Oklahoma State Question 744, State Funds for Common Schools Initiative (2010)
| Oklahoma State Question 744 | |
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| Topic Education and State and local government budgets, spending, and finance |
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| Status |
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| Type Initiated constitutional amendment |
Origin |
Oklahoma State Question 744 was on the ballot as an initiated constitutional amendment in Oklahoma on November 2, 2010. It was defeated.
A "yes" vote supported repealing the requirement to spend $42 annually per student and mandating state spending on common schools to match the average of surrounding states for operational costs. |
A "no" vote opposed repealing the requirement to spend $42 annually per student and mandating state spending on common schools to match the average of surrounding states for operational costs. |
Election results
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Oklahoma State Question 744 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 189,164 | 18.59% | ||
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828,589 | 81.41% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for State Question 744 was as follows:
| “ | The measure repeals a Section of the State Constitution. The repealed section required the Legislature annually to spend $42.00 for each common school student. Common schools offer pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The measure also adds a new Article to the Constitution. It sets a minimum average amount the State must annually spend on common schools. It requires the State to spend annually, no less than the average amount spent on each student by the surrounding states. Those surrounding states are Missouri, Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, Colorado and New Mexico. When the average amount spent by surrounding states declines, Oklahoma must spend the amount it spent the year before. The measure deals with money spent on day-to-day operations of the schools and school districts. This includes spending on instructions, support services and non-instruction services. The measure does not deal with money spent to pay debt, on buildings or on other capital needs. The measure requires that increased spending begin in the first fiscal year after its passage. It requires that the surrounding state average be met in the third fiscal year after passage. The measure does not raise taxes, nor does it provide new funding for the new spending requirements. | ” |
Path to the ballot
In Oklahoma, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment was equal to 15% of the votes cast in the last general election. In 2010, voters approved State Question 750, which changed the signature requirement to be based on the preceding gubernatorial election. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval.
See also
External links
Footnotes
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