Oral Argument Scheduled for Petition Protest

OKLAHOMA CITY (May 18, 2018) - The Oklahoma Supreme Court has scheduled oral argument on Professional Oklahoma Educators' Protest to Referendum Petition No. 25 for June 11, 2018 at 2 p.m. POE filed this legal action last week to protect Oklahoma educators and the recent teacher pay raise bill and funding measures now at risk with Referendum Petition No. 25. POE's Protest requests that the Oklahoma Supreme Court declare Referendum Petition No. 25 unconstitutional, legally insufficient as a matter of Oklahoma law and otherwise invalid to prevent any ballot measure to repeal House Bill 1010xx from being placed on the November ballot.

Oklahoma Taxpayers Unite, a group of citizens led by former US Senator Tom Coburn filed Referendum Petition No. 25 with the Oklahoma Secretary of State on May 1, 2018, seeking to repeal House Bill 1010xx, the Funding Source Bill for several education funding measures, including the recent Teacher Pay Raise Bill - House Bill 1023xx. House Bill 1010xx provides direct funding to Oklahoma public schools via various tax measures, including increasing cigarette taxes and raising the gross production tax on oil and gas to 5%. In addition, House Bill 1023xx (Teacher Pay Raise bill) is contingent on the enactment of House Bill 1010xx. As such, Referendum Petition No. 25 filed by Coburn jeopardizes the implementation of both of these important education bills by requesting that House Bill 1010xx be placed on a ballot measure for possible repeal in the November 2018 election.

POE plans to continue to work for all Oklahoma educators and students alike to ensure that the recent education bills remain intact as important beginning steps for advancing public education in Oklahoma.

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