start in about two months and should take about a year.

The bid was the lowest of four bids; all came in under the $36.2 million estimate.

The commission approved the first paving contract last month. It covered the I-35/I-40 junction west to Lincoln Boulevard. Work should start in about a month... FULL ARTICLE

NewsOK
By The Associated Press
Published: September 7, 2010

A proposed Oklahoma ballot measure to increase education funding would tie lawmakers' hands during fiscal emergencies and decimate funding for other state services, economists from the state's top two public universities said Tuesday.

The two professors joined fiscal analysts from a pair of Oklahoma think tanks during a press conference at the Capitol to oppose State Question 744, one of 11 questions on the November ballot. If approved, it would amend the state's constitution to require Oklahoma to meet surrounding states' average per-student spending within three years.

Oklahoma ranked 49th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia in per-pupil expenditures in 2008, according to a recent report by the National Center for Education Statistics. Only Utah and Idaho ranked lower.

Retired Oklahoma State University economics professor Larkin Warner said he's a strong supporter of public education, but decried the "unintended consequences" the initiative would impose on other state services by forcing lawmakers to divert state revenue to education... FULL ARTICLE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 7, 2010
Contact: Crystal Drwenski
405.410.7668
Cdrwenski@me.com

OKLAHOMA CITY (Sept 7) – A politically diverse group of Oklahoma economists and fiscal policy experts gathered today at the State Capitol in opposition to State Question 744. The group cited massive tax increases, irresponsible cuts to vital state services and a loss of representative democracy as the united concerns.
Economists appearing at the press conference were adamant Oklahoma taxpayers will be faced with two options to pay for the estimated $1.7 billion spending increases mandated by SQ 744 – a combination of massive tax hikes in income, sales and property taxes coupled with cuts to state services outside of common education – such as Medicaid funding, road and bridge repairs and funding for state prisons.
Dr. Larkin Warner, a regents professor emeritus of economics at Oklahoma State University said, “It is a mathematical certainty passage of SQ 744 will take tax dollars away from vital state services, such as Medicaid spending and road and bridge repairs to satisfy the spending mandate.”
Michael Carnuccio, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs said, "In addition to the alarming consequences of SQ 744, there are two facts that prove such a measure is dangerous. More money does not correlate to increased student performance, and if Oklahoma calculated our education spending the same as the states we are compared to, we would already be spending more than the regional average."
David Blatt, director of Oklahoma Policy Institute said, “We have run a detailed analysis of the what the anticipated cost of SQ 744 will be. Our best guess is initially we are looking at spending increases of $1.7 billion for common education over three years with no source identified to pay for it. We believe that we must boost funding for our schools, but not at the expense of services for children with mental health issues or kids in foster care or students in our colleges and universities. Tax revenue comes from one place and one place alone: the taxpayer. So whether we cut other state services or increase taxes, we must face the reality those are our only two options.”

Dr. Alexander Holmes chair of the department of economics at the University of Oklahoma, and former state secretary of finance and a former revenue and budget director of the Office of State Finance said, “This is an irresponsible measure at best with catastrophic results at worst. Because Oklahoma law doesn’t allow an increase in taxes without a vote of the people or three-fourths majority of the legislature, it is impossible to fund this spending increase without cutting other government services.”
Jeff Wilson, campaign manager of One Oklahoma said, “We have heard from a diversity of economists and policy experts on the impact of SQ 744. One Oklahoma requests an opportunity to join the Yes on 744 campaign in a public forum in order for them to provide the people of Oklahoma a detailed budget that answers two simple questions: How much will SQ 744 cost? Where will the money come from?”

VIEW ARTICLE

GAME-changing state questions were put on the Nov. 2 ballot, measures that supporters touted as way to dramatically increase spending for schools and health care.

The year was 2004. Brad Henry was ending his second year in the governor's office. This Nov. 2, as Henry nears the end of his eighth and final year in office, another game-changing state question is on the ballot. Again, education funding is front and center.

Henry opposes State Question 744, which would cripple noneducation state services. Six years ago, he supported three state questions that dominated Oklahoma news during a presidential election season.

They were the controversial measures creating a state lottery, establishing the "racino” concept and significantly raising the tobacco tax. All three questions passed, two of them having been sold as a way to increase education funding without a general tax increase.

How much have these new "sin taxes” benefited the state? FULL ARTICLE

NewsOK
BY MICHAEL MCNUTT
Published: September 5, 2010

New Pikepass windshield sticker tags should be available after the first of the year, with plans to get them distributed to all account holders in two years, a spokesman for Oklahoma's turnpike agency says.

A second round of field-testing the stickers is scheduled to begin this week, Jack Damrill, Oklahoma Turnpike Authority spokesman, said.

No serious glitches were reported during an initial test of placing the sticker tags on about 500 passenger cars, Damrill said.

"We saw a few things that we needed to look at but nothing major," he said. "Mostly people getting confused about how to put the sticker tag on."

The sticker tags will be placed on another 25,000 vehicles, including 15,000 commercial trucks, he said. This will be the first time the stickers will be used by commercial account holders... FULL ARTICLE

11A A complaint has been filed with the state Ethics Commission claiming more than $1.5 million in contributions from the National Education Association to a committee supporting the passage of State Question 744 is illegal and should be returned. A spokesman for the group, Yes on 744, said the teachers group money is legal because it did not come from a political action committee. Yes on 744 intends to keep the money, he said. The Ethics Commission, which called a special meeting Friday to clarify whether ballot measure committees may accept money from political action committees, took no action. Voters will decide the measure Nov. 2.

MICHAEL MCNUTT, CAPITOL BUREAU

VIEW ARTICLE

NewsOK
BY MICHAEL MCNUTT
Published: September 3, 2010
Modified: September 4, 2010 at 1:12 am

A committee backing an educational spending measure on November's ballot intends to keep more than $1.5 million contributed from outside Oklahoma by a national teachers group despite the other side's filing a complaint with a state agency that the contribution is illegal and should be returned.

The state Ethics Commission took no action Friday concerning a rule that bans ballot measure committees from receiving money from political action committees.

Before commissioners met, a complaint was filed questioning whether the National Education Association could give contributions to a committee supporting State Question 744. The measure, if passed, would require Oklahoma to increase education spending per pupil to match that of surrounding states.

The commission's failure to take action keeps in place a prohibition against political action committees giving money to ballot measure committees... FULL ARTICLE

NewsOK
BY STEVE LACKMEYER
Published: September 4, 2010

The state's top highway official this week promised that a boulevard intended to replace Interstate 40 south of downtown can be narrowed from its current plan of six lanes if that is the wish of Oklahoma City leaders.

Gary Ridley, director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, also said the $85 million allocated in the agency's latest eight-year plan should allow for complete construction of the highway and boulevard by 2014.

The boulevard's proposed six-lane width — wider than a section of Northwest Expressway in far northwest Oklahoma City — have concerned city leaders who want to see the area developed as a new mixed-use downtown neighborhood.

"We're not going to build something the city doesn't want,” Ridley said in an interview Wednesday following a presentation at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel... FULL ARTICLE

Ethics Commission to discuss out-of-state donation to ballot measure campaign

By MICHAEL MCNUTT and JULIE BISBEE, Published: September 3, 2010
NewsOK

Opponents of State Question 744 said Thursday that supporters should have to return a $1.5 million contribution from a national teachers' group.

The One Oklahoma Coalition, which opposes the proposal to increase funding for education, said the contribution violated state law banning contributions from an out-of-state political action committee to an Oklahoma political action committee.

The National Education Association contributed $1.5 million to the Yes on 744 campaign on July 15, according to filings with the state Ethics Commission. The national education advocacy group had publicly pledged to give up to $3 million to the campaign to get a state constitutional amendment passed that would require the state to fund public education up to the regional average... FULL ARTICLE

OKLAHOMA CITY – More than 1,300 of Oklahoma’s 6,800 bridges are either too narrow to support modern vehicles or have structural deficiencies, the director of the state Department of Transportation said Wednesday.
Speaking at a luncheon sponsored by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, transportation Director Gary Ridley said ODOT has repaired or replaced about 530 state bridges since 2005. Ridley said the agency expects to repair or replace another 650 bridges during the next eight years.

“This is, easily, the most number of bridges that the state has ever done,” he said. “Our eight-year plan is fiscally balanced and is re-examined every year; we have delivered on 85 percent of the projects which we said we would do.”

Ridley said 450 state bridges were more than 80 years old and needed to be replaced. Achieving that goal was difficult because his department’s budget has remained flat at a time when construction costs were increasing.

“Construction costs and the cost of maintenance are going up,” he said... FULL ARTICLE

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The mayor of Bixby is hoping for more street widening.

Mayor Ray Bowen wrote a letter to the citizens calling on them to call on the Oklahoma Department of Transportation for more street widening.

ODOT widened Memorial, also known as State Highway 64, from the Creek Turnpike to 111th street.

Mayor Bowen would like to see it go to 151st street. He says Bixby is the 2nd fastest growing city in the state... FULL ARTICLE & VIDEO

FULL ARTICLE

Somewhere, Ernest Istook has to be smiling. As Oklahoma's 5th District representative, Istook spent several years urging the state to help pay for relocation of the Interstate 40 Crosstown, and particularly for a new downtown boulevard where the current I-40 now stands.

"Typically, the federal share would be about two-thirds of the interstate cost, but none of the boulevard expense," Istook wrote on these pages in 2005. "Unfortunately, the state's participation has been ... extraordinarily low."

Not anymore. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation's new eight-year construction plan includes money for the boulevard, an $80 million project that is a crucial piece of the city's long-term planning for downtown... FULL ARTICLE

TULSA - The State Chamber of Oklahoma now has an office in Tulsa. It's located at 511 S. Boston, in the Philcade Building. CEO Fred Morgan says the State Chamber needed a presence here.

"We have many members in Tulsa. We want to have an office where they can come and communicate with us," said Morgan.

The organization's objectives are different from local chambers of commerce, in that it doesn't recruit new businesses. Its sole mission is to make sure business-friendly laws are passed; and block other proposals the Chamber believes would be bad for business, like State Question 744.

Supporters say it will give schools more money. But critics say the initiative will lead to tax hikes and cuts in other state-funded services.

The Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce agrees, and looks forward to having the State Chamber in town... FULL ARTICLE

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TULSA – The State Chamber of Oklahoma has beefed up its state Capitol presence in preparation for a historic election changeover.
It also has added a downtown Tulsa office for Northeastern Area Manager Mark Rathe.

Speaking before a Tulsa Press Club luncheon Tuesday, new State Chamber President and Chief Executive Fred Morgan pointed out that Oklahoma will enter 2011 with a new governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, attorney general, superintendent of education, and new leadership at the state House and Senate.

Morgan said that extensive transition makes it vital for business owners and executives to get involved in this election and the following legislative process.

“If business doesn’t get involved, well, we like to say that if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu,” said Morgan, who served as Republican leader of the state House of Representatives from 1998 to 2002.

Chad Warmington, former chief of staff for House Speaker Chris Benge and two other speakers, joined the State Chamber Monday as executive vice president, even as former House director of communications Jennifer Monies came onboard as the State Chamber’s new vice president of communications... FULL ARTICLE

NewsOK
BY JULIE BISBEE
Published: August 31, 2010

Packed into a sweltering outdoor patio Monday at an Oklahoma City restaurant, nearly 50 people quizzed advocates on both sides of a ballot measure aimed at getting more money to the state's public education system.

In a forum sponsored by public radio station KOSU-FM 91.7, proponents and opponents of State Question 744 debated the constitutional amendment that will be on the ballot in November.

The question would add a new provision to the Oklahoma Constitution that requires the state to spend no less than the average amount spent, per student, per year, in surrounding states.

If the amount spent by surrounding states decreases, Oklahoma would not be allowed to spend less than what it spent the previous year... FULL ARTICLE