Chamber adopts position on November state questions

The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber’s executive committee and/or board of directors recently voted to support the state questions that will appear on the upcoming November ballot.

“The Chamber’s executive committee and board of directors only take action on state questions whose outcome will be critical to the business community and to the future economic growth of Greater Oklahoma City,” said Roy H. Williams, CCE, president and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. “We believe that voting yes on state questions 793, 794, 798, 800 and 801 is the right choice for the future of our region.”

State Question 793

State Question 793 is a proposed amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution that would allow optometrists and opticians to practice in large retail establishments such as Walmart. A yes vote on this state question would bring Oklahoma law in line with the 47 other states that already allow this practice, giving Oklahoma residents better access to affordable eye care.

State Question 794

Better known as Marsy’s Law, State Question 794 would amend the Oklahoma Constitution to guarantee certain rights for victims of crimes and their families or guardians. Currently, the United States Constitution gives alleged and convicted criminals more than 20 individual rights. If passed, Marsy’s Law would amend the Oklahoma Constitution to ensure that victims have rights that balance the rights given to the accused and convicted.

State Question 798

If passed, State Question 798 would require candidates for Oklahoma governor and lieutenant governor run on one ticket beginning in 2026, thus creating a unified ticket aligned behind a common vision for the state. This state question is a component of the State Chamber’s OK 2030 agenda, which the Chamber supports.

State Question 800

State Question 800 would deposit 5 percent of the revenue from Oklahoma’s oil and gas production tax in a trust fund called the Oklahoma Vision Fund. If passed, the Oklahoma Vision Fund would become the state’s third budget reserve fund, and unlike the Rainy Day Fund and the Revenue Stabilization Fund, deposits would be made into the Oklahoma Vision Fund every year. The Oklahoma Vision Fund would grow over time, which would help stabilize the state’s long-term financial needs.

State Question 801

Property taxes are the largest source of local revenue for schools, but the Oklahoma Constitution limits how those funds may be spent. State Question 801 would remove some restrictions on how school districts may use property tax dollars. If passed, this state question would allow schools to use 5 mills of their property tax dollars for teacher salaries, additional staff or general expenditures. This state question does not add any new money to school budgets, but it does provide more local control of existing funds.

Vote on Nov. 6

You can cast your vote for these five state questions and for candidates in local, state and federal elections on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Visit www.ok.gov/elections to confirm your registration, find your polling location and view a sample ballot.

This article originally appeared in the October 2018 edition of The Point.