The public school funding proposal has lost 40 percent of voters since July.
Tulsa World
By RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer
Published: 10/10/2010 2:27 AM
Last Modified: 10/10/2010 7:11 AM
Oklahomans appear to have made a complete U-turn on State Question 744, a proposal that would dramatically increase public school funding but that critics say would also devastate most other state services.
A SoonerPoll.com survey of 352 likely voters taken Oct. 3-7 found just 27 percent in favor of SQ 744, a nearly 40-point drop from mid-July, when nearly two-thirds said they planned to vote for the measure.
The question has resulted in intense public relations campaigns by both sides. Most elected officials have either declared opposition to the question or remained silent on it. Its biggest supporters are teachers and education organizations.
The measure would require the state to raise per-pupil, common-education funding to match an average of surrounding states. The initiative would require as much as $1.7 billion when fully implemented, a figure opponents say is impossible even with strong state revenues – something unexpected in the foreseeable future.
Proponents say SQ 744 would force the Legislature to honor its promise to fund education first and at a level comparable to other states.
Opposition to the question is strong among men (67 percent) and Republicans (65 percent), but a majority of Democrats also said they'll vote against SQ 744... FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Sun, October 10, 2010
by Crystal Drwenski