Supreme Court Rules, Boren Tax Petition To Move Forward

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Statement from OCPA Impact CEO on Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling on Boren tax increase ballot petition

OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 12, 2006) – Today, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled on OCPA Impact’s constitutional challenge of Initiative Petition 403, Univ. of Oklahoma President David Boren’s proposed “penny tax” ballot measure. Dave Bond, CEO of OCPA Impact, released the following statement:

“In the coming months, we will continue our effort to prevent the Boren tax increase, making sure all Oklahomans understand the Boren proposal would force them to pay the highest sales tax burden in the nation, and nearly half the money from the tax increase would never go to teachers.

“We’ll also work during the legislative session, which is about to begin, to advance an alternative option for funding real pay raises for every teacher in Oklahoma and hiring additional teachers to address the shortages many classrooms face across the state. This can be accomplished without teachers having to give up a portion of their pay raise because of a tax increase, and if the Legislature acts this session, teachers can start receiving the pay raise immediately, as opposed to next year.”

OCPA Impact, Inc., is a nonpartisan advocacy organization. Learn more about the group’s alternative proposal for increasing teacher salaries at www.StopHigherTaxesOK.com.

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