Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry says he will serve as honorary chairman of the One Oklahoma Coalition, which opposes passage of State Question 744. First lady Kim Henry, a former schoolteacher, also is against the measure, the governor says.
BY MICHAEL MCNUTT Oklahoman, NewsOK
Published: September 22, 2010
Passage of a state question that would require Oklahoma to increase its per-pupil expenditure to the average of surrounding states would have drastic effects on core state services, as well as higher education, early childhood programs and the CareerTech system, Gov. Brad Henry said Tuesday in announcing he would serve as an honorary chairman of a group opposed to the measure.
"I care about the future of our state," said Henry, whose term expires in January and who is prohibited from seeking a third term. "And it's so important that I felt I simply had no choice but to get involved."
Approval of State Question 744 also would come at a time the state slowly is recovering from the economic recession, Henry said.
"I have major, major concerns about this proposal," he said. "If State Question 744 passes, it will absolutely devastate the budgets of all other critical areas in state government, and we just simply cannot allow that to happen."
Henry said he will serve as honorary chairman of the One Oklahoma Coalition, a group made up of businesses, unions and farming, health care, banking and transportation groups opposed to SQ 744. He said funding for public schools needs to be increased in Oklahoma, but SQ 744 — to be decided by voters Nov. 2 — is the wrong solution... FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Wed, September 22, 2010
by Crystal Drwenski